Located at the border point between As, Maasmechelen and Dilsen-Stokkem
High on the plateau, in the middle of Mechelse Heide was a large stone. A triangular boulder, a mere meter above the ground. The stone marked the boundary between Mechelen-aan-de-Maas, Ash and Lanklaar. It was unclear how much of the stone was located under the ground. How it got there also remains a secret forever. Was it already there or did people put it there?
People of Eisden told that the stone would bleed if you stuck a needle into it. In other villages, locals told the story of a strange inscription on the stone. 'Below lies a miracle,' it was scrawled. When some fellows dug out the stone and turned it over, they read, 'how happy I am, now I lie on another side.'
Apart from those stories, the Windel stone was above all an important boundary point on the moors. Not surprisingly, the inhabitants turned the stone more than once to shift the boundary in their favor. Then the sheep could graze again. This also explains the name Wendel- or Windelsteen.
As mysterious as its origin, is the story of its disappearance and return. Just after World War II, devout inhabitants of Niel-bij-As thought they should build a Marian grotto for the good outcome of the war. To do so, they looked for stones in the area. The famous Windel stone fit perfectly as a capstone for the cave. Big and solid!
When residents of Lanklaar determined that the stone had disappeared, they accused the people Niel of theft. The Lanklaar town council even started legal proceedings to get the stone back. The mayors also went into battle personally, but the stone never came back. On the contrary! Niel-bij-As placed a large stone angel on the stone to keep watch.
In 2023, as part of the Grindspoor project, a “new” Windel stone was placed at the border point between As, Maasmechelen and Dilsen-Stokkem, in the quarry right in front of you.
Source: Magical Mythical Maasmechelen, Ludo Coenen and Erik Kortleven
Photo Windelsteen © Bram Dupont
