Heijen, Gennep, Milsbeek

The municipality of Gennep, consisting of Gennep, Heijen, Ottersum, Milsbeek and Ven-Zelderheide, has a strong industrial character. The River Meuse and the fertile clay soils laid the foundation, but real growth began with the construction of the Nijmegen–Maastricht road in 1845 and the opening of the Duits Lijntje railway in 1878. Today, the municipality has eight industrial estates covering a total area of approximately 145 hectares.

You start at Restaurant De Fabriek on the industrial estate in Heijen. Inside, the restaurant has a warm atmosphere, decorated with historical photos of the region’s industrial heritage. Via tree-lined avenues, you leave the industrial area behind. Soon, you are cycling through nature along the former route of the Duits Lijntje towards Gennep. In 1878, after a difficult and costly construction process, the railway line between Boxtel (North Brabant) and Wesel (North Rhine-Westphalia) was opened. The connection was built by the Noord-Brabantsche-Duitsche Spoorwegmaatschappij (NBDS) and formed part of the fastest rail link between London, Berlin and Saint Petersburg. However, due to strong competition, the railway proved financially unsustainable, leading to the bankruptcy of the NBDS in 1922.

On the edge of Gennep, you pass through Pagepark, a residential area built on the former site of the N.V. Papierfabriek Gennep. In 1936, the company—known for brands such as Page—started operations in the vacant railway sheds of the former NBDS. At its peak (1970s–1980s), 712 people worked at the complex, which expanded to cover 17 hectares. Eventually, the factory came into American ownership and was closed in 1999 due to overcapacity. Today, only street names such as Papierschepper, Ketelhuis and Kalender remain as reminders of the Page factory.

Following the River Meuse, you head towards Milsbeek. As early as the 17th and 18th centuries, both Gennep and Milsbeek developed into modest pottery centres. Raw materials were readily available: clay was extracted from the floodplains of the Meuse, and firewood for the kilns came from the surrounding forests. In the second half of the 20th century, Milsbeek and Gennep were home to dozens of small factories and workshops. Today, as you cycle through Milsbeek, this history is still visible in street names such as Potkuilen, Sprokkelveld and Panoven. Want to learn more about this ceramic heritage? Then be sure to visit Museum De Oude Pottenbakkerij in Milsbeek.

Via De Banen, a former sand and gravel extraction area that has since transformed into a beautiful natural landscape, you return to De Fabriek.

Image CC0, Het Utrechts Archief.