Resting place along the road
Boscafé De Nachtegaal, Meerssen
In the heart of the Geul Valley lies Forest Café De Nachtegaal. It’s the perfect starting point to explore this beautiful area – on foot, by bike, or even on horseback. It’s easy to imagine that this landscape, with grazing Galloway cattle, expansive hillside forests, and the meandering Geul, has changed very little over the past 2,000 years.
At Forest Café De Nachtegaal you can discover Roman Meerssen with a varied package. You start with coffee and “Roman” cherry pie. Your placemat tells you everything you need to know for your walk. Outside, the Roman past truly comes to life. On your return, a Roman-style lunch or dinner awaits you.
The café is located not far from where the Via Belgica likely ran. Even then, there were roadside inns where you could eat, drink, and stable your horse – so-called mansiones.
Discover
- Book the Roman package
- Let the kids play in the free playground
- Stable your horse at Inn De Nachtegaal
Fun to know
- Five-star villa landscape
- The Geul Valley has been designated a five-star landscape. Nature lovers and peace seekers will find it a true delight. Many rare plants and animals thrive here. Thanks to the fertile soil, it has long been a cherished agricultural region. The Romans were the first to realize the Geul Valley’s farming potential. Large estates (villae rusticae) grew vast amounts of grain on the rolling hills. Along the Via Belgica, which cut through this area, the harvests were transported to feed the hungry soldiers at the Rhine frontier.