7 Summits d’n Observant-route

7 Summits d’n Observant-route
This route is part of the 7 Summits , the seven steepest mountain peaks in South Limburg. It concerns a circular walk of 8.5 km with a maximum height of 157 meters.
The westernmost peak, like the easternmost peak of the Seven Summits, is not a natural mountain, but a slag heap. The Wilhelminaberg near Landgraaf, a remnant of the coal mining, is black, d'n Observant near Maastricht is white, because a residue from the marl extraction.
On the one side the Maas and on the other the Albert Canal, on the border of Belgium and the Netherlands, d'n Observant offers a surprising view in every direction.
D'n Observant was made on Sint-Pietersberg from the top layers in the ENCI quarry and planted in the 1950s. The 'marl canyon' of the quarry has now also become a nature reserve where eagle owls breed and the marlland sheep graze.
On the trip from Kanne in Belgium, you will pass openings in the steep marl walls that give access to an underground maze of 150 kilometers. The deserted marl tunnels are a popular wintering place for bats.
The top of the Observant is fairly easy to reach, but with an Anstieg through the 'Hidden Valley' it becomes a real expedition. NB! The limestone is friable, the chasms are deep and some trails are very steep. This route is not signposted.