{"id":738,"date":"2025-02-20T08:12:22","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T07:12:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/?page_id=738"},"modified":"2025-09-11T11:55:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T09:55:26","slug":"cave-visit","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/en\/grotbezoek\/","title":{"rendered":"Audio tour"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Audio tour<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The most fun tour of the marl caves with audio tour for adults and a treasure hunt for children<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Cave walk with audio tour<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Everyone gets their own audio tour, with which an experienced guide will take you on your route through the cave. The guide will give you all kinds of information along the way in a fun way and guide you through the cave system. The audio tour is available in 9 languages: Dutch, German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Ukrainian, Polish and Mandarin.<\/p>

A visit to MergelRijk is a cave visit next level. It is like walking through a geological work of art. The cave has a magical atmosphere and offers a unique insight into the natural wonders of the earth, which humans have gratefully used.<\/p>

It is an interactive experience, where you can not only explore the cave on your own and at your own pace, but also learn more about the history of marl caves and the use of marl.<\/p>

Here are some of the main topics covered during the audio tour:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Intro by the Sand Wizard<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After the creator and founder of MergelRijk personally welcomes you, each visit begins with a special film screening created by the Sand Wizard. This is the artist known from Efteling and TV, known for his unique art form of sand drawings. It is a visual experience that is both artistic and educational.<\/p>

The Sand Wizard has used very fine marl sand to artfully tell you the story about the genesis of the marl caves. The drawings and sculptures are thus linked to the marl from MergelRijk in an innovative way.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Mosaquarium: 75 million years ago<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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About 75 million years ago, there was a sea in what is now part of the Netherlands and Europe. This was during the Cretaceous (better known as the time of the dinosaurs). Earth's geography then looked very different from today. Instead of today's land masses, there were seas and oceans. This sea contributed to the formation of the marl that can later be found in the caves of South Limburg! The accumulation of skeletons of marine animals such as ammonites, sea urchins and Mosasaurs eventually led to the formation of marl and limestone.<\/p>

At the Mosaquarium, you walk yourself through a layer of earth that was the seabed millions of years ago and get an insight into what it looked like here millions of years ago. You can see the metre-long Mosasaurus swimming, for example.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Block breaking<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After learning all about the origin of marl, it's time to discover how the corridor systems, or Limburg marl caves, were created.<\/p>

Block breaking is a mining technique in which large blocks of marlstone are extracted from the earth. The blocks were broken loose using saws and chisels. Hence the name block breaking. In MergelRijk, you can see a beautiful, lifelike sand sculpture of one of the many farmers who used to work as a block breaker in the cave during the winter months.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Marl art and sand sculptures<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Marl art and sand sculptures are both fascinating art forms that you can admire at MergelRijk. The sculptures and murals were created by craftsmen and artists who used their talents to carve the soft stone and create works of art ranging from historical figures to abstract art.<\/p>

It is an interactive experience where you can not only admire the works of art, but also learn more about the different techniques of marl working. This adds a surprising artistic element to your cave walk. The largest artwork on display is MergelRijk is a life-size sculpture of Rembrandt van Rijn's painting The Night Watch and is made entirely of marlstone.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Architecture<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tArchitecture with marl is a wide-ranging subject, especially in the region of South Limburg, where marl has been an important building material. Marl is a limestone that is relatively soft and therefore easy to work, making it ideal for building both historical and modern structures. In medieval and early modern times, marl was widely used to build churches, castles, ramparts and houses in Limburg and other parts of the Netherlands and Belgium.\n\nOne well-known architect who frequently used marl for his designs was Pierre Cuypers. He has been brought to life in MergelRijk with a life-size sand sculpture.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Hiding in the caves<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe marl caves of Limburg, were used as shelters or hiding caves in different periods. This happened mainly in times of war, conflict or unsafe conditions. Several families were hiding in the MergelRijk cave during World War II, in the deepest part of the cave, the part we now call the Thomas Diddengroeve.\n\nIn MergelRijk, you can also enjoy a truly beautiful hideaway chapel with altar, where (forbidden) church celebrations were secretly held during the period of the French occupation in the late 18th century.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Legends<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Several legends and stories surround the marl caves in South Limburg. Carved over the centuries for marl extraction, the caves have always had a mysterious aura. The dark and sometimes labyrinthine corridors, combined with the ancient history and use of the caves for all kinds of purposes, have contributed to the creation of many folkloric tales.

