Maastrichtenaars have a saying that ‘life is good in Maastricht’– and the small city, in the region of Limburg in the south east of the Netherlands, has a laid-back, unrushed vibe that suggests this is true. At Maastricht’s heart flows the river Maas (also known as the Meuse in French), a wide expanse of water that eventually drains into the North Sea. The river brought the Romans, merchants and prosperity, and enabled a major ceramics industry to develop in the 19th and 20th centuries.
In more recent memory, the city hosted the signing of the Maastricht Treaty and the birth of the Euro, and, since 1988, it’s been home to Europe’s premier antiques fair, TEFAF: a temple to the finest art and antiques.
A vibrant university city, Maastricht is compact and easy to walk around. To the east of the river Maas is the railway station and the trendy Wyck area, where boutiques and bars vie for attention. Walking west, across the 13th-century Saint Servatius Bridge, is Binnenstad, which leads along winding cobbled streets to the city’s two main squares.
The Vrijthof is the grandest, and the location of Saint Servatius Basilica and its dazzling Treasury filled with gold, silver, textiles and spooky relics. This expansive square, lined with cafes, also hosts local legend and star violinist, André Rieu’s, annual outdoor concerts in July. Just a five-minute walk away is the more down-to-earth Markt Square, where bustling markets are held every Wednesday and Friday.
What to see
To get a handle on the city’s cultural credentials, a trip to the riverside Bonnefanten art gallery on Avenue Ceramique, is essential, especially as it’s housed in a glorious building designed in the 1990s by the Italian architect Aldo Rossi. He regarded it as a ‘viewing factory’, and the experience begins with the incredible treppenstraße or monumental flight of stairs that rise up to the exhibition rooms.
The Bonnefanten – named after its former convent location – has a collection that spans medieval sculpture to Old Masters, Maastricht silver and modern art. Its focus is on the ‘secret canon’ – works by influential artists that are not always found in mainstream venues. Pieces by Grayson Perry grace the entrance – the epic Walthamstow Tapestry and his wooden ship, Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman. There’s also a conservation studio open to the public. Half a day here would be well spent, with a cafe to refuel at and a stylish shop offering everything from quirky cards and art books to handmade pottery and jewellery. bonnefanten.nl
Pottering around the city centre’s cobbled streets is a pleasure in itself, and on route are several small art galleries. One of them is Marres, House for Contemporary Culture, on Capucijenstraat, situated in a 1680 merchant’s house that once belonged to the Marres brewing family. Every two years, the gallery holds the Limburg Biënnale – an art show for amateurs and professionals – and has a series of temporary exhibitions in between. Whatever’s on, running a hand along the original banisters of the old house and hearing the 17th-century oak floorboards creak underfoot is an experience not to be missed. You can muse on this in the Marres Kitchen, the gallery’s popular cafe, which serves Middle Eastern dishes as well as strong Dutch coffee. marres.org
Another pretty spot is Galerie MOA on Grote Looiersstraat, in the Jekerkwartier neighbourhood, which is bounded by the small and snake-like river Jeker. Inside the 1804 palazzo-style house, the owner, Barend Fisser, shows his own sculptures alongside works by a small group of artists and photographers. While pottering around, it’s fun to imagine living in this lovely old house with its courtyard, stables (Barend’s sculpture studio) and original 19th-century ‘ice glass’ windows. galeriemoa.nl
The Sphinx Passage on Boschstraat commemorates more of the city’s history in a 120-metre-long tile tableau that tells the long story of the Sphinx ceramic factory, located on this very spot between 1836 and 2006. The exhibition displays antique and vintage Sphinx tableware inside glass cases and, if you become a fan, there’s a small selling fair called the Maastrichtse Keramiek & Glasverkoop every December, held at the former Sphinx showroom, now Bureau Europa, a platform for architecture and design. visitmaastricht.com
Where to shop
Maastricht’s cobbled streets have all those characterful shops we expect in a cosy European city – boulangeries and chocolatiers, fashion boutiques and homeware stores – and the squares are lined with bars and cafes selling drinks and slices of vlaai (fruit and custard tarts) and poffertjes (pocket pancakes).
