“I’m afraid that I will have to disappoint all of you” said Giles at the Maastricht underground after he introduced himself. “I am not going to show you things that you paid for”
It’s not everyday that you get a chance to enter into an underground tunnel system which was developed as a shelter for citizens if the city is under attack. Also it’s not everyday you get the opportunity to meet father Santa Claus and get a glimpse of his bedroom in an wooden chalet. So if you come across a place where you can experience both within a span of less than 2 kilometers of walking, where you can get to cross a pretty scenic bridge over a wide river in day and in night, you come across probably the best Christmas light decoration of the country, would you fancy a day trip to this magical town? Just in case you are curious, if you manage to have some more time, you can hike up to a fort on top of a hill and even can visit Hell’s gate.
Welcome to Maastricht, a city in the very southern end of the Netherlands by the river Meuse. In its cobbled old town, gothic style buildings, innumerable shopping and food choices and all the above interesting sights, the city, although very far from the capital of the country, is very vibrant in its own and has something for every travellers.
It was less than a week when I arrived at Holland (It was mid July and I didn’t know that Holland could be so hot) for a long term assignment. One of my friend said that if you want to experience snow in Netherlands then Maastricht will not disappoint you. That’s when I started researching and found that it has a beautiful (perosnally my favourite in the country) Christmas market with a touch of historical sights. Unfortunately, it did not snow in winter 2019 in the Netherlands. Plus Maastricht was sooo far from the town of Beverwijk (where I stayed). Still after my visit in the boxing day of 2019, I would vote Maastricht as my best day trip in the Netherlands in Winter.
In this article, I am going to share my experience about the beautiful city of Maastricht, the capital of the Limburg region. Here, You will find how to reach here, when to visit, what to explore, some useful insider (read money saving) tips. If you are familiar with my writing style, you know I always provide an one pager downloadable and printable ready to use Infographic. Download it and you will never miss the highlights. Save it offline in your smartphone and refer it while you are in Maastricht or maybe while you are just planning your itinerary.
Masstricht is a very unique city but if you are a tourist in the Netherlands with very limited time then I would not recommend visiting here as it takes almost half day just for traveling here and going out (Please check my How to Reach section). If you are not in a rush, then probably staying overnight makes more sense. However, if you are already in the Netherlands or Belgium, consider visiting Maastricht during the Christmas season. Read on to know why Maastricht stands out from the rest of Holland…
Maastricht: Reasons To Visit
I had a wrong impression that every city in the North America or Europe remains covered in thick carpet of snow in the Winter. Netherlands is not one of them. One of my Dutch friend said that being a coastal area, the snow more often gets converted into heavy and continuous rain in the Winter. As you go south, chance of snowfall and snow covered in the ground is more. She also mentioned that Maastricht is magical in Winter with all its lights and the Christmas vibes. So, at first, I decided to check on Maastricht as an European Christmas market but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Keep reading to find what all Maastricht has in its bucket for you.
Walking The Town
The first thing we noticed after coming out of the train after a very long journey is that it’s cold. No, there was no snow but the weather is pretty cold in the Limburg region compared to North Holland. We pre booked some Maastricht underground tour but still had 2 hours to explore the city so we took the below route. Yes, you need to sacrifice a sip in the coffee or grab a Vlaai but it’s doable at normal walking pace. But if you plan to cover all the spots (including Christmas Market) as well as want to indulge in food and shopping, you need at least a night in the Maastricht.
The scenery from the bridge above the Meuse river is a bliss to the eye. Both at noon as well as in the evening, it looked fabulous. I have not visited Heidelberg in Germany but the arch bridge and historical buildings in the backdrop reminded me of the photos of the German University town.
We spent sometime on top the bridge. There was almost no crowd. Our final destination was the Fort St. Pieter and from train station, it’s easy to catch a bus and reach there directly. However, if you don’t walk, you will miss a lot of scenery that Maastricht has to offer you.
Hell's Gate/HelPoort
Probably, in your literature class, you were asked to write an autobiography of a road, or a tree or perhaps of a river. Well, Hell’s gate is a perfect candidate for such a literature piece. In it’s golden past, it was the City wall of Maastricht. About 300 years later, when the second wall was built, it was no longer needed as an entrance past and it lost its glory and purpose completely. Then the tower of this gate was used as a mini prison hence the name Hell’s Gate. Nowadays, it exhibits a museum dedicated to the history of Maastricht fortification.
Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia
We watched this landmark from outside because it’s only open from Easter till the end of Autumn from 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM. If it’s open then you can reach the top of the tower for an eagle’s eye view of the city. There is no entrance fee as such but you can contribute something voluntarily. However, this sight is not wheelchair-friendly.
