Editing Limburg (Netherlands) (section)

==Culture==
[[File:Kasteel Gronsveld.jpg|thumb|[[Gronsveld]] castle]]
[[Image:GemeentehuisEijsden.JPG|thumb|[[Eijsden]] town hall]]
[[Image:Banholt-Bergstraat 16.JPG|thumb|Typical half-timbered houses]]
[[Image:Processie-Eijsden.jpg|thumb|Folklore]]
[[Image:AGR doorkomst ubachsberg.jpg|thumb|Bicycle-racing]]
[[File:Platz vor der Münsterkirche in Roermond 1.jpg|thumb|Square in front of the Munsterchurch at Roermond, where the provincial diocese of the Roman Catholic church seats]]

Essential elements in Limburgian culture are

* Music;
* Religion (predominantly Roman Catholic);
* [[Folklore]] (in especially the southern part of the province);
* [[Carnival in the Netherlands|Carnival]];
* Sports, of which especially [[bicycle racing]] and [[soccer]] are most popular;
* [[Art]] ([[architecture]], among others).

===Music===
Choral singing is popular in Limburg. One of its best-known choruses is the Mastreechter Staar (Maastricht Star), which performs nationally and internationally.

Wind music ("bloasmuzeek", blown music) is also widespread, most villages and cities have one or more amateur [[Fanfare orchestra|fanfare]] or [[Concert band|wind orchestras]] ("harmonie").

Every four years the [[World Music Contest]], a competition for professional, amateur and military band sometimes called the Olympic Games of brass band music is held in Kerkrade.
In 2013 and 2009 the winner in the World Concert Division was the Koninklijke Harmonie Sainte Cécile, from [[Eijsden]] (Limburg).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wmc.nl/nl/uitslagen.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805221141/http://wmc.nl/nl/uitslagen.aspx|url-status=dead|title=WMC Kerkrade 2021|archive-date=August 5, 2013|website=wmc.nl}}</ref>

Also held in Kerkrade (situated on the German border) is the Schlagerfestival, a nationally broadcast event presenting singers of German-language pop music called [[Schlager]]s.

Since 1969 yearly on the Pentecost weekend an international pop music festival called [[Pinkpop Festival]] takes place in the southern part of Limburg; initially at Geleen, since 1988 at [[Schaesberg]].

More nationally or internationally known musicians from this province are mentioned hereunder in section "Famous Limburgians".

The [[Limburg Symphony Orchestra]], that resided and rehearsed in Maastricht, and was the oldest symphony orchestra of the Netherlands (founded in 1883) following elimination of government grants merged with ''[[Het Brabants Orkest]]'' to form a single ensemble with the new name of the ''[[philharmonie zuidnederland]]'', as of April 2013.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4512/Cultuur/article/detail/3420234/2013/04/04/Gefuseerd-orkest-verder-als-philharmonie-zuidnederland.dhtml | title=Gefuseerd orkest verder als philharmonie zuidnederland | work=Trouw | date=2013-04-04 | access-date=2013-04-09 | archive-date=2013-04-20 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420103051/http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4512/Cultuur/article/detail/3420234/2013/04/04/Gefuseerd-orkest-verder-als-philharmonie-zuidnederland.dhtml | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Folklore===
Many places in both Netherlands' and Belgian Limburg still have their own (by now folkloristic) [[schutterij]]. An annual festival is held in which all 160 of them compete for the highest honours to be gained, in the "OLS" (Oud Limburgs Schuttersfeest), which is held somewhere in either Belgian or Netherlands' Limburg.

===Sports===

====Football====
In Limburg there are currently four professional Football clubs; [[Roda JC Kerkrade]], [[VVV-Venlo]], [[MVV Maastricht]] and [[Fortuna Sittard]]. Fortuna Sittard competes in [[Eredivisie|the highest Dutch division, the Eredivisie]]. The others compete in the second highest division.

====Cycling====
The annual [[Classic cycle races|bike classic]] [[Amstel Gold Race]] is run in the southern part of Limburg. The area has also staged the [[UCI Road World Championships]] six times, once hosted by [[Heerlen]] and five times by [[Valkenburg (city)|Valkenburg]].

====Handball====
[[Team handball]] is the third-most popular sport in Limburg. The women's team, [[HV Swift Roermond]], has won the national championship in the highest division 19 times. The male teams, [[HV Sittardia|Sittardia]] (Sittard), Vlug en Lenig (Geleen) and BFC ([[Beek]]), which in 2008 merged as the ''Limburg Lions'', have in total won the national championship 25 times.