City of Maastricht

Founded by the Romans, Maastricht is one of the oldest cities in The Netherlands. Located in the Southeast of the country, close to the border with Belgium and Germany, the city of Maastricht is split in two by the River Meuse. Its close proximity to Belgium and Germany makes Maastricht probably the least Dutch of Cities that offers visitors a culture completely of its own.

The City is home to a wealth of historical sights as can be expected of a city dating back to Roman times. Visitors can admire the beauty of the Basilica of Saint Servatius, the oldest church in the Netherlands dating back to the 6th Century, or wonder in awe at the St Pietersberg caves and the thousands of underground passages created over time to extract Mergel (a building material used to make cement).

Maastricht has also played its part in modern history as the location of the signing of the Maastricht treaty in 1992 that led to the formation of the European Union and in turn the new Euro currency.

Maastricht is also home to many fine hotels, restaurants and shopping Arcades allowing visitors plenty of places to relax after a day experiencing the wonders of the City or indeed the highlights of the APEX exhibition !

After the exhibition, there may not be much time to spare but it could be worth making time to experience the city. It offers a lot more than you might assume for its modest size.

It has grand, set-piece tourist attractions such as the Caves of Mount St Pieter and Fort St Pieter and a charming old city centre shopping area, the Stokstraat Quarter. It is an ideal starting place to tour the many attractions of the wider Limburg region.

If it’s a drink and a meal that you want, then the city centre offers plenty of variety, for all tastes and ages. Highlights include:

• Vrijthof Square – the social centre of Maastricht where the city’s main museum and theatre are located. A great place for an evening stroll, with lots of cafes, bars and restaurants, including the famous De Oude Struys bar.
• Our Dear Lady Square – a smaller, more tranquil version of Vrijthof Square, but still plenty of venues for evening entertaining.
• Nightlife - the one late night venue that everyone in the city knows is the ‘Nightlife’ club in Kesselskade, a converted church on the banks of the River Maas. Kesselskade 43, West Bank.
• Stokstraat Quarter – Maastricht’s exclusive shopping district. The city’s other main shopping area is between the Vrijthof and Our Dear Lady Squares.

Maastricht’s helpful tourist office will be happy to provide more details of specific venues, as well as offer guidance on the many tourist attractions in Maastricht. One attraction of the town, as the tourist office says, is its compact size: you can walk to most places, and it’s difficult to miss the big attractions.

For more information about Maastricht:
Maastricht Tourist Office (VVV):
T. +31(0)43 3252121,
F. +31(0)43 3213746,
info@vvvmaastricht.nl.
Address: Kleine Staat 1 at Maastricht.
Open Monday to Saturday, 9.00 am - 6.00 pm.

Interesting Links:

www.zichtopmaastricht.nl
www.maastrichtculinair.com