About the villages

Borgharen (Limburgish: Hare) and Itteren are two historic church villages located on the northern edge of the Maastricht municipality. Both villages boast a rich history, highlighted by the Borgharen and Hartelstein castles, which have played significant roles in the region since medieval times. In 2010, an unusual mass grave containing the remains of at least 69 horses, dating from the 16th or 17th century, was uncovered on the Eastern Ridge between Spekstraat and Pasestraat in Borgharen. These remains are believed to be linked to either the Siege of Maastricht in 1632 or the French siege led by Louis XIV in 1673.

Both Borgharen and Itteren suffered from extreme flooding in 1926, 1993, and 1995. To the north of Itteren lies Hartelstein Castle Farm. Here, the Geul River flows by, eventually joining the Meuse further downstream near Voulwames. Until 2018, gravel was still being extracted around the farm as part of the Grensmaas Project, an initiative to give the Meuse more space during high water. The natural development you see here is therefore still very ‘young’.