Maasplassen

The Maasplassen are about three thousand hectares of connected lakes strung along the Maas around Roermond, and they are entirely artificial: gravel and sand were dug from the river terraces here through the twentieth century for construction, and the pits filled with groundwater and river water, leaving a chain of deep clear lakes linked to each other and to the river. It is now the largest continuous inland water sports area in the Netherlands, with marinas, sailing schools, beaches, dive sites and a boating route that connects through to Belgium. Extraction continues in places alongside the recreation. Parts have been given over to nature - shallow margins, islands and floodplain restored as part of the Maas flood-safety programme after the 1993 and 1995 floods, with Konik horses and Galloway cattle grazing sections and beaver present along the river.

What you actually see

• Three thousand hectares of dug lakes - gravel pits filled and connected to the Maas.
• The largest inland water sports area - marinas, sailing, diving and beaches.
• Restored floodplain - shallow margins and islands from the flood-safety works.
• Grazing herds and beaver - along the river sections between the lakes.

When to go

May to September. A day.

Honest expectations

Gravel extraction is still active in parts and those areas are closed. Very busy in summer. Swimming is only permitted at designated beaches - the deep pits have cold layers and currents at the connections.

Nearby

Roermond is on the chain; the Meinweg park is east.