Boekhandel Dominicanen
History has witnessed many conflicts between Religion and Education. But in the heart of Maastricht, where Historical heritage meets Modern outlook, you can find a massive bookstore (Holding more than 55000 copies) within a Catholic church. Welcome to Boekhandel Dominicanen (In English Dominician Book-Store), the first ever Gothic church on the Dutch soil, transformed into an unique bookstore for international tourists 750 years after its inception.
Photo Courtesy: TripsAndBooks
As you can already understand, this place is not a tourist spot as such and definitely not recommended if you are in hurry. However, if the intro brings interest to you, Sophie Nadeau has written a fantastic article on this bookstore here which I definitely recommend you to read.
Sint Servaas Basilica
While the Dominican church was the first Gothic, Sint Servaasbasiliek (Basilica of St. Servatius) is the oldest Church in the entire Netherlands. Rewarded as one of has one of the the UNESCO list of world heritage sites, Sint Servaasbasiliek has the most magnificent treasure rooms in Europe where Maastricht keeps her greatest treasures.
Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia
Built on the site of the grave of Saint Servatius over thousand years ago, the Basilica of St. Servatius is a very important religious center to date and from inside, it houses many priceless religious items. In the treasury, you can find the shrine and bust of Saint Servatius, as well as his key, cup, crozier, and more. Also, there is a collection of medieval ivories and textiles.
Basilica and chapel are open 7 days a week. Please pay a visit only if you have at least an hour because there are so many things to see inside. The entrance fee was about 4EURO but if you have time, the reward is much much more. Generally, it’s open daily from 10 AM-5 PM (Except Sunday, it opens at 12:30 PM) but for the latest entry timing, restrictions, events, and highlights, please check out their official website here.
Historical Sights of Maastricht
Although Google Map marks one specific point as the Old City Wall, As we were strolling around Maastricht, We stumbled upon its old Medieval city walls at many places. It’s such a Dutch town where you can see traces of the Middle Ages here and there. And situated at the bank of the Maas river, it was damn cold on a December afternoon. We had a 14:15 marked timed ticket for a Maastricht underground tour and slowly started walking towards our final stop, St. Fort Pieter.
The walk towards St. Pieter Fort is uphill and if you plan to cover Maastricht by walking only (Like we did), expect a roundtrip of about 8KM of walking with 2KM of uphill ascend. If you are uncomfortable in walking this long, you can catch Bus #3 just outside the train station and get down at Bieslanderweg which is about 27 minutes of journey. From there you need to walk a little more than 1KM to reach the top of the hill. However, as I mentioned above, walking is your best bet to enjoy the historical city at its fullest.
Fort St Pieter
Once you finish ascending uphill, the first thing you’ll catch is the glimpse of Fort St. Pieter. If you look around, you will catch a breathtaking view of the entire city, the river Meuse and the countryside with some modern windmills. Walk inside the fort and get inspired by the fascinating history and war strategies from the past.
Photo Courtesy: Atlas-Obscura
You can not take DIY tour at any of the historical sights of Maastricht. The only way to visit St. Pieter Fort, North cave or any forts or caves of Maastricht is by taking a guided trip offered by explore maastricht company. Tickets can be booked online or at the counter but I would advice to book tickets in advance because they do get sold out and number of visitors per batch is limited. Also, while booking, keep an eye on the language of the tour as they are offered either in English or in Dutch.
After booking online, you will receive a booking and payment confirmation. On the day of your tour, before coming at the designated spot, pay a visit to the ticket counter. They will give you a token in exchange of your online confirmation and will ask you to wait at a certain place. Your guide will appear 5-10 minutes before the tour time and upon checking the token, they will take you on in an unforgettable journey. I am not sure after COVID-19, this measure has changed or not but it’s better to check once with the ticket counter.
As it’s a complete guided tour, I won’t share much of its details. I have just one tips to share you and that is, if you are planning to visit both St. Pieter and North Cave, book in such a way so that your Fort tour happens first and then the tour to North Cave.
Do you know Why? No?
I won’t tell you. Have a visit to Maastricht and then let me know in the comment section why do you think so?
North Cave
Have you watched the movie “Brother Bear”? Or “Moana”? Or read adventure books that describe about paintings within a cave which leads to a hidden treasure or tells some secret from the past?
Yes? Do you want to explore such a cave in person?
Yes?
