By Ines Keane
Most Christmas markets stand in a square. This one stands inside a hill. Valkenburg aan de Geul, in the south-east of the province of Limburg, has old quarries cut into soft stone, and in winter some of them are lit, decked and filled with stalls.
The town in brief
Valkenburg aan de Geul lies in south-eastern Limburg, in the Geul valley.
What the caves are
The castle’s own visitor site says the Velvet Cave (Fluweelengrot) is cut into soft marlstone and contains wall murals, inscriptions and unusual sculptures carved into the marl, along with a chapel from the French period, dating to the eighteenth century. It calls the cave one of the oldest tunnel systems in South Limburg and says visits are led by a guide.
The castle ruin
The castle visitor site dates the castle’s history to the eleventh century and says it went through many sieges, destructions and changes of rule. It gives 10 December 1672 as the date of its last destruction. The ruin remains above the Geul valley.
The markets
The castle’s own visitor site runs a Christmas market in the Velvet Cave each winter, with Christmas and gift items in decorated stalls and food stands in a catering area inside the cave and on an outdoor square. A combined ticket covers the cave and the castle ruins. The season runs from mid-November into winter and moves from year to year, so check the visitor site for the current dates and tickets before you plan.
Quick answers
Where are Valkenburg’s Christmas markets held? According to the castle’s visitor site, one is in the Velvet Cave, a marlstone cave beneath the castle ruins.
Why is Valkenburg’s castle a ruin? The castle’s visitor site gives 10 December 1672 for its last destruction.
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Roam first. Shop later.