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 Berg en Terblijt (; li, Berg or ) is the official Dutch name of a village in the municipality of Valkenburg aan de Geul in the province of Limburg in the Southern part of the Netherlands. History The area now known as Berg en Terblijt has b ...

council, now

Valkenburg aan de Geul Valkenburg aan de Geul (; li, Valkeberg ) is a municipality situated in the southeastern Dutch province of Limburg. The name refers to the central town in the municipality, Valkenburg, and the small river Geul. History Sieges and conquests ha ...

council. It is situated between Houthem and

History

The name Geulhem was first mentioned in an act dating from 1360. The interpretation of the name is "hamlet on the river

Geul , french: la Gueule , image = Geul river valley in Plombières, Belgium 100 0278.jpg , image_caption = The Geul valley in Plombières, Belgium , source1_location = near Lichtenbusch , mouth_location = Meuse near Bunde , m ...

". 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 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