Nature
The Pieterpad trail
Two stages past chapels, woods and the Maas
The Pieterpad at a glance
5 minby car
22 minby bike
5.6 kmdistance
- Location
- Swolgen
- Address
- Monseigneur Aertsstraat 6, 5866 BH Swolgen (church)
- Stages
- Vierlingsbeek–Swolgen 24 km, Swolgen–Venlo 21 km
- Waymarks
- white and red, in both directions
- Parking
- at the church in Swolgen
From Vierlingsbeek to Swolgen
The Pieterpad is the best-known long-distance walking route in the Netherlands: more than 500 kilometres from Pieterburen on the Wadden coast of Groningen to the Sint-Pietersberg near Maastricht, as far as possible along small, unpaved roads. In North Limburg, the stage from Vierlingsbeek to Swolgen runs for 24 kilometres past Holthees, Smakt, Geijsteren, Wanssum, Meerlo and Tienray.
You walk through the Boschhuizerbergen, an old drift-sand area of Het Limburgs Landschap. Between Wanssum and Meerlo, the Sint Goarkapel from 1662 stands in the woods. Near Meerlo, the route runs behind the Kasteelke along the Molenbeek, and in Tienray, also known as Little Lourdes, poems on wooden boards hang from the trees along the path.
Vierlingsbeek - Swolgen stage on pieterpad.nl (opens in a new tab)
From Swolgen through the Schuitwater
The second stage starts at the church of Swolgen, a village in the municipality of Horst aan de Maas, and is 21 kilometres long. Along the Boabelbeek and through the Pastoorswei you reach the Schuitwater: 313 hectares of Staatsbosbeheer nature on old arms of the Maas, where peat was once dug and carried away on flat-bottomed barges. Wooden log paths cross the wet stretches.
The route then continues via Zwaanenheike and Houthuizen, past Huis Kaldenbroek, to Broekeind, where it follows an unpaved path behind Huis de Steeg and a former monastery into Grubbenvorst.
By ferry across the Maas
At Grubbenvorst, the Pieterpad crosses the Maas: the ferry takes you to Velden on the other side. From there you walk along the river to Venlo, where the stage ends at the station.
Close to the finish are the Limburgs Museum, with archaeology and folk culture of the province, and Museum van Bommel van Dam, with twentieth-century Dutch art.
Tip from reception
Leave the car at the church in Swolgen and first take public transport to Vierlingsbeek: then you spend the whole day walking back to your car. Prefer something shorter? Start at the church of Geijsteren, and it is 15 kilometres. The evening before, check Wijzigingen (changes) on the stage page of pieterpad.nl, as diversions are not in the GPX.
Reception team, Parkhotel Horst
Good to know
Shorter sectionsVierlingsbeek to Geijsteren 12 km, Geijsteren to Swolgen 15 km and Swolgen to Grubbenvorst 11 km: that is how the Stichting Pieterpad divides it up itself.
Back to your carPark at the church in Swolgen. To Vierlingsbeek you travel via Venray, about 30 minutes; from Venlo a direct bus takes you back, about 40 minutes.
White and red waymarksThe trail is waymarked in both directions with white and red stripes, on posts, gates, stones and trees.
Guidebook and GPXBoth stages are in the Pieterpad Zuid guidebook. For each stage, you will find the free GPX route on pieterpad.nl; there is no separate app.
Photos: LJanssen (CC BY-SA 4.0); Buxx (CC BY-SA 4.0); via Wikimedia Commons. Map and phone photo: explorenation via Unsplash.
Make a day of it
From the breakfast buffet to the Pieterpad, and back to the wellness at your hotel.
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Start the day at the breakfast buffet of Parkhotel Horst.
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A five-minute drive to the church of Swolgen, then walk past Tienray, Meerlo and the Sint Goarkapel to Geijsteren, 15 kilometres.
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Back in Horst, the indoor pool, the saunas and the wellness lounge are waiting for you, free for hotel guests.
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End the day with dinner at restaurant BØFF.
Hiking Package Limburg
Straight from the hotel into the Kasteelse Bossen woods, with coffee and Limburg vlaai on arrival and a 3-course dinner of your choice
p.p. per night · based on 2 people in a Comfort room
The discount applies once per room per stay starting on a Sunday.
How to get there
From the hotel, it takes about:
Church of Swolgen (finish and start), Monseigneur Aertsstraat 6, 5866 BH Swolgen
Frequently asked questions
Any other questions? Call reception: +31 77 397 6000Which Pieterpad stages are near Horst?
Vierlingsbeek–Swolgen (24 km) and Swolgen–Venlo (21 km). Swolgen is part of the municipality of Horst aan de Maas. The Stichting Pieterpad does not number its stages; they are named after their start and finish.
Where do you park for the Pieterpad in Swolgen?
At the church, Monseigneur Aertsstraat 6 in Swolgen. This is where Vierlingsbeek–Swolgen ends and Swolgen–Venlo begins. From Parkhotel Horst it is 5.6 kilometres, about 5 minutes by car.
How do you get back to your car after a stage?
By public transport. Between Vierlingsbeek and Swolgen you travel via Venray, about 30 minutes. Between Swolgen and Venlo there is a direct bus, about 40 minutes. For current times, see 9292.nl.
Can you walk the Pieterpad in shorter sections?
Yes. The Stichting Pieterpad itself suggests shorter sections with a bus or train stop at the start and finish: Vierlingsbeek to the church of Geijsteren (12 km), Geijsteren to Swolgen (15 km) and Swolgen to the Schoolstraat in Grubbenvorst (11 km).
Do you need a guidebook or app for the Pieterpad?
The route is waymarked in white and red, but it is easy to miss a sign. Take the Pieterpad Zuid guidebook or the free GPX route from the stage page. There is no separate app: the website works on your phone and the route map shows where you are.
How long is the whole Pieterpad?
More than 500 kilometres, from Pieterburen on the Wadden coast of Groningen to the Sint-Pietersberg near Maastricht. The route is divided into 26 stages of 15 to 22 kilometres on average.
More in Nature
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Photos (More in Nature): Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer) (CC BY 4.0); Sander van der Wel (CC BY-SA 2.0); Peter Bankers (CC BY-SA 4.0); via Wikimedia Commons.
Photos: Peter Bankers (CC BY-SA 4.0); Lthelion (CC BY-SA 4.0); Michael Perryman (CC BY-SA 3.0); Romaine (CC0); via Wikimedia Commons.
After the Pieterpad: pool, wellness and dinner at BØFF
Five minutes from the trail, you sleep surrounded by greenery, with wellness under the same roof.