As the oldest city of the Netherlands, Maastricht was built by the Romans and stands out with its rich history, beautiful appearance and international atmosphere. The city is located in the south of the Netherlands, at the boarder of Germany and Belgium. Around a quarter of the population of Maastricht are students, from which more than half is international.
I lived in Maastricht for three years while doing my Bachelor’s degree, so it is needless to say that the city has a very big part in my heart. It has lots of things to do, but is still small enough to walk or cycle everywhere comfortably, and the people are super friendly and open.
If you are planning a visit to this beautiful city, and would like to know what places to visit in Maastricht, then look no further and let me tell you!
1. Visit the Market Square
The market square is home to the town hall of Maastricht, which is nice to look at with its beautiful façade. Every half and full hour the bells of the town hall play a little carillon before announcing the time.
The Market is surrounded by nice restaurants and cafes, and there are also some permanent food stands. They sell churros, fish, poffertjes (Dutch mini pancakes) and Vietnamese street food, among other things.
Every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there is a bigger market on the square. Strolling around the market, is one of my favorite things to do in Maastricht. Depending on the day of the week you will visit, you can buy for example vegetables, bread, street food, cloth or antiquities on the market.
2. Stroll through the city center
The best way to discover the city center of Maastricht is by wandering around for a while. Maastricht has some cute hidden alleys with beautiful small Dutch houses.
This is also a nice way to discover some small restaurants and cafés off the beaten track, which Maastricht has plenty of. You will also stumble upon the remnants of the old city wall, which still look quite impressive and picturesque today.
3. Go (second hand) shopping
If you like shopping, then Maastricht is the city for you. Apart from the main shopping street, which has really all the big brands that one could wish for, Maastricht also has a lot of small shops with character to offer. For example, the Rechtstraat in Wyck is home to many cute boutiques.
But I especially love the second-hand stores in Maastricht, which offer unique clothes and are more ethical and sustainable than the big chains. I like Vintage Island (Platielstraat 1A) and We-ar Vintage & Design (Achter Het Vleeshuis 33 & Rechtstraat 52). But my absolute favorite second-hand shop in Maastricht is Dotnsquare (Heggenstraat 5). They have such cute clothes, as well as jewelry and other products produced by local artists.
4. Walk over Sint Servaasbrug
The Sint Servaas Bridge is the oldest bridge in Maastricht and was built in the 13th century, replacing the wooden bridge that was built by the Romans in the first half of the first century AD.
For a long time, the arched stone bridge was the only bridge that connected the two sides of the river Maas with each other. Even though that is no longer the case today, the Sint Servaasbrug remains the most impressive and picturesque bridge of Maastricht. It is possible to walk or cycle over it.
5. Wander around Wyck
Once you crossed the Sint Servaasbrug from the city center to the other side of the river, you will find yourself in beautiful Wyck.
This is the part of the city where I used to live. For me it is my favorite part of the Maastricht, because it is much smaller and quirky than the city center, but there is equally much going on.
You can find many boutiques, restaurants and cafes, for example in the Rechtstraat, or on the Wycker Brugstraat, leading to the station.
6. Visit the Dominicanen Bookstore
This is one of the, if not the coolest bookstore I have ever been to. The Dominicanen bookstore is located in a former church in the shopping streets of Maastricht. Before it was converted to a bookstore, the building was housing among other things a bicycle shed and a reptile house.
In 2006, the bookstore moved into the church building, and there is also a coffee bar and a podium for lectures. Most of their books are in Dutch, but you can also find an English section in the first floor.
But even if you are not as much into books, this place is definitely worth a visit. It also appeared on many Top-bookstore lists around the world and is therefore definitely one of the Must-sees in Maastricht.
7. Look at the art in the Bonnefanten Museum
The Bonnefanten museum is the museum of fine arts of Maastricht. Its combination of older artworks with contemporary art gives it its special character.
The department of old masters can be found on the first floor, as well as their collection of Medieval sculptures. The collection of contemporary art is usually portrayed on the second floor.
Another special thing is the quite distinct shape of the museum, which reminds of a rocket. It was designed by Italian architect Aldo Rossi, and is one of the most prominent modern buildings of Maastricht.
8. Visit the Natural History Museum
The natural history museum of Maastricht offers you all that there is to know about the landscape and wildlife of Limburg today as well as in prehistoric times. They have both permanent and temporary exhibitions, and they also run workshops and organize other activities.
You can also see the skeleton of a Mosasaur, a real Maastricht dinosaur that was excavated right in the city, under the Sint Pietersberg, and is more than 66 million years old.
9. Relax at the Stadspark
The Stadspark is the city park of Maastricht, and it is located at the edge of the city center. Here you can relax in the grass, under a tree or by the lake.
175 years old, this park is one of the oldest in the Netherlands and it was divided into sub-parks in the 19th and 20th century. An important part of the park is also the fortification of Maastricht.
In the Henri-Hermanspark sub-park you can see deer, as well as an aviary. In the Aldenhofpark you can find different statues, among them a bronze statue of d’Artagnan. The city park is also ideal for nature lovers because of its many indigenous trees and bird species.
10. Visit the Basilica of our Lady
The Basilica of our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek) is a church situated in the historic center of Maastricht, at the Onze-Lieve-Vroweplein (Square of our Lady).
