Cauberg

Cauberg
View of Cauberg from the West
Elevation	69 m (226 ft)
Location	South Limburg (Netherlands)
Start	Valkenburg aan de Geul
Altitude	137 m (449 ft)
Length	1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Average gradient	5.8 %
Maximum gradient	12.0 %

The Cauberg is a hill in Valkenburg aan de Geul, a town in the southern part of the Netherlands. The hill played an important role in the early development of tourism in Valkenburg. Today, several major tourist attractions are situated on or nearby Cauberg. The hill's fame is mainly due to the many cycling races and championships that were held here. The length of the climb is around 1200 m, with a maximum grade of 12%.

The first part of the word Cauberg may be derived from the Celtic word kadeir, meaning 'height' or 'hill'. Berg is a Germanic word meaning 'hill' or 'mount' as well. Perhaps the family names 'Cauberghs' and 'Van Caldenborgh' are related to Cauberg. Previously the name of the hill was also spelled 'Couberg'. Although the road via Cauberg formed the shortest connection between Valkenburg and Maastricht, in former ages most unmotorized traffic due to the steepness of the hill followed the longer but much more level route along the Geul river. The road was paved with cobblestones only in 1934; in 1969 the cobblestone surface was replaced by asphalt.

On 29 September 1954 a serious accident happened on Cauberg when the driver of a Belgian coach lost control over his vehicle after a malfunction of the brakes. The coach, which had a group of miners from the Liège area on board, who had been on an outing to Valkenburg zoo, rushed down the hill, crashed into a limestone monument at the bottom of the hill and then drove into the gable of a hotel on Grendelplein. The coach was completely ravished; 18 passengers and a bystander lost their lives.

In the 19th century Valkenburg developed as an early tourist destination in the Netherlands. Cauberg, with its limestone quarries, played an important role in this. Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers, who lived in Valkenburg for some years, helped design Rotspark ('Rocky Park') on the northeastern slope of Cauberg, which featured a viewing tower (1898, demolished) and an open-air theater (1916). After the Second World War a zoo and an 'aquarium grotto' were added to this. In the 1960s and 70s, Valkenburg became very popular with teenage tourists. On top of Cauberg, Europacamping became one of the largest camping sites in the country, with mostly youthful campers. Nearby on Cauberg was a racing circuit for kart racing (skelterbaan). The area was redeveloped in the 1980s and now features a holiday village, a spa center and a casino.