The LOLA Landsape Architects designed Parkstadroute is a recreational route for cycling and hiking with a total length of approximately 35 kilometres. It runs through IBA Parkstad, a region in the southern Netherlands historically known for coal mining. The route is conceived as a slow, landscape-oriented infrastructure that reveals most distinctive spatial, cultural and natural qualities of the region. Along its course, users encounter quartz sand quarries, purple-coloured heathlands, agricultural fields, forest edges, historic castles, remnants of mining infrastructure and man-made terril hills that rise as landmarks within the landscape.

Marked by a distinctive white dotted line, the Parkstadroute weaves through and connects the towns and villages of Simpelveld, Kerkrade, Heerlen, Landgraaf, Brunssum, Hoensbroek, Nuth, Beekdaelen and Schinnen. Rather than functioning as straightforward connection between destinations, the route is designed as a continuous spatial experience in which infrastructure, landscape and ecology are closely intertwined. The overall concept of the Parkstadroute is built on three interrelated pillars: Flow, Experience and Botanics.

– Flow, Following the route by intuition

Flow refers to the intuitive legibility and continuity of the route. Once on the Parkstadroute, users can follow it without the need for conventional signage or frequent stops. The route has its own recognisable materialisation and subtle guidance embedded in the surface. Curves, intersections and resting places are carefully designed to support fluent movement. The trajectory follows natural geometries and avoids abrupt changes, creating a comfortable and uninterrupted rhythm. A continuous asphalt pavement with a vernacular appearance distinguishes the route from other roads. Its colour and texture relate directly to the regional landscape, making the route both recognisable and embedded. Together, these design choices enable intuitive navigation and allow users to focus on the surrounding environment.

– Experience, Choreography of the landscape

Experience concerns the choreography of the landscape along the route. Trees and shrubs are strategically planted in the flowery verge to frame views, accentuate depth and guide sightlines. Resting places are positioned at locations with panoramic views of characteristic and iconic landscapes. A key element in this approach is the berm, which is treated as an active design component rather than residual space. The berm creates a tangible foreground that connects the user to the background landscape, making it visually and sensorially accessible. At the same time, planting within the berm selectively reveals or conceals views, carefully staging what the passer-by sees and does not see.

– Botanics, 35 km botanical verge

Botanics forms the ecological backbone of the Parkstadroute. Along its entire length, the route is accompanied by a wide botanical verge that reflects the landscape it passes through. Heather dominates in heathland areas, wildflowers appear along fields, and grasses and shrubs mark transitions near woodlands and urban edges. In this way, the verge creates a strong foreground for the surrounding landscape while functioning as a continuous ecological corridor through the city and countryside. The concept of botanics is translated into two principles: the two-sided berm as a long, linear landscape garden, and plant communities based on the original soil conditions beneath the route. In spring, cyclists and walkers move through a flourishing landscape garden that changes gradually along the route.

Beyond its spatial qualities, the Parkstadroute functions as an instrument for regional transformation. By linking former mining areas, residential districts and open landscapes, the route helps to overcome fragmentation and reframe Parkstad as a coherent region. Industrial relics are not erased but integrated as visible traces of history, supporting a renewed regional identity. At the same time, the route promotes sustainable mobility and everyday recreation, inviting residents and visitors to experience the landscape at a human pace. Through its careful balance of infrastructure, ecology and perception, the Parkstadroute demonstrates how contemporary landscape design can reveal hidden qualities, strengthen connections and contribute to a lasting relationship between people and place. The route therefore acts as both connector and destination, embedding daily movement within a carefully designed landscape sequence that encourages exploration, reflection and long-term stewardship of the region’s spatial heritage.

– Project credits Parkstadroute Limburg
Landscape design: LOLA Landscape Architects
I.c.w.: Koehorst in ‘t Veld, The municipalities of Simpelveld, Kerkrade, Heerlen, Landgraaf, Brunsum, Hoensbroek, Muth, Beekdaelen and Schinnen
Client: IBA Parkstad
Photography: Sanne Creuels Photography – Visit Zuid Limburg, LOLA Landscape Architects

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