The church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, and is also referred to as the Star of the Sea. It is assumed that the church is built at the place that was once occupied by a Roman temple. The church holds some valuable religious artefacts, such as embroidered copes, chasubles and procession banners.
11. Take a look at the Vrijthof
The Vrijthof square regularly hosts important events such as concerts, festivals, street performers, etc. At the Vrijthof you can also find the impressive Basilica of Saint Servatius and numerous nice cafes and food stalls.
From here you have many possibilities to discover the city. It leads to the Grote Straat, which is home to many shops, or also to the Platielstraat, where you can find many bars and restaurants.
12. Visit Landbouwbelang
Landbouwbelang, or LBB, is a cultural freezone, also called the cultural heart of the city, and one of my favorite places in Maastricht.
Originally constructed for processing and storing cereals, the building was squatted in 2002. Today is offers working spaces for artists, and social entrepreneurs, and functions as a venue for cultural events which are accessible at a very low price.
It is definitely a nice place to check out, and there is always something going on. They offer art exhibitions, concerts, vegan cooking nights, a flea market, etc. There are two clubs in the building where they play mostly techno, but also other types of music, depending on the event.
Unfortunately, right now there are talks of tearing down the building to build luxury apartments. Hopefully this will not happen as LBB is definitely an important part of Maastricht.
13. Eat amazing food
Good news for all the foodies: Maastricht offers tons of amazing food options! You will find both local and international restaurants, cafes and street food at every corner of the city.
One of my favorite breakfast places in Maastricht is Preps (Mariastraat 6A). They offer pancakes, sandwiches or bowls, and tons of vegan options.
At Friet Elite (Achter Het Vleeshuis 7) they have amazing fries with nice toppings and sauces, and what would be a trip to the Netherlands without fries? Levantini (Boschstraat 85) is a nice Hummus place, where they sell pitas and bowls. And the best thing is that all of their options are vegetarian! Sweet Coffee (Kesselkade 65) is a nice place for coffee and some delicious cakes.
For dinner, Dadawan (Spoorweglaan 1 & Kesselkade 39-40) is a very tasty and affordable option. They are an Asian fusion restaurant where they sell one of the best poke bowls I have ever eaten. Then for Mexican food there is Babs Burrito (Stationsstraat 19 & Helmstraat 10) and With Love Burrito (Markt 4), which are both too amazing to decide which one is better.
Also check out my post on the best places to eat in Maastricht for more recommendations!
14. Take a hike at Sint Pietersberg
The Sint Pieterberg is a hill located just outside the city of Maastricht. It can easily be reached from the city center by foot, bus or bike. The plateau runs through Riemst in Belgium, almost to the city of Liège in Belgium, making it possible to go for extended hikes on the plateau.
The Sint Pieterberg offers an exceptional landscape with a great botanical variety, mostly due to its limestone soil. The limestone and flint that is present at Sint Pietersberg has been mined extensively in the past. This resulted in quarries still visible today, and an extended network of underground mining tunnels (Kazematten).
The old ENCI quarry with the abandoned factory is a quite interesting place to visit. It is slowly being taken back by nature, and now looks like something not quite from this world. Additionally, the Fort Sint Pieter is a nice place to visit as well. You can enjoy a stunning view over Maastricht from up there, and also take a guided tour through the fortification.
15. Visit the underground mining tunnels
The underground mining tunnels that are still intact under the Sint Pieterberg from the old times when limestone was still mined here can actually still be visited with a guided tour!
The tunnels were created between 1575 and 1825, and in the 18th century they were then converted to a military structure. The tunnels include bombproof areas, powder rooms and impressive stairways and walkways.
The tours through the underground tunnels are offered every day, both in English and in Dutch. This is actually the one thing of this list that I have not done myself yet, mostly because I am a bit scared of the closed spaces. But it is definitely still on my bucket list because it is one of the things you have to do in Maastricht!
16. Watch an Independent Movie at Lumière
Lumière is a beautiful cinema with a great selection of independent movies and foreign movies in original language.
The building is already quite impressive: The cinema is located in a refurbished factory building with a modern charm. They also have a bar and restaurant, and on sunny days you can sit outside with a nice view on the water of the Maastricht Bassin.
The price for a movie ticket is quite affordable here compared to the bigger cinema chains. 10€ for a regular movie ticket, students only pay 6.50€.
17. Have a Beer
Maastricht truly has some amazing beer to offer. The city’s own brewery Stadsbrowerij de Maastrichter Malteser (Oeverwal 12) has a terrace by the river where you can try their beer while optionally also having a bite. They also offer tours through their brewery with a beer tasting included.
The Loft (Ezelmarkt 15) also offers a big selection of craft beer, while also being one of the top addresses in Maastricht for going out in the evening. At De Gouverneur (Boschstraat, 105A), next to the Market square, you can choose between more than 300 Belgian craft beers.
So if you are looking for a good beer in Maastricht, you will definitely not be disappointed!
Botel Maastricht
Since I had my own room in Maastricht, I did not try many hotels in Maastricht. However, I did stay at the Botel in Maastricht once, simply because it is so cool.
It is a houseboat on the river Maas that has been converted into a hotel. It is also one of the cheapest options in Maastricht, and while it is not the most luxurious of all hotels, nothing beats the view over the river you have from your window when you wake up in the morning.
You can choose between different options of rooms depending on your budget; some have a shared bathroom and some have their own.