If you want to know something about Maastricht, why not ask somebody who lives there.
Where is it???? Well, almost lives there. I live in Berg en Terblijt, 3 miles away from the suburbs of Maastricht. This is definitely not Holland. Holland is flat with lots of canals. Maastricht lies in the province of Limburg, a hilly landscape in the lower right hand corner of the Netherlands. Belgium is right next to Maastricht, Germany is a 15 minutes drive away. Even the city of Luxemburg is closer than Amsterdam. If you want to get here you can fly directly from London almost everyday to Maastricht-Aachen Airport. Aachen is a German city 20 miles from Maastricht. You can also take the ferry to Antwerpen or Oostende
in Belgium, or to Hoek van Holland (from Harwich), and drive to Maastricht in about one and a half hour. Third possibility is to come by train. First do London-Brussels by Euro star. Then Brussels-Liege, if you want by TGV. Finally the short ride Liege-Maastricht with a local train. As you can see, not the easiest destination to reach from the UK, but definitely worth it.
What is there???? Worth it because Maastricht is a relatively small city (140.000 inhabitants) with a rich history. The Spanish once tried to take the city, Napoleon was charmed by it and D'Artagnan, the fourth musketeer, died here in combat. The golden age of Holland, between 1600 and 1700, did have little influence on Maastricht. But after that, under the French influence, the city bloomed. Until the early 1900's the upper class spoke French in Maastricht.
The most interesting part of the city is the old centre. This stretches from the train station across the Maas River to the Vrijthof, the main square in the city. There are shops all along the way. Many old buildings still remain. Around the Vrijthof you will find a maze of cute small streets with shops, restaurants and bars. Under the church next to the Vrijthof you can visit the tomb of Saint Servaas, who was bishop of Maastricht and died in the year 384. The treasure chamber is right next to it and worth a visit. Do not forget to go and see the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, a beautiful square where you can peacefully take a drink or a good meal in one of the many bars and restaurants, right next to the shopping area. From there, for those who need more peace and silence, you can walk to the city park in 4 minutes. Walk past the Hellgate, an impressive part of the old city wall around Maastricht, which can be found next to the Maas River. It is named Hellgate because here, during a siege, the enemy was regularly given a boiling water or molten metal bath. When it's raining you can visit the Bonnefanten Museum where you can learn more about local history.
Hungry???? No problem. There are plenty of good restaurants. From the simple French fries from the snack bar to the exquisite French cuisine at Beluga or Toine Hermsen both awarded with a Michelin star. And of course plenty of choice in between. Average price for a three course menu is 17 GBP. "De Roeie Knien" will serve you very tasty local food for even less than that. And an extremely good couscous can be found at Hassans restaurant "Djerba" next to the marketplace. A very small, simple restaurant but really a heavenly great couscous for a small price.
Thirsty???? Even less of a problem since there are even more bars than restaurants in the city. Try one of the local beers since there are plenty. Ridder, Brand, Leeuw, Gulpener, Alfa or otherwise one of the very tasty Belgium beers. If you ask for a sjoes (pronounce like shoes), you will get normal beer with a little bit of the heavier dark beer tipped in it. It gives the beer a slightly sweeter taste, yum.
Where do I stay???? Just outside the city there are big luxury hotels like Novotel or Van der Valk with rooms between 70 and 200 GBP. If you want a bit less luxury hotel in the downtown area you can book a room in the two star hotel La Colombe (43-100 GBP) or the three star Quartier Bassin (75-275 GBP). If you come by car you can also stay in the small tourist village of Valkenburg a d Geul. It is a 10 minutes drive from Maastricht and has plenty of hotels. The village has a cute town centre and many underground caves and passages that you can visit.
When???? Maastricht is not really touristy. Best time to visit will be during the summer, because of the weather. The weather here is a bit like in the UK. In summer a bit warmer, in winter a bit colder. But if you want to experience something special, visit Maastricht six weeks before Easter. That is when we celebrate CARNAVAL. For three days all shops and companies are closed. There is loud (hoempapa) music everywhere; there are no chairs in bars because everybody dresses up in bright colours or basically anything they want (farmer, priest, monkey, hippy), and dance/move/jump till early morning. Only to get sober and start all over. There are several carnaval parades all over the city. If you have no idea what is happening all around you, best is to drink a few beers within five minutes and join them. The more you make a feel out of yourself, the better you fit in.
I do not know whether YOU will like this city. I leave it up to you. But if you ever happen to be in the area, do not hesitate to spend a few hours in Maastricht. You might even fall in love with it.
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Hotel - Nijverheidsweg 35, 6227AL Maastricht, The Netherlands, Nijverheidsweg 35, 6227 Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands, Nijverheidsweg 35, 6227 AL Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands
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Nov 10th, 2005
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