Maastricht is the southernmost city in the Netherlands, in the province of Limburg, close to Belgium and Germany.
Understand
The town is a good mix between students (mostly medical and business, a lot of them from abroad) and locals. This keeps the town alive and fresh.
InformationThe
VVV is the local tourist agency, and in fact, the tourist agency throughout the entire country. If ever you're lost in the Netherlands, just look for a VVV. They'll help straighten you out, and sell you a map too!
For information about all (cultural) events in Maastricht, try to find a copy of the '
Week in Week uit'. They are distributed all around the city.
Talk
Maybe even more than in other parts of the Netherlands, people know how to speak foreign languages. So don't worry if you don't speak Dutch, many Maastrichtenaars are happy to converse with you in English, German or even French.
Get in
By airThere is an airport near Maastricht, the
Maastricht Aachen Airport, which you can reach by the local bus system, or by taxi. Flights to Maastricht are more expensive, but more convenient than flying into another city, such as Amsterdam, and travelling to Maastricht by train.
AirportsAmsterdam - Schiphol AirportEindhoven - Eindhoven AirportLiege Bierset - Liege AirportMaastricht - Maastricht Aachen Airport - daily direct services to Amsterdam, Gerona (Barcelona) and charter-destinations in the summerRotterdam - Rotterdam AirportBrussels - Brussels AirportBy trainThere is an extensive rail system in the Netherlands. From Maastricht, there is an hourly link to Liege (30 min) & Brussels (1:30h), Belgium . In addition there is a direct train to Eindhoven (1 hour), Utrecht, Amsterdam (2½ hours) and Alkmaar, twice an hour.
Local trains will take you to Valkenburg, Heerlen & Kerkrade, four times every hour.
Train stations MaastrichtMaastricht Randwyck Train information Belgium RailwaysDie Bahn (Aachen, Germany)Nederlandse SpoorwegenFrench RailwaysBy carThere a two motorways from and to Maastricht: A2 (Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Sittard, Belgium and France - "Route du Soleil") and A79 (Heerlen, Aachen).
By busBus 420 from Aachen serves Maastricht on an hourly basis.Belgian busses come and go to Hasselt, Tongeren, Lanaken and Liege.Eurolines Netherlands has a bus stop at the Central train station in Maastricht. In Liege is the Belgian Eurolines stop, which serves different routes to the Maastricht stop.Get around
By carBy busThe city has a bus system called the
Stadsbus ("City Bus") that travels over most of the city and to surrounding areas. Tickets can be bought on the bus, or in advance with a pass called a
Strippenkaart "Strip-card".
You can purchase the
Strippenkaart at the train station, or any post office or newsagent. There are two denominations, € 6.80 and € 20.10. The lesser of the two has 15 strips on it, and the larger 45. So, each strip costs about € 0.45, and each trip on the bus takes at least 2 strips. So a ride on the bus might cost about € 1. Depending on where you go, the fare increases. This is much cheaper then buying the fare on the bus, as a trip purchased from the driver might cost between € 1.60 and € 2.40.
See
Civic BuildingsCity Library Plein 1992University Maastricht Library, Grote Looierstraat 17 (centre) & Universiteitssingel 50 (Randwyck)MuseumsThe museum is the foremost museum of Old Masters and contemporary art in the province of Limburg. The contemporary art collection contains works by an international group of artists. In addition to contemporary paintings, the collection also includes projections and gallery-sized installations. The collection of Old Masters emphasises on 16th and 17th century Flemish paintings, including major works by Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens. In addition, the collection comprises magnificent medieval sculptures by Jan van Steffenswert, early Italian paintings and a presentation of Maastricht silver.Before the restoration of the Derlon Hotel started, Maastricht's city archeologists undertook an extensive survey of the site. The Roman finds, from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th century, are considered that important that it was decided to conserve them and exhibit these to interested parties. The following can be seen in the cellar of Derlon Hotel: part of a 2nd and 3rd century square, a 3rd century well, part of a pre- Roman cobblestone road and sections of a wall and a gate dating from the 4th century.The museum outlines the natural history of southern Limburg. Modern displays offer an insight into both the recent and distant past. Among the museum's highlights are the remains of enormous Mosasauriers and Giant Turtles found in marlstone at the St Pietersberg caverns. Fossils of all shapes and sizes show how South Limburg has changed in the course of the last 300 million years.The museum contains period rooms with mainly 17th and 18th century furnishings, including furniture, silver, porcelain and pottery, glassware and paintings. Two of the rooms have been decorated in the mid-18th century Liège-Maastricht Regence Style.Tourist AttractionsThe Caves - a local Marlestone mine, tours given in DutchCoffeeshops (eg. Mississippi on the Wilhelminakade, at the Maas quai)'Regular' shopping centre, known for its exclusivity.Do
CinemasLumiere CinemaMinerva CinemasCultureVisit the Uitbalie in the Theater on the Vrijthof for (last minute) tickets to almost any cultural event. Pick up a Week in/Week uit with its weekly English agenda published by MaastrichtNet, or see what students are upto on wikimaas.org.Eat
Eating out in Maastricht is seldom cheap, with most restaurants catering to a posh older crowd, rather than the student population. On weekdays, good and relatively low-priced sandwiches can be had at Deli Belge and Somethin' Good, both on Tongersestraat, close to the Economics and Law faculties of the Universiteit Maastricht.
