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The city of Maastricht is the second oldest city in the Netherlands, behind Nijmegen. It is the capital and largest city in the province of Limburg and the second cultural city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. Maastricht is located on both sides of the Maas (Frans: Meuse) River and is the most southern city in the Netherlands, snug between the countries of Belgium on the west and Germany on the east. You can easily cycle to Belgium or to Germany. The city has a large international student population and because it is close with neighboring countries, it has a distinctive international feel.
Maastricht is known for many historic world events Most recently was the signing of the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992 that led to the creation of the European Union (EU) and the Euro. The Euro is a common currency used in 20 of the 27 European states that are members of the EU. The EU is a unified organization with authority over member’s political, economic, and social policies. Its mission is to ensure peace, encourage free trade, and formulate policies that benefit all of its members.
Over the many centuries, the city was at the center of trade and strife, because of its strategic location on an important river, the Maas. The Celts lived here around 500 BC and built the first permanent settlement. The Romans occupied the area from around 50 BC to 400 AD and built the first bridge over the Maas. During the Middle Ages, it was an important trade and religious hub. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was primarily a garrison town. Considered the oldest industrial city in the Netherlands, a vibrant industrial economy flourished in the 19th century. Thousands of people worked in large ceramics and glass-blowing factories. Today, it’s a magnet for tourists because of its shopping, choice of fine restaurants, selection of quaint cafes, multi-cultural entertainment, recreation and it’s wealth of architectural styles: Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque and Renaissance.
The Dutch fought numerous wars with its Western European neighbors in the Middle Ages and thereafter. Most were about trade, independence, family feuds and vanity. One such vanity war was started by France’s Louis XIV, who cultivated his image as the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), the center of the universe “without equal” (stellar PR). After the Spanish were defeated by the Dutch in their fight for independence from Spain, Louis, thinking the Dutch Republic was tired of war, saw an opportunity to expand his empire by invading the Dutch provinces, hence The Franco-Dutch War (1672 – 1678).
Founded in 1622 by Louis XIV ‘s predecessor, Louis XIII, the Musketeers were an elite military unit. They were the Royal French Guard for the king when he was outside of the royal residences. The regiment participated in several important battles during the Franco-Dutch War. The Musketeers, who were skilled in swordsmanship and firearms, fought in battles both on foot and on horseback. Their firearms were muskets, thus the name Musketeers.
On June 25, 1673, during a bloody battle between French and Dutch troops near the Tongeren Gate in Maastricht, the legendary French Musketeer Captain, d’Artagnan, died from a musket’s bullet. It is believed that his remains were buried in a church in the nearby village of Wolder, now a neighborhood of Maastricht. A bronze statue was unveiled in 1977 on the very spot where the legendary musketeer was killed.
D’Artagnan’s full name was Charles Debatz-Castelmore. He was born in 1611 in the little village of Lupiac in Southwest France. He used his mother’s family name, d’Artagnan, as his nom de guerre. d’Artagnan became widely known through the author Alexandre Dumas, who wrote about the fictional adventures of the Three Musketeers. In the novel, D’Artagnan was the fourth Musketeer. The Three Musketeers characters in the book, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, were also based on real people.
Besides seeing the statue of d’Artagnan, Maastricht has numerous historic sites to visit, including kilometers (miles) of secret passages buried under the city. The Maastricht Underground network is accessible from the imposing Fort Sint Pieter. Fort Sint Pieter is a pentagonal built fortress with twelve gun emplacements that was built in 1701-02 on the northern border of Maastricht to defend against the French. Until 1867, the fort had a military function. The stronghold was built on top of a network of underground passageways dug into limestone.
Originally dug in the 13th century to mine for chalk, the limestone mine shafts were later repurposed to defend Maastricht during times of siege. Between 1575 and 1825, the limestone quarries were extended to form a network of underground corridors on the western side of Maastricht. In total, a network of 20,000 tunnels were cut into the limestone, of which 8,000 are still intact, many of them more than 7.5 meters (25 feet) high. These tunnels were used to approach and surprise the enemy from under the ground. During WWII the Nazis never cracked the secrets of the tunnels that were used as a public air-raid shelter and for hiding valuable art.
Photo: Courtesy Rijksmuseum
At the beginning of WWII, in September 1939, Rembrandt’s most famous painting the “Night Watch,” along with 30,000 other artworks, was evacuated from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, as a precaution. It was first transported by truck to Radboud Castle in Medemblik in North Holland. Three days after Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, the fighting was getting too close and the painting was moved to hidden bunkers in the dunes near the coast. Still in its frame, The Night Watch painting could not fit the entrance of the bunker, so the painting was taken off its stretcher and rolled onto a cylinder. In March 1942, it was moved to a specially built vault in one of St. Pietersberg’s caves in Maastricht, where it was hidden from the Nazis for three years. It returned to the Rijksmuseum in July 1945.
The labyrinth of subterranean passageways, along with the WWII art vaults, can only be seen with a guide. Going without a guide is illegal because touring the maze of tunnels alone or with friends can only get you lost. And without a cellphone connection, unaccompanied amateur explorers may not survive. It’s happened. There are two cave (grotten) tours, Grotten Zonneberg and Grotten Noord.
