to Aix-la- Chapelle. GHEEL. 16. Route. 211

tributary of the Geul, at the foot of a hill 500 ft. in height. In the neigh-
bourhood are the chateau of Nieuwborg and the village of Wittem, with
the chateau of the Counts of Plettenberg and a Redemptorist monastery
built in 1732 (valuable library). Wittem lies 13/; M. to the S.E. of Wylre.

The railway ascends the valley of the Geul, skirting the Schaesberg
(p. 240); to the right are the chateaux of Genhuis (13th cent.) and
Chaloen, on the left that of Oost. — 80 M. Wylre (H6t. Heiligers).
Hence to Gulpen and via the Keutenberg to Valkenburg, see p.210. —
84 M. Simpelveld, with the Dutch custom-house, is the starting-
point for a visit to the (3/s hr. to the N.W.) Vrowwenheide (790 ft.),
the highest point in Holland, with a meteorological observatory and
extensive view. — The train now crosses the German frontier, and
beyond the small stations at the Templerbend and the Marschier-
thor, enters the Rhenish Station at — :

92 M. Aix-la-Chapelle (see Baedeker’s Rhine).

16. From Antwerp to Diisseldorf vid Minchen-
Gladbach.

4171/2M. Rartway in 4!/,-6 hrs. (fares 19 fr. 80, 14 fr. 10, 8 fr. 70 c.; in
the opposite direction 16 # 10, 11 M 40,7 # 10 pf.). The trains start
from the Central Station. The custom-house examinations take place at
Budel and Dalheim (in the reverse direction at Vlodrop and Hamont).

From Antwerp to (8'/o M.) Lierre, see R. 15. 131/p M. Nylen;
17 M. Bouwel.

21 M. Herenthals (Hét.Opdebeek), on the Canal de la Campine
(p. 434), a town with 8600 inhab., is the junction of lines to Aerschot
(p. 208) and to Turnhout (p. 204). The Hotel de Ville, with a
lofty tower, contains the small Fraikin Museum, with several original
sculptures and casts of other works by the sculptor Ch. A. Fraikin
(p.]xxvii), a native of Herenthals. One of the old town-gates also is
interesting. The church of St. Waltrudis (Ste. Vaudru; 45th cent.)
contains paintings by P. J. Verhaghen and Fr. Francken the Elder,
and a carved altar-piece with the legend of SS. Crispin and Crispin-
ianus (46th cent.). — 25 M. Oolen.

281/p M. Gheel (79 ft.; Hot. de VAgneau, R. 14/o, B. 3/4, D. 2 fr.;
Rail. Restaurant) is a town of 14,600 inhab., which derives its prin-
cipal interest from the colony of lunatics (about 2000 in number)
established here and in the neighbouring villages. The district
throughout which they are distributed, about 30 M. in circum-
ference, is divided into six sections, each with a physician and
keeper. The patients are boarded out among the peasants, whose
labours and domestic pursuits they share, and they are permitted
to walk about without restraint within the limits of their district.
This excellent and humane system has always been attended with
favourable results. — The late-Gothic church is dedicated to St.
Dympna, whose miraculous powers led to lunatics being brought
hither for cure. The saint is said to have been an Irish princess,

a a PAS