For some 53,000 residents of the RivierPark Maasvallei, the Meuse is never far away: they live in the string of Meuse villages. The Meuse villages are very similar to each other. This is because building materials such as marl, bluestone, Meuse cobblestones and construction techniques were easily exchanged via the river. The compact village centres bear witness to living alongside a rain-fed river. The church is not just located in the centre, but in a dry place.

To inspire residents and developers about the uniqueness of the Meuse villages, we are currently working with Hasselt University to produce a quality manual. It will contain information and tips on the location of buildings, the use of local materials/techniques and Meuse vegetation for gardens. The quality manual is scheduled for release in the summer of 2026. We are receiving a heritage subsidy from the Province of Limburg (BE) for this project and, in collaboration with Tracé (Limburg Community Archive), a liveability subsidy from the Province of Limburg (NL).

In the summer of 2025 we launched a social media campaign to create awareness about this specific theme. Below you can view all posts.