Above ground, on Vrijthof square in the center of town, stands the oldest church in the Netherlands, Sint Servaasbasiliek (Basilica of St. Servatius). There’s been a church on this site for more than 1,400 years. St. Servatius was built in several stages over a period of more than 100 years. It was officially consecrated in 1039 to much fanfare. It’s believed the present-day church is the fourth church that was built on the site of the grave of Saint Servatius, an Armenian missionary who was the first bishop of Tongeren, Belgium, and Maastricht.
Saint Servatius was the first Bishop in the Netherlands. He died in Maastricht around 384. According to legend, Servatius was a cousin of John The Baptist, making him a distant relative of Jesus. He came from The Kingdom of Armenia, which existed from 190 BC. to 428 AD. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as the state religion in 301 and the oldest cathedral in the world, built at the same time, is in Etsjmiadzin, Armenia. For centuries Servatius has been the patron saint of Maastricht. He is also recognized today as the patron saint of those who suffer with foot or leg ailments. That’s understandable, since he walked from Armenia to Maastricht.
Across Vagevuur Straat (Purgatory Street) from St. Servatius Church is Sint-Janskerk (Saint John Church) founded around 1200. The church was built to relieve the throngs of believers and pilgrims worshipping at St. Servatius. The main characteristic of Saint John is the 79-meter (259 foot) high, red-painted tower that was built in the 15th century with marlstone, a carbonate-rich mud that contains various amounts of clay and silt. Because marl is somewhat soft and porous and in order to protect it against extreme weather, a layer of red paint was applied. Red pigment was commonly used in the Middle Ages, since red was the first color developed for painting and dying. The color red also held a religious and non-religious significance. It has been associated with the fires of Hell, as well as with blood, war, wealth, and power. It’s worthwhile to climb the 218 steps to the top of the tower for an overview of the city.
Other notable churches have been repurposed. The 13th century Dominicanenkerk (Dominican Church) is now home to Boekhandel Dominicanen bookstore, opened in 2006. In the 16th and 17th centuries, many monasteries in the Netherlands were closed as a result of the Reformation and the occupying French atheists. After 1805, the church was used as a warehouse, printing house and as an event and exhibition space. In 2008, the Guardian newspaper of Britain considered it “the most beautiful bookstore in the world.” In 2018, it was the most visited church in the Netherlands with 750,000 book worshippers. It also functions as a coffee shop, offering coffee, pastries, and tea. No high tea.
and Restaurant
Modern architecture enhanced the 15th century Crosier Monastery, and the monastic Crosier Friars have been replaced by sociable hotel guests. The well-preserved monastery is now a five-star hotel, the Kruisherenhotel. Where Crutched Friars would spend their days studying, copying, and binding books, hotel guests now enjoy cocktails and fine dining. The Crosier Monastery is one of only a few Dutch Gothic monasteries to have survived over the centuries. For a while, it was a munitions storehouse and barracks. In 2000, this historic house of worship was transformed into a beautifully designed five-star hotel.
To go with a meal at Kruisherenhotel or at the many restaurants in town is a glass of wine from one of the Netherlands’, oldest and largest vineyards located near Maastricht. At the border of Belgium is Jeker Valley, a region that has approximately 75 registered wineries, both big and small. They produce five different varieties of white and red wine. The ancient Romans and farmers in the Middle Ages produced wine in the area, but grapes died on the vine until centuries later when the first grapevines were replanted in 1970.
Coffee Bar and Museum
Maastricht has several museums. The newest and one of the most interesting is the Maastricht Museum housed in the contemporary Centre Céramique that also contains a library, music school and coffee bar. The Maastricht Museum exhibits artifacts that’s a timeline of the city’s history. The timeline begins about 7,000 years ago, with the first permanent inhabitants of Maastricht. The exhibit moves through the Roman Era, the Middle Ages, through the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries to the 19th century when it became the first factory city of the Netherlands.
The pottery and porcelain pioneer was Petrus Regout, who in 1836 founded a modern, mechanized earthenware factory, which from 1899 went under the name of Sphinx. It grew into the most important porcelain and pottery manufacturer in the Netherlands. In 1960, thanks to a royal decree, the name was changed into Royal Sphinx, which became internationally known. The 120-meter-long (390 feet) Sphinxpassage in Maastricht’s Sphinx quarter displays nearly 30,000 Sphinx tiles depicting family portraits, factory buildings, tableware patterns, advertising material, and toilet bowls, all of which played a role in the ceramics industry.
Maastricht has a lot to offer visitors who enjoy stepping back in time and appreciate the various architectural styles of the city: Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, and Renaissance. De Helpoort (Hell’s Gate), built in 1229, was part of the city’s original wall and Maastricht’s only remaining city gate from the Middle Ages and the Netherlands’ oldest city gate. The Renaissance style Hell’s Gate is a gateway to strolling the narrow cobblestone streets surrounded by historical buildings that are now occupied by quaint gift shops, cafes, jewelry stores, and stylish boutiques.
Jim And Nanci Travels 