South Limburg (Netherlands)

South Limburg (Dutch: Zuid-Limburg, Limburgish: Zuud-Limburg) is both a COROP (statistical) region as well as a landstreek (area) of the Netherlands located in the province of Limburg. The Dutch term landstreek, literally translated "land area/region", means that the area is not an administrative region but an area that displays cohesion with regard to culture and landscape. With regards to South Limburg this deals with its hilly landscape, especially in the Heuvelland region, sunken lanes, an abundance of castles, and the regional language Limburgish spoken by a significant part of the population alongside Dutch. The region also contains the highest point above sea level in mainland Netherlands, the Vaalserberg being 322.5 metres (1,058 ft) above sea level (the highest point of the entire country is in the Caribbean Netherlands' island of Saba, namely Mount Scenery being 887 metres (2,910 ft) above sea level).

The region South Limburg in addition, although extended a little further north to Roermond, forms a constituent part of the Euroregion Meuse-Rhine.

Estate region Maastricht-Meerssen

Borgharen Castle in the town of Borgharen in the estate region.

The estate region Maastricht-Meerssen (Dutch: Landgoederenzone Maastricht - Meerssen) is the name for an area stretching from the northeastern parts of Maastricht to the south of Meerssen that is characterised by a large number of estates. The area is crossed by three rivers (namely the Meuse, Geul and Kanjel). A majority of said estates have been built (or renovated) by the 19th century Maastrichtian industrialist Petrus Regout and his descendants. Challenges to transforming the entire region into a recreational area are posed by the crossing of the A2 motorway and various railways through the area as well as the industrial area of Beatrixhaven.

The region spans six neighbourhoods of Maastricht namely:

Amby: homestead Withuishof, homestead Gravenhof, house Severen, homestead Hagenhof (or Tiendschuur van Amby) and castle Geuselt
Nazareth: castle Mariënwaard (La Grande Suisse), villa Petite Suisse and villa Kruisdonk
Limmel: castles Bethlehem and Jerusalem
Meerssenhoven: castles Vaeeshartelt and Meerssenhoven and villa Klein Vaeshartelt
Itteren*: homestead Hartelstein
Borgharen*: Borgharen castle and homestead Wiegershof

(* some publications do not include Itteren and Borgharen in the estate region)

And in Meerssen:

Weert: homestead Weerterhof and villa Zonnevang
Rothem: mill IJzeren Molen

Municipalities

Map of South Limburg and its municipalities.

The South Limburg contains 18 administrative municipalities (gemeenten):

Maastricht (capital of the entire Limburg province)
Meerssen
Simpelveld
Sittard-Geleen
Stein
Vaals
Valkenburg aan de Geul
Voerendaal

Cities

Name	Population 2011/2012	Notes
Maastricht	121,000
Heerlen	89,000	Does not have historical city rights
Kerkrade	47,000	Does not have historical city rights
Sittard	38,000
Geleen	32,000
Stein	26,000	Does not have historical city rights
Valkenburg	6,000