Cauberg Cavern (Gemeentegrot)
The Basics
Choose to experience Cauberg Cavern either by train or walking tour. Some tours focus on the caves usage as wartime shelters, while others offer a sound-and-light show. There's even an experience that allows you to spend the night in one of the caves. All tours can be prebooked— a good idea if you want to skip the lines.
Things to Know Before You Go
The Cauberg Cavern is a must-visit for those interested in wartime history.
Bring a sweater; the caves are cold, even in summer.
The cave is wheelchair accessible.
How to Get There
Gemeentegrot is in the heart of Valkenburg, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) away for a 15-minute drive or 20-minute train ride from Maastricht. The cave entrance is about a half-mile (1 kilometer) or a 10-minute walk from Valkenburg Station. Bus lines 48 and 52 stop right in front of the cave, and there's plenty of fee parking nearby.
When to Get There
The caves are open daily from mid-April through the end of December. Cave opening hours, tour timings, and sound-and-light show schedules vary throughout the year, so check the calendar before you arrive. Visit from mid-November through the end of December to shop the Christmas market staged inside the caves.
Sleeping in the Cave
To immerse yourself in the history of the caves, sign up for the Old Hickory Shelternight experience, designed to show you what it was like in World War II, when the cave was used as an air-raid shelter. The experience includes a walking tour and an overnight stay in one of the rooms used by airmen in wartime.