South Limburg (Dutch: Zuid-Limburg, Limburgish: Zuud-Limburg) is both a COROP (statistical) region as well as a landstreek (area) of the Netherlands located in the province of Limburg. The Dutch term landstreek, literally translated "land area/region", means that the area is not an administrative region but an area that displays cohesion with regard to culture and landscape. With regard to South Limburg this deals with its hilly landscape, especially in the Heuvelland region, sunken lanes, an abundance of castles, and the regional language Limburgish spoken by a significant part of the population alongside Dutch. The region also contains the highest point above sea level in mainland Netherlands, the Vaalserberg being above sea level (the highest point of the entire country is in the Caribbean Netherlands' island of Saba, namely Mount Scenery being above sea level).
The region South Limburg in addition, although extended a little further north to Roermond, forms a constituent part of the Euroregion Meuse-Rhine.
Estate region Maastricht-Meerssen
Buitengoed Geul & Maas formerly named estate region Maastricht-Meerssen (Dutch: Landgoederenzone Maastricht - Meerssen) is the name for an area stretching from the northeastern parts of Maastricht to the south of Meerssen that is characterised by a large number of estates. The area is crossed by three rivers (namely the Meuse, Geul and Kanjel). A majority of said estates have been built (or renovated) by the 19th century Maastrichtian industrialist Petrus Regout and his descendants. Challenges to transforming the entire region into a recreational area are posed by the crossing of the A2 motorway and various railways through the area as well as the industrial area of Beatrixhaven.
The region spans six neighbourhoods of Maastricht namely: Amby: homestead Withuishof, homestead Gravenhof, house Severen, homestead Hagenhof (or Tiendschuur van Amby) and castle Geuselt Nazareth: castle Mariënwaard (La Grande Suisse), villa Petite Suisse and villa Kruisdonk Limmel: castles Bethlehem and Jerusalem Meerssenhoven: castles Vaeeshartelt and Meerssenhoven and villa Klein Vaeshartelt Itteren*: homestead Hartelstein Borgharen*: Borgharen castle and homestead Wiegershof (* some publications do not include Itteren and Borgharen in the estate region)
And in Meerssen: Weert: homestead Weerterhof and villa Zonnevang Rothem: mill IJzeren Molen
Municipalities
The South Limburg contains 18 administrative municipalities (gemeenten):
(capital of the entire Limburg province)
Cities
NamePopulation<br/ > 2011/2012Notes Maastricht121,000 Heerlen89,000Does not have historical city rights Kerkrade47,000Does not have historical city rights Sittard38,000 Geleen32,000 Stein26,000 Does not have historical city rights Valkenburg6,000
Impressions of South Limburg
See also South Limburg (Belgium), region in the southern part of the Belgian province of Limburg
External links
Vision on the future of the estate region (Dutch) The estate region on wigosite.nl (Dutch) The Regout estates (English)