The longest avenue in the Netherlands

On the dike you can see them in the distance: the characteristic beacon trees along the Meuse. Although they have no protected status, the beacon trees are considered valuable cultural heritage. The trees are found along a length of 100 kilometers along the Maas, including here between Cuijk and Sint Agatha. They are usually planted every 100 meters. It is therefore also called the "longest avenue of the Netherlands".

The beacon trees were planted in the mid-20th century ago. At high tide, the trees served as a beacon for shipping to see the course of the channel. The current beacon trees are Canada poplars. Under good growing conditions, they can grow over 30 feet tall. Many of the original beacon trees are at the end of their natural life span. In recent years, many have already blown down. More beacon trees are expected to fall in the near future. As a result, the trees can no longer be seen as a cohesive structure, like an avenue of trees.
To prevent this clearcutting, the government is investing in beacon tree preservation and management. A total of over 2.3 million euros is available to manage and maintain the trees over the next hundred years.