Quite unexpectedly, you will find a huge, deep hole in the landscape along the sloped forests between the villages of Berg and Meerssen.
Limestone was extracted in the Curfs quarry for about 70 years, until 2009 lime was still supplied to DSM for the production of
fertilizer. Ultimately, this opencast quarry was approximately 40 hectares in size and 40 to 50 meters deep.
The quarry could be reached via a 200 meter long tunnel. Now the quarry is closed to the public and that has paid off.
There are many rare plants and animals in the Curfs Quarry. The sloped forests and the steep limestone walls that surround the quarry provide a sheltered habitat, a paradise for the most 'shy' species.
The kingfisher and the midwife toad live here, but foxes, rabbits, polecats and voles also seek refuge here. Wild bees make massive burrows in the limestone walls and even the endangered yellow-bellied toad feels at home in the Curfs Quarry.
The Curfs Quarry is geologically interesting because of the different rock layers, in which impressive fossils have been found: jawbones and teeth of the mosasaur, nautilus shells, lots of shark teeth and complete armor of armored fish.
The quarry is still in motion. There are minor collapses, landslides, and alluvial fans and small wells are created. You can see all this beauty best from the viewpoint. The panorama over the quarry is nothing short of spectacular.
