Un gentle hilly landscape dotted with vineyards. A linguistic Babel where, in addition to Dutch, French, German, Limburg dialect and of course English are spoken, given the high presence of foreign university students. Maastricht is the Dutch city you don’t expect. A small Paris in the Netherlands – crossed by the Meuse which here is called Maas – for its gastronomic vocation, for its excellent wines, for the joie de vivre of its inhabitants.
It is a destination on a human scale, to be explored on foot, perhaps in the most awaited moment of the year, when becomes the meeting point of the most internationally renowned gallery owners and art collectors. It happens from 9 to 14 March 2024 at Tefaf (The European Fine Art Fair, tefaf.com), one of the most prestigious art fairs. It features approximately 270 dealers and gallery owners from 22 countries. It’s like going to a huge museum, where you can find paintings, sculptures, prints, art objects from antiquity to the twentieth century.
In the heart of Europe
The San Servazio bridge over the Meuse river. Photo by Hugo Thomassen.
It’s the ideal opportunity to see the city at its best, with museums preparing to offer special exhibitions and restaurants creating special menus. Proudly, the locals claim their creative flair. The person who best embodies this spirit is Maastricht’s most illustrious son, André Rieu, conductor and composer, who performs every year in July in the central Vrijthof square. Maastricht is also the city of the treaty that changed the face of Europe in 1992. Why signing it in a town of around 120 thousand inhabitants, and not in a capital, is easy to understand if you look at a map: it was the heart of Europe at the time.
An image from the last edition of the Tefaf art fair. Photo by Loraine Bodewes.
The key to Paradise
Vrijthof is the starting point for exploring the historic centre, after a coffee in one of the bars overlooking the huge square. On the left side, a red fourteenth-century building houses the Museum of Photography, near two strangely close churches. The largest is the basilica of San Servazio, in the Middle Ages a place of pilgrimage as it houses the remains of the saint, believed to be a cousin of St. John the Baptist even though he died in 384 (St. John in around 31). Miracles of faith, such as the large silver key from the treasure of the basilica, a copy of the one that would open the doors of Paradise. Perhaps tired of the crush of pilgrims, the inhabitants of Maastricht stood up the Gothic church of San Giovanni, which later became Protestant, with a bell tower which is worth climbing to enjoy the most beautiful view of the city. To see another Gothic church you need to enter the shopping streets from Grote Straat and turn onto Dominicanerkerkstraat. The facade leaves no doubt, but the interior reserves a surprise: it has no longer been a place of worship since the time of Napoleon, and after having been a stable and a hall for Carnival parties, Dominicanen Boekhandel is today one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.
The Dinghuis, medieval courthouse. Photo by Hugo Thomassen.
Cosmopolitan vocation
Continuing towards the Jekerkwartier area, you enter a romantic atmosphere, with period houses overlooking the Jeker river. At natural History Museum the star is a local marine dinosaur, the mosasaur. From here a staircase allows access to the ancient city walls. At Aldenhof park stands a bronze statue of the musketeer D’Artagnan, who was actually called Charles de Batz de Castelmore, made famous by Alexandre Dumas and who fell in Maastricht during the French siege of the city in 1673. Maastricht’s cosmopolitanism is also the result of the many rulers who have alternated over the centuries: first the Celts and the Romans, then the Duke of Brabant and the Prince Bishop of Liège, the Spaniards, then an alternation between the French and the Dutch. In the midst of many invasions, the inhabitants have learned to defend themselves, as they testify the Kazematten Waldeck, a network of tunnels created between 1575 and 1825 to surprise the enemy. Fort Sint Pieter is perched in a strategic position.
A glimpse of the historic center of Maastricht. eighty8things
Between ancient and contemporary
Crossing the Kennedy bridge over the Meuse, you reach the Céramique district, linked to the production of ceramics. Today it is a residential area, where a stop is a must Bonnefanten Museum, designed by architect Aldo Rossi and easily recognizable by the silver tower. Here we range from contemporary to ancient art. In March, the museum inaugurates an exhibition dedicated to the video artist Isaac Julien. Returning to the Vrijthof shore from the St. Servatius Bridge, considered the oldest in the Netherlands, you pass by the Market Square where the seventeenth-century Town Hall building stands out, then from Boschstraat you reach a former industrial area. At number 9, Bureau Europa presents architecture and design exhibitions. Not far away, under the Eiffel building, the Sphinx Passage hosts an exhibition that tells the story of Maastricht’s main ceramic factory, which closed in 2006. A pearl on the outskirts is Jezuïtenberg. In a former limestone quarry, the Jesuits promoted the creation of 330 works of art in environments such as Buddhist temples and churches. Entering the former mine is very suggestive. © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The restaurant at Chateau Neercanne. © Chantal Arnts
Where to sleep in Maastricht
Kruisherenhotel
Kruisherengang 19/23. In the historic center, in a former 15th century monastery, a design hotel with interiors designed by the architect Henk Vos and lighting designer Ingo Maurer. Rooms and suites in a minimalist style with a prevalence of white, all different from each other. Double room from 275 euros. oostwegelcollection.nl/kruisherenhotel-maastricht
The Social Hub
Sphinxcour 9A. In the former Sphinx ceramic factory, spacious and essential rooms. It also offers coworking environments and large common areas, with ping pong tables and a gym. Remarkable panorama from the tables of the Bold Rooftopbar. Double room from 70 euros. thesocialhub.co
Maison Haas Hustinx
Vrijthof 20. In the heart of the city near the basilica of San Servazio, 17 rooms created in two historic buildings from
high ceilings, with clean and elegant lines. With indoor pool and spa. Double room from 121 euros. haashustinx.nl
Where to eat
Mes Amis
Tongersestraat 5. The perfect wine restaurant where you can taste Limburg wines, such as the local Riesling and Pinot Noir. Surprise menu that varies every month, from 4 to 9 courses, with seasonal ingredients. mesamis.nl
Safar
Vrijthof 20. Delicious Lebanese restaurant at Maison Haas Hustinx, for a dive into Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Not only hummus and fattoush but also manti (Armenian ravioli), prawn kebab and moussaka. safarmaastricht.nl
Chateau Neercanne
Von Dopfflaan 10. In a 17th century castle, overlooking the Jeker River valley, starred chef Robert Levels offers creative cuisine inspired by French tradition. The greats of Europe dined here in 1992,
who left their signatures in the castle’s wine shop. oostwegelcollection.nl/chateau-neercanne/restaurants/restaurant-chateau-neercanne
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