Considered to be one of the most beautiful cities of the country, Maastricht is the southernmost city in the Netherlands. It's the capital of the province of Limburg and famous for what the Dutch call the "Burgundian" way of life. Dutch and international visitors alike flock in to enjoy this "joie de vivre" and indulge in the many fine dining, arts, culture and shopping opportunities in town.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Situated within walking distance of Belgium and cycling distance of Germany, Maastricht claims to be the oldest city in the Netherlands (a claim it shares with Nijmegen). It is an especially popular tourist destination in the Netherlands because of its historical old centre and broad shopping possibilities. The city is home to approximately 122,000 people (2019). The University of Maastricht attracts many national and foreign students to the city.
This is by far the most attractive option as it allows travellers to see the beautiful winding streets in the centre of the city, as well as experience the cultural melting pot that Maastricht's location allows. A particularly nice walk outside of the centre is along the river, from St Servaas Brug (The Stone Bridge near the entrance to the city) down to the JFK Bridge (near the bottom), which goes through Maastricht's largest park. Visitors can then cross the JFK bridge and go to Maastricht's modern art museum - the Bonnefanten (see below). Maastricht Running Tours offers guided city jogging tours in Maastricht or their green surroundings.
Perhaps one of the best (free) sights of Maastricht is simply to admire the two town squares in the centre of the city and the many old buildings around the street near the university and town wall: 1 Vrijthof. This famous square is considered by many to be the beating heart of the old city. It features the massive St Servaas Church and St Jan's Cathedral and hosts a range of large festivals throughout the year. The Carnival before Lent is an amazing occasion where (it seems) the whole city dresses up in costume and parties until the early hours. It really has to be seen to be believed, this is a North European Mardi Gras, hence colder and darker than its American cousin.
Few Dutch cities take their carnival celebrations as seriously as Maastricht and when the weather is nice, the omnipresent music, laughter, costumes and parades might even make you think of Rio. It's a major happening and the highlight of the year for many of the locals. For a day or three, virtually all of regular life comes to a standstill as the mayor symbolically hands over the key of the city to Prince Carnaval, who is always accompanied by his jester and "council of eleven" advisors.
There are many excellent places to eat in the town. Key areas to peruse are around Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, Vrijthof, Maaspromenade and Wycker Brugstraat. Also around Tongersestraat, close to the Economics and Law faculties of the Universiteit Maastricht. Eating out in Maastricht is not always cheap, with most restaurants catering more to a posh older crowd rather than the student population. On weekdays there are a number of good and relatively low-priced sandwich outlets, as well as the usual fries based take-aways. 1 Cato by cato, Stenenbrug 9A (from Vrijthof, follow Bredestraat and Hondstraat for about 300 m), ☏ +31 651098619, info@catocatering.nl. M - Sa, 12:00–18:30 (17:00 Sa).
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, Falstaff, Twee Heeren, Metamorfoos, C'est La Vie, Take5, De Allabonneur, and especially the make!-bar.
As with much of the Netherlands, Maastricht is a safe city if you are not looking for trouble. Pickpocketing and muggings have been known to occur in less tourist-friendly parts of the city, but tourists are rarely targeted.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Maastricht typically sees ~24°C daytime highs and 8 rainy days.
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