Oud-Valkenburg (English: Old-Falkenburg) is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Valkenburg aan de Geul, and has about 115 inhabitants.[1]

Oud-Valkenburg
Village
Church of Saint John the Baptist
Coat of arms
Oud-Valkenburg Location in the Netherlands Show map of Netherlands Oud-Valkenburg Location in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands Show map of Limburg, Netherlands
Coordinates: 50°51′17″N 5°51′16″E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Limburg
Municipality	Valkenburg aan de Geul
Area [1]
• Total	1.03 km2 (0.40 sq mi)
Elevation [2]	75 m (246 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	115
• Density	110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	6301 & 6305
Dialing code	043

Although small, Oud-Valkenburg counts several monuments, among which are two medieval castles: Genhoes and Schaloen. Noteworthy is also the Roman Catholic church of Saint John the Baptist (medieval nave; choir and baroque altar inside by Johann Joseph Couven).

History

The village was first mentioned in 1041 as Falchenberch, and is named after the castle. Around 1100, a new castle was built further to the west. The settlement which developed around the new castle is called Valkenburg, and the old settlement Oud-Valkenburg.[3]

Genhoes Castle is a castle surrounded by a moat which was called Alden-Valkenburg in 1241. It was damaged by war in 1575, and restored in 1620. The U-shaped front building dates from the 18th century but burnt down in 1860.[4]

The Catholic John the Baptist Church is a three aisled church with 11th century elements. The tower was added in the 14th century. It was enlarged several times and restored in 1984.[4]

Oud-Valkenburg was a separate municipality until 1940, when it was merged with Valkenburg.[5] The municipality included the villages Sibbe and IJzeren. In 1982, it became part of the municipality of Valkenburg aan de Geul.[6]

References