Eckelrade: Landscape at Savelsbos and village history

Eckelrade brings together landscape and local character: the village lies on the edge of Savelsbos and is surrounded by fields and orchards. Churches, a chapel and historic village features also contribute to its character. Nature and local history therefore offer distinct points of interest when planning your trip.

Landscape and hiking

Savelsbos is designated as a Natura 2000 site, and you can hike into the woodland from Eckelrade. The village’s location at the forest’s edge, the site’s designation and the opportunity to hike are distinct points of reference. Fields and orchards, by contrast, describe the village’s surroundings. When considering Eckelrade’s landscape, you can take the woodland and the village surroundings into account separately. If hiking is your priority, include Savelsbos; if you are interested in the village’s surroundings, consider fields and orchards as a separate aspect of the landscape.

Church, chapel and village history

The Sint-Bartholomeuskerk stands on a small hill in the centre of Eckelrade. The Antoniuskapel, by contrast, is on the edge of the village, at the Klompenstraat-Linderweg junction. It is a grotto chapel dating from 1946 and was restored in 2019. The two buildings differ both in their location and their historical associations: the church is defined by its hilltop position in the centre, while the chapel also has a year of construction and a restoration date. Thus, a central church and a dated chapel on the edge of the village offer distinct points of reference.

The village’s features also include old farmhouses. A “mei-den” (Maypole) stands in a nearby square in Eckelrade. Its historical background includes the former convent and the school of the Soeurs de la Miséricorde, founded in Eckelrade in 1903. The founding year adds a historically dated reference to the village’s specific features. Farmhouses, a Maypole, a convent and a school offer different perspectives on Eckelrade, from village character to its historic foundation. The 1903 foundation and the institution’s activity in Eckelrade until 1991 mark two distinct dates in the local institutional history.

Hiking and route itinerary

The Mergelland Fietsroute West also passes through Eckelrade. This is a different route-related point of reference from the opportunity to hike into Savelsbos from Eckelrade: the hike focuses on the woodland, while the route passes through the village. When planning, you can therefore decide whether to focus on the connection with Savelsbos or on the route through Eckelrade. This route itinerary thus adds another starting point for trip planning alongside the nature and local history.

The woodland and its hiking opportunities, and the village’s distinctive features, appeal to different interests; you can take both into account when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Margraten, Mesch, Noorbeek, Gronsveld, Bemelen, Eijsden

Go to the overview of the wider area: Eijsden-Margraten.