If you are really hungry, but don't want luxury food then visit this place. Try the Vesserslatien sandwich (cock-and-bull story sandwich). At night it is a popular drinking venue with students of Maastricht University.Sour Meat (Zuurvlees)Drink
Maastricht has many bars, restaurants, pubs and dance clubs, located on Vrijthof and Market Squares, and in the centre of downtown it's nearly impossible to walk around and not see anything to do.
Maastricht is great for a night out (Maastricht is home to both a University & Institute). therefore, lots of students, also lots of foreign companies are based here so a mixture of international pubs & clubs can be found here.Be sure to check out these places to go drink and have a good time: The Highlander, Twee Heeren, Metamorfoos, C'est La Vie, and De Allabonneur. They all are very welcoming and have great music to dance to.Maastricht is known for its yearly "Carnival," a tradition celebrated in many towns in the south of the Netherlands.Sleep
Budget This hostel opened its doors on 5 April 2007 and offers 38 rooms. Mid-range Bastion Deluxe Hotel Maastricht is part of a Dutch chain of four star hotels at sub-four star prices. If you are used to the full four star service this will be a disappointment, but it is only a five minute walk into the city center of Maastricht and provides free wireless internet service.The Hotel MABI, just off the market place, must be owned by a group of dentists. Little jars of sweets are everywhere in the public spaces. However, that is about the only redeeming feature of the hotel.The NH Hotel Maastricht is about a 25 minutes walk from the city center, but very convenient if you are attending a conference or fair in the Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Centre next door. The hotel is comfortable enough, however, only the "deluxe" rooms really come up to the standards of other NH hotels. The standard rooms look tired by comparison, and some of them are quite noisy. De Pauwenhof is a small hotel with a family run feel. It has recently been refurbished with air conditioning in all 15 rooms. There is no restaurant in the evening, but with all the eateries in central Maastricht within a few minutes walk, who really cares? Splurge Crowne Plaza Maastricht is quietly situated in the city center on the river Maas.Ideally located on the most beautiful square of the city.A beautifully renovated gothic monastery in the center of Maastricht, complete with a church, is a rather spectacular stage for an unusally stylish hotel.Cope
Religious servicesHoly mass in Catholic churches in Maastricht:
Sint Servaas Basilica, Keizer Karelplein. Sat: 18:00; Sun: 10:00, 11:30; Mon-Sat: 09:00 (Sint Servaas chapel)Onze Lieve Vrouwe Basilica, Onze Lieve Vrouweplein. Sat: 17:00 (crypt), 18:30; Sun: 09:00, 10:00, 11:30; Mon-Sat: 09:30Sint Matthiaskerk, Boschstraat 99. Sat: 17:30; Sun: 11:15; Tue-Fri: 08:30Sint Petrus Banden, Oude Kerkstraat 10 (Maastricht Heer). Sat: 19:15; Sun: 08:30, 09:45; Mon-Fri: 19:00Basiliek van het H. Sacrament, Markt, 6231 LR Meerssen. Sun: 11:00; Mon & Tue: 19:00; Wed & Fri: 08:00Directory of Christian churches in Maastricht
Get out
World War II Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial : take the N278 9.5 kilometers (6 miles) east of Maastricht. The cemetery is located just west of the village of Margraten. Open daily except for December 25 and January 1; 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The cemetery is the final resting place for 8,301 American military dead. A monument is inscribed with the names of 1,723 Americans whose remains were never found or identified. The site contains a chapel and museum with three engraved operations maps describing the European Campaign. Free. Fun!Caves in the Sint Pietersberg: Although the limestome caves are actually mines, it is nice to take a guided tour through the belly of the berg. In the Second World War, the Dutch stored their national arts collections in a vault in the hill, and a lot of engravings - some more old than the other - are to be admired. Entrances lie at several places on the mountain, and are well within walking distance of the town center. Plan in advance to make sure you can get in.