The two best-known legends that took place in the caves and are depicted in MergelRijk are the legends of the Bokkerijders and the Auvermennekes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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DinoRich<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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DinoRijk is a themed area in MergelRijk that revolves entirely around prehistory, and in particular the time of the dinosaurs. In DinoRijk, you can experience for yourself what life on earth was like during the time of the dinosaurs. Dinorijk offers an interactive experience where you can see life-size models of dinosaurs. These models are sometimes movable and can make sounds, making it seem as if the dinosaurs are really coming to life.<\/p>

The environment is themed, with plants, trees and decorations that make you feel like you are really in an age of dinosaurs. Do you dare to get close to the T-Rex?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Thomas Diddengroeve<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Part of the cave is named after Thomas Didden, who left his name in the cave in 1706. The Thomas Didden quarry has been closed for centuries and has only been open to the public since 2019. What is so special about this deepest part of the cave is that it is still completely as the block breakers left it hundreds of years ago. It was also a hiding place for some families during World War II.<\/p>

25 metres underground, you will experience the serene silence and lack of light and imagine yourself in the conditions under which block breakers used to work every day or what it was like to stay there in hiding. Just as Thomas Didden did in 1706, you too can immortalise your name on a wall of this quarry!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Mushroom cultivation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mushroom cultivation in the marl caves was a unique aspect of Limburg's agricultural history. The natural advantages of the caves, such as constant temperature and humidity, made this method an ideal way to grow mushrooms, especially in the 20th century.

Growing in caves is less common nowadays, but in MergelRijk you can still see how zit used to be done. This is depicted with a lifelike scene of cave mushroom cultivation, made of sand art and featuring an original news bulletin from the 1950s, when cave mushroom cultivation flourished.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Bats<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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South Limburg's caves are an ideal refuge for bats, mainly because they offer a cool, dark and quiet environment, which are the perfect conditions for bats to rest, hibernate and reproduce.<\/p>\n

No bats reside in MergelRijk, but as these are fascinating creatures associated with the marl caves, they are attractively featured in MergelRijk.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Tourism and Valkenburg Castle<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tValkenburg is a popular tourist destination mainly because of its historical charm, natural beauty and the presence of ancient castles and caves. It is one of the oldest tourist destinations in the Netherlands, known for its picturesque streets, hilly landscape, and cultural attractions. Valkenburg Castle is one of the few remaining castle ruins in the Netherlands and is a symbolic heritage of the region. In MergelRijk, some tourist attractions in the form of marl art can be viewed, such as a miniature of Valkenburg Castle, Valkenburg Station and the Wilhelmina Tower. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Portrait gallery<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Jan Kruysen Portrait Gallery is a gallery in the grotto of MergelRijk that displays an extraordinary collection of portraits created by Dutch artist Jan Kruysen in 1924.<\/p>

Jan Kruysen is an artist known for his realistic portraiture and capturing human expression in a highly detailed and vivid manner. The portraits were created in the characteristic ways of painting art in marl caves, namely with charcoal directly on the marl wall. Jan Kruysen not only captured the external features of the persons, but also expressed their deeper inner world with them. Very special to see!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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3D cave paintings<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore than 25,000 years ago, people were already creating cave paintings. MergelRijk has continued this tradition in a contemporary way by providing a large room with spectacular 3D cave paintings. Previously, this was not possible in this way, as the 3D effect can only be observed when looking through a camera lens. The colourful paintings were created on the wall, ceiling and floor, by the best 3D Art artists in the world.\n\nThe 3D paintings are specially made to take photos with them. So don't forget to keep your camera or smartphone handy and create the best memories of your visit to Valkenburg's marl caves!\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

De leukste tocht door de mergelgrotten met audiotour voor volwassenen en een speurtocht voor kinderen Grotwandeling met audiotour Iedereen krijgt een eigen audiotour mee, waarmee je door een ervaren gids meegenomen wordt op je route door de grot. De gids geeft je onderweg op een leuke manier allerlei informatie en maakt je wegwijs door het […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-738","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=738"}],"version-history":[{"count":62,"href":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1112,"href":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/738\/revisions\/1112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mergelrijk.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}