For an antiques fix, head to House of Tudor on Bredestraat to find affordable Dutch, French, Belgian and English antiques and vintage pieces, including Sphinx ceramics such as teapots, coffee pots and plates. Also browse the small-scale furniture, Champagne coupes, cutlery, photo frames, vases and matryoshka dolls from Russia. Open Thursday to Saturday, from 11am. house-of-tudor.nl
If antiques are your passion, time your visit with TEFAF, held in March at the MECC expo centre (9th–14th March, 2024). This year, there will be 270 top European dealers in attendance, including around 60 from the UK, presenting art, artefacts and antiques representing 7,000 years of cultural history. Regarded as one of the best antiques fairs in the world, TEFAF is where curators and museum patrons come to augment national collections, joined by high-flying collectors and a smattering of royalty. Pockets are deep and prices begin at €1,000–€2,000, going above €2m.
The show is unashamedly upmarket: festooned with flowers, it has a pop-up Michelin-starred restaurant and a Champagne bar, plus a daily programme of erudite talks to enjoy. The specially produced TEFAF city guide highlights events happening outside the fair, from classical concerts to shopping evenings. tefaf.com
Mooching around Boekhandel Dominicanen, an indie bookstore on Dominicanerkerkstraat, is a must for bookworms. The shop is housed inside an immense 13th-century Gothic church, decorated with medieval and Baroque frescoes. When you’ve finished admiring these, explore the three-storey book display, which carries books in Dutch, French, English (on the balcony) and other languages. There’s a great children’s section, plus a rainbow of Leuchtturm notebooks, greetings cards and bookish knick-knacks on the ground floor. Oh, and a cafe, for contemplating the good life. libris.nl
Where to stay
There are some lovely hotels in and around Maastricht, including those of the family-run Oostwegel Collection, whose focus is on historic properties. The most central of these is the 5-star Kruisherenhotel, a former 15th-century monastery and church, a few minutes’ walk away from the Vrijthof main square.
A taxi-ride away is 17th-century Château Neercanne, which has a terrace overlooking the countryside and its own marl caves used for parties and storing wine. Neercanne offers a handful of upmarket suites and a Michelin-starred restaurant that offers a Menu Prestige tasting feast, comprising ingredients such as razor clam, turbot and partridge; book at the hotel’s L’Auberge for a more informal meal. www.oostwegelcollection.nl
A 20-minute drive away from the city centre is Château St Gerlach on the edge of the Ingendael nature reserve. This spacious, quiet hotel has a spa and large gardens to explore, plus bikes to borrow. oostwegelcollection.nl
Small hotels abound in the centre of Maastricht, such as the 4-star Hotel Beaumont on Lage Barakken in Wyck, which offers excellent food at Harry’s Brasserie and drinks at Founders Bar. beaumontmaastricht.com
On Capucijnengang, in a backwater close to the Marres gallery, is Cousins Boutique Hotel. This hip spot has seven bedrooms, all with superking beds and bookable on a B&B basis. cousinsboutiquehotel.com
And right on the Vrijthof itself, overlooking the Saint Servatius Basilica, is Maison Haas Hustinx, which offers a choice of rooms, suites and apartments, as well as the Sanctum Spa in the basement. haashustinx.nl
Where to eat
Going out for good food is a Maastricht pastime, and the city is proud of its six Michelin-starred restaurants (there are 15 in Limburg as a whole, making it a gourmet hotspot). They all offer tasting menus alongside à la carte choices, complemented by wine pairing menus. Au Coin des Bons Enfants on Ezelmarkt, for example, is a cosy, candlelit, linen tablecloths affair that serves succulent dishes such as lobster cooked in buttermilk, and beef tenderloin with pomme fondant. Factor in a whole evening here to savour the flavours. aucoin.nl
More good menus (but not Michelin-starred) are to be found at Mes Amis Wijnrestaurant on Tongersestraat, which specialises in wines from the Limburg region paired with food. These wines are surprisingly good, and the owner has a shop next door where you can buy a bottle. mesamis.nl
Middle Eastern flavours are popular in Maastricht, and on Vrijthof you can visit Safar (at Maison Haas Hustinx hotel) for a mezze of fattoush salad, tomato on labneh, and cauliflower with tahini yoghurt, finished off with the best madeleines you’re ever likely to taste. safarmaastricht.nl
Find out more about the city of Maastricht at visitmaastricht.com