:
This article refers to the municipality in the Netherlands. For the political treaty, see Maastricht Treaty.Maastricht (Dutch (), Limburgish and city dialect:
Mestreech) is a municipality, and capital of the province of Limburg. The city is situated on both sides of the Meuse river (
Maas in Dutch) in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands between Belgium and Germany. The place-name is derived from its Latin name
Trajectum Ad Mosam or
Mosa Trajectum (Mosa-crossing), referring to the bridge built by the Romans during the reign of Augustus Caesar.
For years, the city has been arguing with Nijmegen as to which of them is the oldest city in the Netherlands. Nijmegen was the first city with Roman city rights in what is now the Netherlands. Maastricht was the first with Medieval city rights, a system which evolved to the current system and, thanks to the Romans, the first settlement with city allure.
However, Maastricht was without a doubt the first settlement in the Netherlands.
Roman sources mention a Celtic settlement (probably inhabited by the Eburones) at the location they used for the bridge. Other sources mention a Celtic settlement at a river crossing near where now Wyck is located.
History
Paleolithic remains have been found to the west of Maastricht, between 8000 and 25 000 years old. At least 500 years before the Romans came, Celts lived here, at a spot where the river Meuse was shallow and therefore easy to cross. The Romans later built a bridge and a large road to connect the capitals of the Nervians and Tungri, Bavay and Tongeren, with the capital of the Ubians, Cologne.
Saint Servatius was the first bishop of the Netherlands.
His tomb, in the crypt at the Basilica of Saint Servatius, is a favoured place of pilgrimage: Pope John Paul II visited it in 1984. The golden gilt shrine containing some of the saint's relics is carried around the town every seven years. During the medieval period these processions caused such rioting that they were forbidden. The city remained an early Christian bishopric until it lost this position to nearby Liège in the 8th century.
Middle Ages Maastricht developed in the Middle Ages into a city of dual authority, with both the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and the Duchy of Brabant holding joint sovereignty over the city. It received city rights in 1204. The role of the Dukes was occupied by the Dutch States General from 1632 onwards when the city was taken from the Spanish by Frederik Hendrik. This duality remained in force until the conquest and annexation of the city by the French in 1794.
French & Napoleonic times Seven skeletons uncovered in a front garden in Maastricht in May 2004 may be the remains of musketeers who died during a fierce 17th century battle between French attackers and Dutch defenders.
The famous Siege of Maastricht occurred here during the month of June, 1673, because battle supply lines were being threatened. During this siege, one of history's most famous military engineers, Vauban, synthesized the methods of attacking strong places, in order to break down the fortifications surrounding Maastricht. His introduction of a systematic approach by parallels resulted in a rapid breaching of the city's fortifications. (This technique, in principle, has remained until the 20th century the standard method of attacking a fortress.)
After the breaching of the fortifications occurred, Louis XIV's troops started to surround the city of Maastricht. Under the leadership of Captain-Lieutenant Charles de Batz de Castelmore, also known as Comte d'Artagnan, the First Company of "Mousquetaires du Roi" prepared to storm a rampart located in front of one of the city's gates. The assault on the bulwark took place not far from where the seven skeletons were found. D'Artagnan was killed by a musket shot on 25 June 1673 during a night attack on the Tongerse Gate (this event was portrayed by Alexandre Dumas in his novel
The Vicomte de Bragelonne).
Maastricht surrendered to French troops on 30 June. The French troops occupied the Dutch city from 1673 to 1679. It was subsequently restored to Dutch rule.
Part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands After the Napoleonic era, Maastricht became a part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. When the southern provinces sought independence from the North to form Belgium in 1830, the garrison in Maastricht remained loyal to the Dutch king and occupied the city despite anti-Dutch feelings amongst the population. Maastricht was neither Dutch nor Belgian between 1830 and 1839. In 1839 the Treaty of London was imposed on the Belgians and the city and the eastern part of Limburg, despite being geographically and culturally closer to Belgium, were permanently added to the Netherlands. Because of the resulting eccentric location Maastricht was often more focused on Belgium and Germany than on the rest of the Netherlands, adding to the distinct non-Dutch character of the city.
Even now, the people of Maastricht (and the rest of Limburg) hold on to their language and culture, and some even hope to be re-united with Limburgian areas in Germany and Belgium.
20th century On September 14, 1944, Maastricht was the first Dutch city to be liberated by allied forces during World War II. In 1976, Maastricht became part of the Euregio Maas-Rhine. In 1992, the Maastricht treaty was signed here, leading to the creation of the European Union.
