Ohé En Laak: Hiking, Water and Cultural Heritage

Together with Stevensweert, Ohé en Laak forms the “Eiland in de Maas” (Island in the Maas). The village offers several distinct focal points when choosing a destination for your stay: a specific circular hike, cycling routes through the village, water activities, and architectural and settlement history. You can plan your trip around whether you mainly want to get around on foot or by bike, include water sports, or explore the cultural heritage.

Cycling, hiking and the connection to Belgium

The Molenplas circular hike starts at the Hompesche Molen and leads around the Molenplas. This gives you a clearly defined starting point and a circular route around a named body of water. Several cycling routes also pass through Ohé en Laak. So you have different reference points for planning: a single walking loop and several routes for cycling through the village. A ferry for cyclists and pedestrians connects Ohé en Laak with Ophoven in Belgium. Check the timetable before setting out so you can factor the crossing into your day’s plans.

Water and the seasons

Ohé en Laak has three gravel pits: the Dilkensplas, the Teggerse Plas and the Schroevendaalse Plas. The Dilkensplas is home to many waterbirds, especially in winter. If wildlife watching is of interest to you, this season offers a specific reference point for planning your trip. The Dagstrand De Maasterp covers 15 hectares; swimming, stand-up paddling, surfing, wakeboarding and canoeing are possible there. Winter birdwatching at the Dilkensplas and water activities at the Dagstrand offer different focal points. If you are planning water sports, check the current availability of the activities listed before your visit.

Buildings and local history

The cultural heritage includes Hasselholt, an L-shaped house built between 1544 and 1548. Older elements of a late medieval castle may have been used in its construction. The house’s defined construction period and its possible earlier architectural history thus sit alongside one another. Hasselholt Estate is of general cultural and historical significance because the complex is so well preserved in its almost undisturbed rural setting.

Another protected building is the Sint Annakapel in Ohé en Laak. Listed as a Rijksmonument, it is dedicated to Saint Anne, the mother of Mary. The chapel lies on an axis with nearby Kasteel Walburg. On the banks of the Maas, only the ice cellar of Kasteel Walburg remains. The chapel and castle therefore have different features to highlight: the chapel’s religious dedication and alignment, and the surviving part of Kasteel Walburg.

Huize Geno is an 18th-century Maasdal farmstead. Alongside Hasselholt, it provides another reference point for architectural history, this time as a farmstead from a later period. The settlement pattern is also part of local history: the original ribbon development is still clearly visible, especially in Laak. While individual buildings can be understood through their design, dedication or date of construction, this settlement pattern draws attention to the structure of the village, particularly in Laak.

Discover more destinations: Wessem, Thorn, Maasbracht, Heel, Stevensweert, Linne

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