Cycle route Industrial Heritage of Gennep and Milsbeek
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.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Heiland , 6598 DA Gennep | 35.2 KM | |
|
From
87
to
47
|
1205 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northeast | 98 M | ||
| Turn left | 18 M | ||
| Turn right onto De Grens | 47 M | ||
| Turn left onto Karrevenseweg | 716 M | ||
| Turn right | 316 M | ||
| Turn left onto Brem | 10 M | ||
| You are now at section 47 | 0 M | ||
|
From
47
to
30
|
182 M | 0.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Brem | 177 M | ||
| Continue straight | 5 M | ||
| You are now at section 30 | 0 M | ||
|
From
30
to
93
|
1411 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head east on Hommersumseweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 93 | 0 M | ||
|
From
93
to
52
|
1906 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head northeast on Hommersumseweg | 21 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Siebengewaldseweg | 1.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 52 | 0 M | ||
|
From
52
to
51
|
2444 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head northwest on Duits Lijntje | 1.2 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 57 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Kollermolen | 95 M | ||
| Turn right onto Wikkel | 4 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Kollermolen | 394 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Ketelhuis | 318 M | ||
| Turn right onto Willem Boyeweg | 55 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Willem Boyeweg | 295 M | ||
| Turn right onto Heijenseweg | 28 M | ||
| You are now at section 51 | 0 M | ||
|
From
51
to
25
|
574 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head northeast | 51 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Spoorstraat | 523 M | ||
| You are now at section 25 | 0 M | ||
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From
25
to
39
|
489 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head northwest on Zandstraat | 101 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zandstraat | 296 M | ||
| Turn right onto Niersstraat | 92 M | ||
| You are now at section 39 | 0 M | ||
|
From
39
to
38
|
2416 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head northwest on Genneperhuisweg | 61 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Genneperhuisweg | 308 M | ||
| Turn right onto Genneperhuisweg | 353 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Genneperhuisweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Genneperhuisweg | 579 M | ||
| You are now at section 38 | 0 M | ||
|
From
38
to
48
|
1223 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head west on Bloemenstraat | 35 M | ||
| Turn right onto Smelenberg | 241 M | ||
| Continue onto Smelenweg | 178 M | ||
| Turn left onto Rijksweg | 270 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Oudebaan | 108 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kerkstraat | 391 M | ||
| You are now at section 48 | 0 M | ||
|
From
48
to
50
|
2887 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Langstraat | 1.5 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Driekronenstraat | 705 M | ||
| Turn right onto Horsestraat | 32 M | ||
| Turn left onto Aaldonksestraat | 671 M | ||
| You are now at section 50 | 0 M | ||
|
From
50
to
22
|
3742 M | 3.7 KM | |
| Head north on Hoevensestraat | 440 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Hoevensestraat | 627 M | ||
| Turn right onto Heuvelsebosweg | 635 M | ||
| Turn left onto Leembaan | 398 M | ||
| Turn right onto Langehorst | 1.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
|
From
22
to
35
|
281 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head east on Eindstraat | 281 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
31
|
1361 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head southeast on Vensestraat | 91 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zandsteeg | 531 M | ||
| Turn right onto Damseveld | 739 M | ||
| You are now at section 31 | 0 M | ||
|
From
31
to
57
|
1104 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head east on Kleefseweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| Make a slight left | 27 M | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
|
From
57
to
53
|
5906 M | 5.9 KM | |
| Head southeast | 373 M | ||
| Turn right onto Am Sternberg | 667 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nergenaer Straße | 467 M | ||
| Turn right onto Im Binnenfeld | 848 M | ||
| Turn left onto Viller | 137 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Viller | 96 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kapellenhofstraße | 39 M | ||
| Turn right | 244 M | ||
| Turn right onto In de Siep | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Viller | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 53 | 0 M | ||
|
From
53
to
35
|
2727 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head southeast on Huyskensstraße (L 177) | 303 M | ||
| Turn right onto Mortelweg | 1.8 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Moelscherweg | 649 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Moelscherweg | 9 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
45
|
1590 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head southwest on Beltweg | 653 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Beltweg | 937 M | ||
| You are now at section 45 | 0 M | ||
|
From
45
to
44
|
743 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head southwest on Nieuw Erf | 743 M | ||
| You are now at section 44 | 0 M | ||
|
From
44
to
88
|
274 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Nieuw Erf | 274 M | ||
| You are now at section 88 | 0 M | ||
|
From
88
to
87
|
2699 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head southwest on Brem | 578 M | ||
| Turn left onto Schaafsebosweg | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Diekendaal | 367 M | ||
| Turn left onto Heiland | 172 M | ||
| You are now at section 87 | 0 M |