Maastricht Travel Guide

Maastricht is located in the south of the Netherlands, close to Liege and Aachen. It has a more southern, relaxed atmosphere than other parts of The Netherlands, and attracts many international tourists not only for its rich history (founded by the Romans) but also for its beauty. The city center is split in two by the river Maas, with the train station located in the smaller part of the center.

The history of Maastricht goes back to c. 50 B.C., when the Romans built a settlement by the main road, near a ford in the river. This makes Maastricht the oldest city of the Netherlands. The city's name is derived from the Latin 'Mosae Trajectum', the site where the river Maas could be crossed. This settlement grew to become a walled castellum, which was abandoned towards the end of the fourth century A.D. Maastricht had its first outer walls built in 1229. Before long the town was felt to be too cramped, and at the beginning of the 14th century construction work on a new series of walls was commenced. The city was important strategically, and had to withstand many attacks during its history.

The centre of the city is especially attractive, due to its wealth of historic buildings; some 1450 monuments are protected by law. Care is taken that both new and renovated buildings maintain the period atmosphere of their surroundings. Because of its heritage value, the whole of Maastricht city centre has been declared a 'protected area'.

Visit the main square (Vrijthof) or the Market, and admire the beautiful Basilica of Saint Servatius, Basilica of Our Beloved Lady, O.L. Vrouweplein or the famous 'St. Pietersberg' caves, which are the result of centuries of excavation of marl, a building stone, resulting in an enormous labyrinth of more than 20,000 passages. Visit the VVV tourist office for guided tours - even tours by boat through these enormous caves are possible.

Of course, there are many opportunities to just relax, shop in one of many small streets with nice tourist shops and little pubs. No other Dutch city has so many bars per square kilometer!