Sand Sculptures At Hoensbroek Castle and The Valkenburg Caves

Have you ever heard the phrase "hit the ground running"? Well, that's what Grandma and Nana did. We spent their first day in Europe in the Netherlands. Hoensbroek Castle hosts sand sculptures in the summer, so the timing was perfect. If you're in the area, the sculptures are on display from July 2 to November 6, 2011. We checked out all of the amazing sculptures, and then went inside to tour the castle. Hoensbroek Castle dates back to the 1200's, and is one of the largest in the Netherlands. Not only is the castle in great condition, it is furnished as well. It's one of our favorite castles, so we had to take the Moms over the see it. After the castle, we drove over to the Valkenburg Caves, also known as the Velvet Caves. The caves date back to the 11th and 12th century, and were formed by locals removing stones to make buildings (including the Valkenburg Castle). It's an interesting tour, because there are carvings and drawings on the walls inside.

A trip to Belgium would be complete without seeing a real windmill! So guess what we went to see the next day...

Grandma and Nana were a little jet lagged, so we let them relax before beginning the next adventure. This one's a biggie, so they need to get a little rest!

Kerststad Valkenburg...A Christmas Market In A Cave!

We've first visited Valkenburg in July of 2009, right after we moved to Belgium. When I heard that they held a Christmas Market in the Velvet Cave, I knew I just had to go back. The Christmas Market runs from November 19 to December 23, so I guess you could say I cut this one a little close. We visited the Market on the last day. Due to the mini blizzard hampering the locals driving, and it being so late in the season, we didn't even have to fight the crowds. The theme of this years market was A Charles Dickens' Christmas. The entrance to the caves was very festive. It's hard to remember that the last time we visited these caves, the entrance was just a rocky wall.

Although Christmas Markets aren't really his thing, Russ very generously braved the elements and took me to this one.

Once you are in the cave, it's pretty cozy. There were lots of lovely booths set up here and there along the path through the cave. This one had some very pretty tapestry purses.

There were also scenes set up in little nooks and crannies along the route. This Nativity Scene was very pretty.

They left some areas open so that you could enjoy the beauty of the caves themselves. This is the chapel in the Velvet Cave.

They even had a restaurant and bar in the middle of the caves. I loved that they set up the bar right beside the carving of a dinosaur.

There are actually two different Christmas Markets in caves in Valkenburg. They have one in the Velvet Cave, and another in the Municipal cave. We didn't make it to the second one. Maybe I'll put that on my list for next year. If you ever find yourself in The Netherlands during Christmas, head over to the city of Valkenburg and check it out. They have a Christmas parade every Wednesday and Saturday evening, and they light up the downtown area with lots of beautiful Christmas lights each evening from November 19th to January 2nd. There is even live music, with choirs, bands and musical groups performing for your listening pleasure. It's just the thing to get you into the Christmas spirit!

Valkenburg Castle and the Velvet Cave

It's another lovely day in Belgium. Russ had today off, so we decided to do a little more exploring. We took a little trip to the Netherlands to check out the town of Valkenburg and explore the ruins of Valkenburg Castle. It's a beautiful area. After a delicious lunch at a local cafe, we headed on up the hill to the castle. Valkenburg Castle has the distinction of being the only castle in the Netherlands to be built on a hill. It was originally built in 1100, but has changed shapes and sizes throughout the years. All that remains of the original castle is the foundation.

The castle had several owners over the years, the last being King William III. He ordered the castle to be blown up with gunpowder to prevent it from ending up in the hands of the French.
Under the ruins of the castle are the Velvet Caves. They have guided tours of the caves every hour on the hour. The caves were originally formed when marl was mined from the ground to form the castle walls. This left a series of tunnels under the ruins. The tunnels were then used for the knights to escape the castle and sneak up on their enemy from behind when being attacked. It also allowed them to bring supplies into the castle. When the railroad came to Valkenburg in 1853, hotels started being built in the area. To make the caves more attractive to the tourists, they were decorated with drawings. The walls were smoothed out, blackened with charcoal, and then the drawings were scratched into the wall with a sharp object. The drawings tell stories about life around the castle. This first drawing is of a block cutter. These were the people who cut out the caves. They knew their way around the caves with no problem. If you look closely at the tree on the left side of the picture, you will see a map of the caves carved into the leaves. This drawing is of the Castle at around 1600. It shows what the castle looked like before it was destroyed in 1672. This tells the story of Alexis of Cleves and Walram, who were wed in the castle. Walrem's brother, Reginald, was jealous and angry that Alexis chose his brother instead of him. Reginald murdered the young couple before their wedding night.

In 1770, the jaw of a mosasaurus was discovered in the rock under St. Peter's hill. The story says that the French army seized it and took it to Paris where it is now on display at the Museum of Natural History. The French say that they bought the jaw bone from the city for 600 bottles of red wine. In September of 1944, the American Army entered south Limburg. This was nearing the end of World War II. Around 600 locals stayed in the cave during this time, to find shelter from the war between the Americans and Germans. American troops also spent time in the caves after the liberation of Valkenburg. They came during their leave to check out the area. Some of the locals and soldiers left notes and signatures on the caves walls.

There is a chapel in the caves. Many Catholic priests were imprisoned during the late 1700's due to political turmoil with the French, and some took shelter in the caves. Legend says that the priest Servatius Widdershoven hid in the cave for 3 years.

Valkenburg is a beautiful area, with lots of history. We had a great afternoon checking out the area. Now it's time to rest. Tomorrow is another adventure. It's the 4th of July, and you know what that means.........COOKOUT!!!!!!!