BRUEGGEN & BEESEL

After Napoleon experienced his Waterloo, Europe was redivided. The western bank of the Meuse fell to the Kingdom of the United Netherlands in the depths of a cannon shot. To the west of the cannon shot line was the municipality of Beesel, to the east the municipalities of Brueggen and Bracht. It took until the Schengen Agreement of the European Union for the visible border to disappear in 1995.

But the former border location has also had a positive effect: The vast natural scenery of the Rhein-Maas-Land is now an excursion and vacation destination in equal measure. One step takes you from heathland to a gnarled beech forest, past rivers and lakes, across open meadows and into tranquil villages and historic towns.

The Kennedymarch*EU route leads past the once ducal castle of Brüggen, to Born, Boerholz and Bracht. In Beesel, it goes through Offenbek, the ‘Draakendörp’ Beesel, along the River Meuse and through the main town of Reuver.

While our Kennedy march runs 40 kilometers on the Bruggen side and 40 kilometers on the Beesel side, the ½ Kennedy and the ¼ Kennedy take place in the area of the former cannon shot on the Dutch side of the now invisible border.