21st century Especially under current mayor Gerd Leers, Maastricht attracted many summits, like the OCSE-summit in 2003, and several gatherings during the Dutch EU-chairmanship in the second half of 2004.
Institutions and education
Administration of the Dutch province of Limburg. ENCI (First Dutch Cement Industry)Hewlett-Packard (previously Indigo)Maastricht School of ManagementDaimlerChrysler Pie MedicalUniversiteit Maastricht (Maastricht University)SappiVodafone Neighborhoods
Maastricht can be divided into 7 parts consisting of multiple neighborhoods:
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Centrum (
Centre); Binnenstad, Boschstraatkwartier, Jekerkwartier, Kommelkwartier, Statenkwartier, Sint Maartenspoort, Wyck.
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Buitenwijk Noord-Oost (
North-Eastern sections); Beatrixhaven, Borgharen, Itteren, Meerssenhoven.
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Buitenwijk Oost (
Eastern sections); Amby, Heugemerveld, Limmel, Nazareth, Scharn, Wittevrouwenveld, Wyckerpoort.
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Buitenwijk Zuid-Oost (
South-Eastern sections); De Heeg, Heer, Heugem, Randwyck, Vroendaal.
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Buitenwijk Zuid-West (
South-Western sections); Biesland, Campagne, Jekerdal, Sint Pieter, Villapark, Wolder.
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Buitenwijk West (
Western sections); Belfort, Brusselsepoort, Caberg, Daalhof, Dousberg-Hazendans, Malberg, Malpertuis, Mariaberg, Oud-Caberg, Pottenberg.
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Buitenwijk Noord-West (
North-Western sections); Belvédère, Boschpoort, Bosscherveld, Frontenkwartier, Lanakerveld).
Politics
The mayor of Maastricht is the Christian Democrat Gerd Leers. His party, the CDA, became the largest party in the city council after the 2002 municipal elections, when they made up the coalition together with PvdA, VVD and GroenLinks.
The 2006 municipal elections saw a political landslide from right to left all over the Netherlands, and Maastricht was no exception. The present coalition still kept its majority, but the shift to the left made Maastricht one of the 39 Dutch municipalities in which an all-left-wing coalition of PvdA, GroenLinks and SP has become possible. Another factor that contributed to this situation in Maastricht, was the 2005 enduring disagreement within the VVD between the traditional and progressive members. September 2006, this lead to the establishement of the Liberalen Maastricht. Previously the VVD forced one of its members to leave the party, just a month after the 2006 municipal elections.
One issue that brought Maastricht in the news in 2005 and 2006 was the cannabis supply of coffeeshops. Under the gedoogbeleid the sale of cannabis is allowed under certain conditions, but the supply is not, resulting in an impossible situation. The police keep on tracking down plantations, but that just results in more and more plantations being set up, including many in attics of houses in 'ordinary streets', thus bringing small children in contact with illegal activities. Mayor Leers therefore proposed to let the government take over the growing, striking, in his opinion, a blow to the criminal scene. But the Netherlands are bound by international laws and a complication for Maastricht is its proximity to neighbouring countries, making it a major destination for drug tourism.
Sports
In football, Maastricht is represented by MVV (Maastrichtse Voetbal Vereniging), currently playing in the Dutch first division.Transportation
By airplane; Maastricht is served by Maastricht Aachen Airport with scheduled flights to Amsterdam, Girona (as of June 2, 2007) and popular holiday destinations (e.g. Turkey) during the Summer season.By boat; Maastricht has a river port on the Meuse, and is connected with the rest of the Netherlands through the Juliana Canal and the Zuid-Willemsvaart.By bus; In Maastricht various buslines serve the majority of the city and suburbs. The regional bus network stretches to most of parts of Southern-Limburg as well as to Belgium (Hasselt, Tongeren and Liège) and Germany (Aachen)By car; Maastricht is served by the A2 and the A79 highways. The city can be reached from Brussels and Cologne (Köln) within 1½ hours and from Amsterdam within 2½ hours. The A2 highway that runs through Maastricht is heavily congested and increasingly causes air pollution in the urban area. Construction plans for building a tunnel in order to improve traffic flow are currently being developed.By train; the Dutch Railways serves both the main station of Maastricht and the station located near the business and university district (Maastricht Randwyck). A railway branch passes through Maastricht that runs south to Liège, Belgium and north into the rest of The Netherlands, where it has a branch to Heerlen. Intercity trains to the northern city of Alkmaar connect Maastricht with Eindhoven, Utrecht and Amsterdam, amongst others. Express and commuter trains cover the regional area and an international intercity train connects the city to Liège and Brussels in Belgium. Another railway line to Hasselt, Belgium is no longer in use, although plans exist to restore it. Visiting Maastricht
