The Noor or Langwater ( Limburgish: ''Laankwater'') is a river in the

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 ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. The Noor is a right-bank

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

to the river

Voer The Voer (Dutch, ; french: Fouron) is a small river in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is a right-bank tributary to the river Meuse. It has three (creek-) tributaries of its own: the ''Veurs'', the '' Noor'' and the ''Beek''. The source of the Voe ...

, which later joins the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

. Rising in

Eijsden-Margraten Eijsden-Margraten (; ( li, Èèsjde-Mergraote) is a municipality situated in the very south of the Netherlands. There it is located in the southeastern part of the province of Limburg. This municipality was formed in 2011 from the former municipa ...

, in the Dutch province of

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

, the Noor eventually drains in the river

Voeren Voeren (; ) is a Flemish Dutch-speaking municipality with facilities for the French-speaking minority, located in the Belgian province of Limburg. Bordering the Netherlands to the north and the Wallonia region's Liège Province () to the sou ...

, in the Belgian province of

. A source of the Noor can be found at the Brigida

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season) Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...

(

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

: ''Sint Brigidabron'') in the

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

of Wesch, north of the village of

Noorbeek Noorbeek ( li, Norbik, English: ''Noor brook'') is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Eijsden-Margraten (Limburgish: ''Megraote'') and about 12 km southeast of Maastricht. Noorbeek is one of the s ...

, in the municipality of

, where water wells up from the

chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...

underground. The spring and the adjacent 18th century

lavoir A lavoir (wash-house) is a public place set aside for the washing of clothes. Communal washing places were common in Europe until industrial washing was introduced, and this process in turn was replaced by domestic washing machines and by laun ...

, named after Brigid of Kildare, patron saint of the village of Noorbeek, form a Dutch

national heritage site A national heritage site is a heritage site having a value that has been registered by a governmental agency as being of national importance to the cultural heritage or history of that country. Usually such sites are listed in a heritage registe ...

. From Wesch the river flows south, passing west of the village of Noorbeek (

: ''Noor river''), which was named after the river. Passing Noorbeek the Noor continues southward through the Noor valley, south of the

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

of Margraten, and is one of only few Dutch rivers to flow southward into Belgium. The Dutch part of the Noor valley (

: ''Noordal'') contains a nature reserve, with the same name, managed by the Dutch Society for preservation of Nature Monuments. After crossing the border into Belgium the Noor flows past Castle Altenbroek and the Watermill at Altenbroek in

. This 18th century castle is a

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

heritage site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

. The Belgian part of the Noor valley is a Flemish

protected landscape Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although t ...

as part of the larger

valley protected landscape. The Noor eventually drains in the river

near the village of 's-Gravenvoeren in the municipality of

Gallery

File:Noorbeek (165).JPG, A source of the Noor at Wesch File:Noorbeek-Brigadabron.JPG, Monumental 18th century

at Wesch File:Gravenvoeren-Molen van Altenbroek5.JPG, Watermill at Altenbroek File:Gravenvoeren-Molen van Altenbroek7.JPG, The Noor passing the watermill at Altenbroek File:Altembroek (73).JPG, The Noor at Castle Altenbroek

References

External links

* {{Commons category-inline, Noor (Meuse) Rivers of South Limburg (Netherlands) Rivers of Limburg (Belgium) Eijsden-Margraten Voeren Rivers of Belgium Rivers of the Netherlands