Exploring Limburg: Valkenburg

Adventures with Jaap continues with another day trip to another town in beautiful Limburg. Two weeks ago, we took an afternoon trip to Valkenburg, a well-known and touristic town close to Maastricht. The weather was beautiful and we spent the day outdoors followed by a romantic anniversary dinner on a terrace in Maastricht. It was the perfect Saturday. 

Valkenburg has some castle ruins that are very unique to the Netherlands. These ruins sit on top of a tall hill near the center of town and from the top, there are some nice views of Valkenburg below. Our travel guide book says that the first structures of this castle started in 1087. Oh the history! It reminded us of visiting Altes Schloss outside of Baden Baden, Germany back in August.

After exploring the castle, we walked along the streets full of cafés and shops in the city center. I little too touristy for us, but I did see a Mexican restaurant. This is always good news, since there are NO Mexican restaurants in Maastricht. I know, it's tragic. I feel bad that Maastrichters are not experiencing this amazing cuisine. :(

Grendelpoort (14th century gateway)

 Here are some more shots of Valkenburg. I wish I knew more about this little castle. There are lots of pretty things to see in this cute town. 

Our Saturday ended with a nice romantic dinner at Le Courage on Rechtstraat to celebrate our anniversay. Rechtstraat is a cute street in our neighborhood with lots of nice restaurants and speciality shops. Le Courage just has one set menu each night, which makes ordering a breeze. No choices! I like that. Please note the beautiful cocktail. Lekker, lekker, lekker!!! It's a combination of Prosecco and a raspberry liquor. Everything was delicious. Thanks Jaapie for a nice romantic weekend.