We often undervalue our own region and only look at far and exotic destinations. That is of course a shame, because often the biggest surprises are literally just around the corner. I never realized what a wonderful place the Terworm Estate in Heerlen is, with everything it has to offer today. We recently spent a full weekend at the Terworm Estate. A wonderful weekend in the middle of nature, luxury, tranquility and wellness. This blog tells you all about our experiences staying at the Terworm Estate.
About Terworm Estate
Terworm Estate is a protected nature reserve with a size of 200 hectares and is almost adjacent to the city center. It offers various possibilities for exercise and relaxation. There are various walking, running and cycling routes that start on or run across the estate.
Castle Terworm and the beautiful gardens are the beautiful centerpiece of the estate.
Terworm Estate presents and develops itself as a luxury destination where you can relax in luxury and wellness on the edge of a beautiful nature reserve.
The Terworm Estate offers some unique and bucketlist-worthy accommodations and very special overnight stay opportunities.
Terworm Castle
Terworm Castle dates back to the 14th century and was inhabited by various noble families. In the last decades of the twentieth century, the castle fell into disrepair until it was bought by the Van der Valk hotel chain. They restored the castle from 1997 to 1999. Because of the Van der Valk family the castle is nowadays home to a luxury hotel and restaurant.
Terworm Castle is highly regarded and is one of the more luxurious destinations in South Limburg, both for accommodation and for dining.
During our stay at the Terworm Estate we were lucky enough to spend one night at the castle. Visiting the castle had been on our bucketlist for a pretty long time. We often use the Terworm Estate to enjoy the outdoors. And we always walk around the castle and the gardens to just have a look at the impressive castle.
Terworm Castle certainly did not disappoint! We felt like the king and queen of our own castle. It is luxury at its best. Their rooms are very spacious and modern, you feel at home straight away.
Customer service comes first at Terworm Castle and that is noticeable. Customer really is king here.
Their restaurant is next level, a real hotspot if you like fine dining. The dishes are carefully composed with local products and are a true taste explosion.
Check out the room rates for staying in the Terworm Castle.
Van der Valk Hotel Heerlen
The Van der Valk hotel chain is no stranger to us. We like them a lot and have often stayed with them before. In fact, we had also visited the Van der Valk Heerlen before on two occasions. We visited them when we wrote our blog post about things to do in Heerlen and also stayed overnight in their amazing Christmas Suite.
In the first half of 2023 they have renovated their already 10-year-old suites one by one. These were in dire need of renovation. The starting point for the new suites was luxury. The suites must have at least the luxuries of home and more.
The new suites are called Be Comfy, Be Cozy, Be Pure and Be Relaxed and Be Serene. We were given the Be Serene suite, according to Van der Valk Heerlen the superlative when it comes to their suites.
The Be Serene Suite is stunning and impressive. We were pretty much speechless from the moment we stepped into the room. An open bathroom with a 2-person whirlpool bath, a 2-person experience shower, a super comfortable king size bed, a relaxed lounge sofa, this suite really has it all!
And the best thing about the suites, you have unlimited access to their new and ultramodern wellness Badhuys Terworm.
Check out the room rates for staying at the Van Der Valk Hotel Heerlen.
Hoeve de Dreesch
Hoeve de Dreesch is a high-quality renovated, luxurious holiday home for up to ten people. It’s a super special and exclusive holiday home. It’s accessible via the country road past Terworm Castle. It’s located right in the middle of nature, where only cyclists and hikers will pass there.
We have actually never been to Hoeve de Dreesch ourselves unfortunately.
Wellness
Badhuys Terworm is the completely new and ultramodern wellness of Van der Valk Heerlen. The Romans used to come to Heerlen to bathe in the Thermen, which is now the best preserved Roman bathhouse in the Netherlands. With Badhuys Terworm, Heerlen now has a new bathhouse.
Badhuys Terworm has a heated swimming pool, an extensive and very modern fitness and a brand new wellness area with special saunas and facilities.
The wellness offers different saunas. You will find a salt stone sauna, a steam bath, a herbal and light therapy sauna and a Finnish sauna. Unique here is the ice lounge with stalagmite ice fountain and snow shower.
Of course there is also room for relaxation in an attractive rest room with a fireplace or on the outdoor terrace.
We are lucky that we have been able to visit many special hotels and wellness in recent years. But the wellness of Badhuys Terworm and Van der Valk Heerlen, only very few can compete with that! An afternoon in this wellness makes you completely relaxed and rested.
Explore the outdoors
Terworm Estate is a perfect destination for nature and outdoor enthusiasts. A nature reserve with a size of 200 hectares that offers endless possibilities when it comes to outdoor activities.
Hikers and walkers get their money’s worth here. The estate is a true hiking and walking paradise. There are 2 walking routes at the estate. These routes are 4 and 7 km long. So combined you could even do an 11km walk just at the estate. And while you’re walking around at the estate, keep an eye out for some wildlife.
We recently spotted a fox there!
The estate is big enough to explore by bike. Biking is a lot of fun, you will find numbered bicycle junctions throughout South Limburg. One of these junctions, number 53, is located right at the estate. It could be a great starting point for a nice bike route through the region.
Didn’t bring your own bike? No problem, Van der Valk Heerlen has you covered. You can rent everything here, bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes, scooters and e-choppers.
A tip from us or you, try the e-choppers! They are so much fun, honestly. Fully electric, very comfortable and a fun way to explore the estate and the region.
You will find another special feature at the back of the Van der Valk Hotel, a nature playground. A lot of fun for both young and old. The entrance of Van der Valk Heerlen looks impressive, but did you know that you can actually climb the tower? It offers some amazing and lovely views. You definitely shouldn’t miss this!
Enjoy the best food
We have talked about the amazing accommodation at Terworm Estate, and we talked about the endless outdoor activities and possibilities it has to offer.
Of course you get hungry after spending a full day outdoors in nature, so a diverse and extensive range of good food is also important.
Well, we have good news! Terworm Castle and Van der Valk Heerlen offer various options and the most delicious food!
Let’s start with the fine dining at Terworm Castle. If you’re into fine dining then this place should be on your to do list when visiting this region. Going out for dinner here is a true experience. They serve the most beautiful signature dishes inspired by the seasons and with love for their own region. Recommended here is the TerWorm menu. You can choose a 3, 4 or 5 course dinner and it is truly amazing!
Hotel Heerlen offers a few options when it comes to food. They have their restaurant where you can simply choose dishes from the menu. Their food is always good and their menu offers something for everyone.
They also offer a live cooking experience which is a buffet style dinner. Live cooking is where the chefs and their team prepare delicious fish and meat specialties à la minute for you. In addition to a wide range of fish and meat dishes, there is also plenty of choice for vegetarians. The Live Cooking buffet is specially composed for you with fresh and seasonal products It’s absolutely worth the experience, the choice is huge and a good night out is guaranteed!
We know Heerlen and the Terworm Estate well, but during our most recent visit they managed to surprise us again. The Estate offers something for everyone and is a perfect destination to unwind and completely relax.
Terworm Castle is a true bucketlist destination and certainly won’t disappoint. Hotel Heerlen has, as always, exceeded expectations. It’s simply a super nice place and their new suites are absolutely the best. And I nearly forget to mention their super new and ultra-modern wellness. This wellness alone is more than worth a visit to Terworm Estate.
This blog was written by travel writer and Traveltomtom team member Ashley. She stayed at Terworm Castle and Van der Valk Heerlen and explored the Terworm Estate, on behalf of Traveltomtom, and wrote this review blog about her experiences. Check out her Instagram for more travel ideas.
Enjoy your trip to Zuid – Limburg!