Events & Festivals Carnival (Dutch: Carnaval, Limburgish: Vastelaovend) & November 11 (start Carnival-season) KunstTourPreuvenemint, culinary event in late August.The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF)Winterland Museums Bonnefanten Museum of art.Natuurhistorisch Museum which exhibits collections relating to geology, paleontology and the flora and fauna of Limburg. Sights Bassin, an inner harbour with various restaurants.The Helpoort and the city wall.The Hoge Fronten (also Linie van du Moulin), 17th/18th century bastion.The Kazematten, the tunnels beneath the Hoge Fronten.The Markt (Marketsquare) with the city hall.Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe square with the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw basilica.To the south of the city is the hill of St. Pietersberg which has an old fort and a network of caves within. The caves maintain a constant temperature of 10°C and are a hibernation place for bats. The caves were formed by digging out the Marl that was used to build houses. This led to a very extensive network of caves that were used as hiding places during World War II. Later, the marl was used by ENCI to make cement. In the process a large chunk was removed from one side of the hill. The unused material was used to make a new hill, d'n Observant. In the process of carving out the marl, fossils were found, most notably one of a mosasaur in 1780 (which, contrary to popular belief, was not a dinosaur). The find was so famous it led to naming a 6-million-year epoch after the city: the Maastrichtian.The statue of d'Artagnan in the Aldenhofpark.Various shopping streets e.g. the Stokstraatkwartier, the Grote Staat & Kleine Staat and the recently restored mall Entre Deux. Vrijthof square, with the Vrijthoftheatre (Theater aan het Vrijthof), the Saint Servatius basilica (Sint-Servaasbasiliek) and the Saint Johns church (Sint-Janskerk).Nightlive, a popular nightclub in the nave of a former church on the riverfront. Native of Maastricht
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See also :Category:People from Maastricht|People from MaastrichtGerard Bergholtz (1939); former soccerplayer; 9 time international. Peter Debye (1884-1966), Nobel prize winning chemistAndré Rieu (1949), musicianFred Rompelberg (1945); cyclist; current holder of the Absolute Speed World Record Cycling with 268,831 km/hMaxime Verhagen (1956), politicianAd Wijnands (1959); former cyclist; two time stage winner in Tour de FranceBoudewijn Zenden (1976), football (soccer) playerSister Cities
Luik, Belgium Koblenz, GermanySee also
Jewish MaastrichtExternal links
GeneralCity of Maastricht, official site (Dutch)City of Maastricht, official site (English)Wikimaas Wiki on MaastrichtDestadmaastricht.com All you want to know about Maastricht, esp. current projects like Entre-Deux and Mosae ForumFamous inhabitants of MaastrichtTourismTourist Board, Dutch, English, French or GermanMaastrichtNet, Agenda for Maastricht with English Section Highlights of the WeekMaastricht360.nl, 360° view of MaastrichtFoToL.nl, pictures of MaastrichtBonnefanten MuseumMaastricht travel guideHistoryMaastricht in Roman timesChurches of MaastrichtNews Reports of Musketeer Skeletons foundWebpage about the fortificationsWebpage about the 1632 siegeWebpage about the 1673 siegeD’Artagnan’s death at the 1673 siege of Maastricht, an article by H. Reuvers in Crossroads, 19 December 2006The history of carnival in Maastricht, an article by H. Reuvers in Crossroads, 31 January 2007Higher education and researchMaastricht UniversityMaastricht Graduate School of GovernanceAcademie van Bouwkunst Maastricht (Academy of Architecture) Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology - United Nation University Maastricht School of Management Center for European Studies (CES) Conservatorium Maastricht (Academy of Music) Toneelacademie Maastricht (Academy of Dramatic Arts) Academie Beeldende Kunsten Maastricht (Academy of Fine Arts)Jan van Eyck Academie Resources for expatriatesCrossroads English-language website for expatriates in Maastricht, published by the European Journalism Centre International Women's Club South Limburg a non profit international women's organisation with over 200 members in South LimburgMaastricht International Playgroup a non-profit organisation comprising expatriate and local parents living in and around MaastrichtOtherVastelaoftrap Kickoff of the carnival daysWebCAM Maastricht Randwijck WebCAM Maastricht Randwijck Website of Fred Rompelberg, the Absolute Speed World Record Holder Cycling, Maastricht local
