This was our second time visiting one of the oldest towns in the Netherlands. The first was more than ten years ago, and we could not really remember how beautiful it was.
This time we booked a hotel in the city center, opposite to the old center, and near enough to be able to walk everywhere. We had a magnificent view from our hotel room.
The neighborhood we stayed in called the Wyck is one of the oldest parts of Maastricht. Wyck belongs to the center, there are numerous galleries, antique shops, designer boutiques, hotels, cafes, and restaurants, especially in Stationsstraat. Wyck has many monumental buildings, many of which have the status of national monuments.
If you are looking for good restaurants then you will easily succeed here. Friday evening we went to a Sardinian restaurant just next to our hotel. Quattro Mori is a good choice if you are up to delicious pasta or fresh fish. Saturday we choose a different place, Eetcafe Ceramique where I had a delicious piece of very juicy lam.
Heading to the other side
Going over the High Bridge
Shopping
If you are interested in shopping then you have a lot of opportunities in Maastricht. From handcrafted accessories to designer clothes you can find here everything.
We were heading to the famous bookstore, The Dominicanenkerk, which is a Gothic church building in the center of the Dutch city of Maastricht, located on the Dominikanerkerkplein, near the Vrijthof. The church was built in the 13th century as a monastery church in the order of the preachers or Dominicans. At the end of the 18th century, the monastery was closed and the church fulfilled various functions. A bookshop has been established there since 2007. The Dominican Church is a national monument. The interior includes a 14th-century fresco depicting the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
After the bookstore, our guide took us to the Vrijthof. It is the largest square in the center of the Limburg capital. The square is best known for its many monuments – including a ‘church twins’, St. Servatius and St. John, which are unique in the Netherlands.
City park
After the city center, we were aiming for some change and strolled to the park.
The current City Park consists of several sub-parks, which are all different in atmosphere and function. The Pater Vincktoren, formerly also known as the tower behind the Feilzusters, is originally a 14th-century wall tower. The tower was part of the second medieval city wall and is located in the Faliezusterspark, part of City Park.
Medieval City Wall
The Heliport, formerly also known as Jekerpoort, Hoogbruggepoort, Alde Poort op den Ancker, Kruittorenpoort, or De Twee Torens, [1] is a former city gate in the Dutch city of Maastricht. The gate is part of the first medieval city wall of Maastricht and is located in the Jekerkwartier at the southern end of the Sint Bernardusstraat, opposite the Pesthuys. The gate dates from the second quarter of the 13th century, making it the oldest surviving city gate in the Netherlands.
Herb garden on the wall
Some parts of the City Wall are landscaped as an herb garden and free to visit.
Lang Grachtje…
Onze lieve Vrouwenkerk
The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek is a national monument and belongs to the Top 100 list of the National Agency for the Preservation of Monuments, drawn up in 1990 by the Heritage Conservation. The Basilica of Our Lady is best known for its imposing west building, the richly carved capitals in the ambulatory, and the chapel with the statue of the Star of the Sea. The church and chapel are open daily and freely accessible; the cloister and the treasury after payment.
