In Depth:Maastricht, Netherlands

Maastricht, Netherlands

Population: Just above 120,000

Location: Limburg, the southern most region of the Netherlands. Maastricht is very close to both the Belgium and German borders.

Currency: Euros

Language: Officially Dutch, however a lot of the locals will also speak German due to its proximity to Germany.

How to get there: Flying in to Brussels (Belgium) or Amsterdam and catching the train. Maastricht is about 1 1/2 hours from Brussels (via Liege) and 2 1/2 hours from Amsterdam.

Fun Fact: Maastricht is the home town of world renowned musician Andre Rieu. Every July he hosts musical concerts in the Vrijtof square. Tourists flock to the town in order to see him.

Maastricht holds a very special place in my heart. I spent six months living there in 2014 and I felt that my first In Depth post just had to be about this beautiful Dutch city!

Unlike the rest of the Netherlands, Maastricht is not flat. In fact, due to its southern location you will find that the city is surrounded by green, rolling hills which just add to the picture perfect setting of this medieval town.

I arrived in Maastricht in late January to very cold temperatures (which for me is anything less than 5 degrees celcius), but no snow. In fact, if I wasn’t wearing 5 layers I could’ve easily been in late spring, with the sun shining and people everywhere. One thing I came to learn during my stay is that the locals like to be out and about. Whether doing their weekly shopping at the farmer’s market or catching up with friends at one of the many cafes or pubs; Maastricht is a lively place.

My favourite place to visit in Maastricht has to be Fortress Sint Pieter. About a 20 minute walk from the centre of Maastricht you will find a fort built in the 18th century. Thanks to it’s location on top of a limestone hill it gives breathtaking views down to the city of Maastricht and it’s surrounding suburbs. It’s a perfect location for an afternoon picnic watching the sunset.

Located beneath the fort is the Maastricht Caves. With a guided tour you can explore the winding tunnels that make up the caves and you will be told the history of how the caves were used during WW2 to help the Jews escape Germany into Belgium. You even get the chance to experience complete darkness when they turn the lanterns off (very exhilarating!!). Be sure to dress appropriately as it can get quite chilly down below!

Down in the caves…

Like I mentioned above, the locals like to while away the hours at cafes and pubs with friends and family; even I found myself wanting to get out of my apartment and to a cafe to people watch. When the weather got warmer it was really nice to sit out and enjoy the European sun. One of my favourite cafes – Jour de Fete, is found on Markt square and makes the most delicious chocolate cake (known as Arretje’s Cake) that they serve with their coffees. One of my close friends would often meet me there for a catch up or to do some study.

You couldn’t visit the Netherlands without getting yourself on to a bike and going for a ride. In Maastricht you can conveniently hire a bike from the main train station. Dutch people ride everywhere and because of this you are almost guaranteed that bike paths are found around all areas of town. I would often just get on my bike and ride wherever my heart desired. One particular ride took me to the Belgium town of Kanne, a beautiful little area surrounded by green meadows. I wish I had discovered Kanne earlier into my trip so I could have visited more often.

Coming from Australia I found it so strange that I could take a 15 minute bike ride and not only be in a different town but a different country. I really struggled to get my head around just how close towns are, but also how diverse they are too!

One of the greatest things I came to learn about Maastricht is that something is always happening on the streets. At the beginning of February the town gets together to name the Prince of Maastricht for the upcoming Carnival week. The Prince is presented with a “key” to the city and the rest of the day is filled with celebrations. This is followed by the actual Carnival that begins in early March, which consists of a week long street party filled with alcohol and dancing (and also includes the whole week off of university). Just when you are getting over Carnival, Kings Day is celebrated at the end of April. Kings Day, like it suggests is a day to celebrate the King (or Queen) of The Netherlands, everyone gets dressed in Orange and – you guessed it, drinks!

These were just some of the events I took part in during my visit, but there was always something happening. They had polo in the Vrijtof square and giant puppets in the Markt square. One thing for sure is that Maastricht will always surprise you.

Now of course not everyone will be lucky enough to live in Maastricht for 6 months like I did, but I really hope that this post inspires you to include Maastricht on your next visit to Europe!

Tot Ziens!

Jacqui

More info can be found here:

Fort Sint Pieter: http://www.maastrichtunderground.nl/eng

Cafe Jour de Fete: http://www.eetcafejourdefete.nl/ (in Dutch)

Arretje’s Cake: http://www.thedutchtable.com/2010/10/arretje-cake.html