Geulhem is a rural hamlet in the south-eastern

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, part of the former Berg en Terblijt council, now Valkenburg aan de Geul council. It is situated between Houthem and Berg en Terblijt.

History

The name Geulhem was first mentioned in an act dating from 1360. The interpretation of the name is "hamlet on the river Geul". At the centre of Geulhem is its oldest building - the Geulhemmer

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...

. This watermill existed before 1306. Geulhem is situated partially in a valley and partially on a hillside known as the Geulhemmerberg.

Places of interest

Next to the Geulhemer watermill, which is now in use as a cafe, one finds themself in the environs of an underground network of corridors under the "Geulhemmerberg" hill. In the past, parts of this network were used as cave dwellings due to

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...

excavation. Part of the cave dwellings were restored and can be viewed on a group tour. At the entrance of the Geulhemmercave there is a marlstone statue of a 'block breaker' - the craftsman who, in the past, excavated blocks of marlstone with the help of primitive tools. In Geulhem there is also a romantic castle - Castle Geulzicht - which was built at the end of the nineteenth century and is now in use as a hotel. It was developed by the architect Henri Reek and commissioned by Zuyderhoudt; its design is in the English Neo-Gothic style. Geulhem is a much loved holiday destination due its closeness to the sloped woods and the availability of many different hotels.

Literature

Fons Heijnens, Houthem en St. Gerlach in de literatuur : een geannoteerde bibliografie over Houthem, Broekhem en Geulhem, hun inwoners en Sint Gerlach en zijn verering, Houthem 1993 Jan G.M. Notten, Geulhem has always been small, available to read via the link http://www.houthem.info

References

External links

*http://www.houthem.info *http://www.kasteelgeulzicht.nl {{Authority control Populated places in Limburg (Netherlands) Valkenburg aan de Geul