Discover 20 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Maastricht (Netherlands). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Kruisherenhotel Maastricht, Bonnefantenmuseum, and De Schatkamer. Also, be sure to include Basilica of Saint Servatius in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Maastricht (Limburg).
Table of Contents
Kruisherenhotel Maastricht
Monastery. The Crosier Monastery or Monastery of the Crutched Friars is a former monastery of the Order of the Holy Cross in Maastricht, Netherlands. The well-preserved convent buildings house a five-star hotel, the Kruisherenhotel. It is a rare example of a Gothic monastery in the Netherlands, having survived more or less in its entirety. The buildings from the 15th and 16th century constitute three listed buildings. The more or less intact monastery archive is unique in the Netherlands.[1]
Address: Kruisherengang 19 - 23, Maastricht
Bonnefantenmuseum
Riverside art museum with striking tower. The Bonnefanten Museum is a museum of fine art in Maastricht, Netherlands.[2]
Address: Avenue Ceramique 250, 6221 KX Maastricht
De Schatkamer
Also known as: Schatkamer van de Sint-Servaasbasiliek
The Treasury of the Basilica of Saint Servatius is a museum of religious art and artifacts inside the Basilica of Saint Servatius in Maastricht, Netherlands.[3]
Basilica of Saint Servatius
Also known as: Sint-Servaasbasiliek
11th-century cathedral and holy treasures. The Basilica of Saint Servatius is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Servatius, in the city of Maastricht, the Netherlands. The architecturally hybrid but mainly Romanesque church is situated next to the Gothic church of Saint John, backing onto the town's main square, Vrijthof.[4]
Address: Keizer Karelplein 3, 6211 TC Maastricht
Basilica of Our Lady
Also known as: Basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Tenhemelopneming
Historic Romanesque Catholic church. The Basilica of Our Lady is a Romanesque church in the historic center of Maastricht, Netherlands. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption and is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Roermond. The church is often referred to as the Star of the Sea, after the church's main devotion, Our Lady, Star of the Sea.[5]
Address: Onze Lieve Vrouweplein 9, 6211 HD Maastricht
City Hall
City or town hall in Maastricht, Netherlands. The Stadhuis is the town hall in the centre of Maastricht in the Netherlands. It is sited on the Markt. The building was designed by Pieter Post in the 17th century in the style of Dutch classicism.[6]
Maastricht Natural History Museum
Also known as: Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht
Museum in Maastricht, Netherlands. Maastricht Natural History Museum is a museum of natural history in Maastricht, Netherlands. The museum is located in a former monastery called Grauwzustersklooster in the historic district Jekerkwartier in the centre of Maastricht.
The collection is dedicated to the geology, paleontology, flora and fauna of South Limburg. Highlights from the collection are Cretaceous fossils from Sint-Pietersberg, most notably the skull of a Mosasaur (nicknamed "Bèr") and specimens of Hoffmann's giant turtle, Allopleuron hofmanni and Suyckerbuyk's turtle, Glyptochelone suyckerbuyki. The museum also has a period room with cabinets of curiosities. A remarkable piece from that collection is a rat king from the 19th century.
Behind the museum is a botanical garden, situated on the banks of the small river Jeker.[7]
Address: De Bosquetplein 7, 6211 KJ Maastricht
Vrijthof
Vrijthof is a large urban square in the centre of Maastricht, Netherlands. The square developed from an ancient Roman and Frankish cemetery into a semi-private space that belonged to the Collegiate Church of Saint Servatius. In the 19th century it became the town's main square. It is surrounded by important heritage buildings, museums, a theatre and a range of hotels, restaurants and bars. The square is regularly used for public events.[8]
Mount Saint Peter
Also known as: Sint-Pietersberg
Plateau with castle and monastery ruins. Mount Saint Peter, also referred to as Caestert Plateau, is the northern part of a plateau running north to south between the valleys of the river Geer to the west, and the Meuse to the east. The plateau runs from Maastricht in the Netherlands, through Riemst in Belgian Limburg almost to the city of Liège in Belgium, thus defining the topography of this border area between Flanders, Wallonia and the Netherlands. The name of the hill, as well as the nearby village and church of Sint Pieter and the fortress of Sint Pieter, refers to Saint Peter, one of the Twelve Apostles.[9]
Hoge Brug
Arch bridge in Maastricht, Netherlands. The Hoge Brug is a pedestrian and cycle bridge that spans the Meuse in Maastricht, Netherlands.[10]
Address: De Hoge Brug, 6211 Maastricht
Sint Servaasbrug
Footbridge in Maastricht, Netherlands. Sint Servaasbrug is an arched stone footbridge across the river Meuse in Maastricht, Netherlands. It is named after Saint Servatius, the first bishop of Maastricht, and it has been called the oldest bridge in the Netherlands.[11]
Address: Sint Servaasbrug, 6211 Maastricht
Sint-Lambertuskerk
The Sint-Lambertuskerk is a former church in the city of Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands.
