De Meinweg

De Meinweg is about eighteen hundred hectares on the German border east of Roermond, and its shape is geological: the Peel Boundary Fault runs through here and has stepped the ground into terraces, so the park climbs in benches from the Roer valley with streams cutting between them - real relief in a country that mostly has none. The terraces carry dry heath, oak and birch woodland, drift sand and wet stream valleys, and the mix supports a long species list including the largest Dutch population of adders, along with nightjar, wild boar and, in some years, red deer crossing from Germany. Wolves recolonised this area in the 2020s as they moved west through Germany. Marked trails cross the terraces, and the German Elmpter Schwalmbruch reserve continues on the other side of the boundary.

What you actually see

• Terraced ground - the Peel Boundary Fault stepping the plateau into benches.
• The largest Dutch adder population - on the dry heath sections.
• Stream valleys between terraces - wet ground cutting down through the steps.
• A cross-border reserve - German protected land continuing on the far side.

When to go

April to October. A day.

Honest expectations

Adders are present and bite when trodden on - stay on paths and keep dogs leashed. Ticks are common. Wild boar are active at dusk. Wolves are present in the wider area; sightings are extremely unlikely.

Nearby

Roermond and the Maasplassen are west; the German border runs along the park.