At the time of its completion in 1916, St. Lambert's was the first church in Maastricht outside the Medieval city wall. The location of the church was in the so-called Hoge Fronten, an area that for centuries was used for building fortifications, both above ground and below ground. The latter turned out to be a liability for the building's stability.
The church was designed by Hubert van Groenendael in neo-Romanesque style on a cruciform plan. it was built between 1914 and 1916. The church was named after the Maastricht-born saint Lambert, bishop of Maastricht and Liège in the 7th and 8th century. For 70 years the church was operated as a Roman Catholic parish church.
Soon after its completion in 1916, subsidence cracks developed in the structure. Ten years later, the church was restored and no further damage occurred until 1970. Beginning in 1970, portions of the structure began to sag and new cracks developed. From 1985, the building was no longer used as a church. The parish moved to the nearby St. Ann's Church in the same neighbourhood of Brusselsepoort.
In 2010–2012, the church underwent renovations at a cost of 12 million euros. In 2016–2017, it was converted into a laboratory workspace as well as an events location and a private home.[12]
Address: Kon. Emmaplein 7, 6214 AC Maastricht
MECC Maastricht
Business center in Maastricht, Netherlands. The Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre is a convention centre in Maastricht, Netherlands, located in the city's Randwyck district. It is well-known for hosting the annual European Fine Art Fair, which is considered one of the world's leading art fairs. MECC Maastricht was a shortlisted candidate to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, losing to Rotterdam Ahoy.[13]
Address: Forum 100, 6229 GV Maastricht
Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof
Also known as: Museum aan het Vrijthof
Museum in Maastricht, Netherlands. The Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof is a museum of photography in Maastricht, Netherlands.[14]
Landbouwbelang
Cultural center in Maastricht, Netherlands. Landbouwbelang is an industrial building in Maastricht, Netherlands. It offers working space for artists and social entrepreneurs and functions as a venue for cultural events. It has been squatted since April 2002.
Landbouwbelang is located in the Boschstraatkwartier neighbourhood, on the bank of river Meuse (Dutch: Maas) and next to the production site of a paper manufacturer Sappi.[15]
Address: Maastricht, Biesenwal 3
De Geusselt
Also known as: Geusselt
Stadium in Maastricht, Netherlands. Stadion de Geusselt is a multi-use stadium in Maastricht, Netherlands. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of MVV Maastricht. The stadium is able to hold 10,000 people and was built in 1961.
The pitch is artificial turf.[16]
Address: Geusseltweg 11, 6225 XS Maastricht
Waterpoortje
The Wycker Waterpoort, also called Waterpoortje, formerly also Simon Mertenspoort, Kolenpoort or Batpoort, is an originally medieval water gate in the Dutch city of Maastricht. The gate is located on the Maaskade in the Wyck district, at the place where the little street Waterpoort opens onto the Maas. The gate has been a national monument since 1966.
Torenmolen van Gronsveld
Mill in Maastricht, Netherlands. The Torenmolen van Gronsveld is a tower mill near Gronsveld in the municipally of Maastricht, the Netherlands, which is still in working order. The mill was built in 1623 and is listed as a Rijksmonument, number 28086. It is the most southerly windmill in the Netherlands and the oldest of the province Limburg.[17]
Dinghuis
Monument in Maastricht, Netherlands. The Dinghuis is a building in downtown Maastricht, Netherlands, constructed at the end of the 15th century.
The building was constructed in the gothic style of architecture. The northern façade, built around 1470, is timber-framed, and the main façade, built of Namur stone, has a pediment containing a grand clock face. At the top of the steeply sloped roof is a tower that was once used as a lookout.
The Dinghuis served mainly administrative and judicial functions (a ding/thing being a judicial assembly), and its cellars contained gaols for holding prisoners. In 1713, the Dinghuis also served as a theater. Today, it is home to the town's visitor center.[18]
Fort Sint Pieter
Fort Sint Pieter is a fortress that was established in 1701-02 on the northern flank of Sint-Pietersberg in Maastricht. Until 1867 the fort had a military function as part of the fortifications of Maastricht. Currently, the structure is a national monument and a tourist attraction.
To the southwest of the fort was formerly the Great Entrance to the Northern Corridor System, to the southeast the Preacher's Hole, and to the northwest the Ancienne Brasserie quarry.
Address: Luikerweg 71, 6212 NH Maastricht