Welcome to North Cave. Lying deep below the St Pietersberg hill and harbour, it’s an underground vault with No signal, no light, and no sound. All that remains is your undivided attention for the Underground guide who takes you on a journey through the dark tunnel system. The North Caves resemble an underground museum from your childhood storybook with magical charcoal drawings, inscriptions, and paintings that all have a story to share.
“I’m afraid that I will have to disappoint all of you” said Giles at the Maastricht underground after he introduced himself. “I am not going to show you things that you paid for”
That was the first sentence Giles told. We queued up and he led us to the underground system already. As it’s super dark inside, he brought three torches with him. He himself was carrying one. He gave one to the very last person in the queue and gave the other one to a random person in the middle. Luckily, we were offered the torch. Yey!
Then he explained. Caves are something that is completely natural. However, the North cave is something which has been built by the Dutch citizens as a measure of defense. So, although it’s been called a cave, it actually is nothing but an underground tunnel. So, be prepared. You are paying for a cave tour but there is or was no cave.
The North cave tour was simply an unique experience that is so rare that I can’t remember to have a similar experience anywhere else. Yes, there are numerous bat caves or limestone caves across the world but this one is unique. The Guide will tell you about all the mysterious drawings and inscriptions and the secrets of what once was hidden inside the underground vault. Again, I won’t tell anything about those. Go there and find out what lies beneath the cave. Also, make sure to listen to him to understand how they have marked the Exit way within the tunnel. Don’t be afraid. It’s not required because no one will be left behind but it’s interesting to know.
Food Experience @Maastricht
Generally I don’t write about food or coffee and the same is true for Maastricht unfortunately. However, there are two things I believe worth mentioning when it comes to experience food in Maastricht.
Firstly, If you go to the back of the Dominicanen book shop church, there is a fantastic coffee shop. Even if you’re not planning to buy or surf any books, you can enjoy a cup of beverage alongside a piece of cake and enjoy the beautiful interior of the Heritage bookshop.
Secondly, if you are after a popular Limburg Vlaai (It is simply a fruit pie made of apples, cherries and mixed berries) then check out Bisschopsmolen. This historic bakery has an old mill that is still used to grind flour. It remains closed on Monday. If you want to know about the recipes or the inspiration behind this business, check out their official website here.
Christmas Vibes
Many places are famous for Christmas decoration but Maastricht has fantastic decorative holiday lights and dedicated walking route to enjoy festive lights. From the moment you come out of train station till you reach the main city square (Vrijthof Square), it’s pretty well lit and decorated with Christmas trees and tealights. However, the main attraction after the Sun sets is still the “Magical Maastricht” – the famous Christmas market of Maastricht.
Christmas Market
Not many Christmas markets in Europe remain in operation after Christmas eve but this one is. Generally, The Maastricht Christmas Market is annually held at Vrijthof square from the end of November till the New Year. Like every other market, there is no entrance fee but it has a dedicated operating hours. Situations have changed a lot due to COVID-19 restrictions. So I would always encourage you to refer their official website here to know about dates and important measure. The website will also illustrate the light route, what all stalls and exhibitions will be there with their relative positions. I am not attaching the Map of 2019 as it would be outdated by the time you read this.
We booked a day tour package from NS website which had a complementary Pie and a hot beverage. As soon as we arrived at the Christmas market, we redeemed that. I took an Apple Pie and Annapurna took a Mixed Berry Pie with Hot Chocolate. Well, I won’t say it was amazing but it was complementary so…
We quickly finished our snacks and it was getting super crowded so we came out. We had two main attractions in Maastricht Christmas market. Firstly, they advertised that they have built some Rovaniemi style Wooden chalet. We already had a planned trip to Rovaniemi (Read about it here) and after visiting that, I would say that the ones at Maastricht are no way near the ones in Finland but if you are watching those for the first time, they are quite fun to photograph.
Secondly, the market also housed Santa’s house. We found Mrs. Santa waiting outside the chalet inviting tourists to come inside the Santa’s office. Now, honestly, the office of Santa Claus or his bedroom or even the Santa Claus himself was pretty disappointing. It was so disappointing that after visiting this, we were afraid that we are too old to enjoy Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi but if you have read that article, you’d know that it was one of the most memorable trip of ours.
The fun part of the market was the toy train. Although it was made only for kids but there is no harm watching it going round and round the circle. Just beside that, there was a small artificial ice skating rink again made for kids. Looks like the kids are the main target audience for Maastricht Christmas market. After spending some time outdoor, we went inside a Souvenir shop. The collection was super amazing and the price was sky high so…
I will be honest here. I had much higher expectation from the Christmas market of Maastricht. Yes, this one is the best in the Netherlands and definitely a must visit if you already are within Netherlands. But again, I will repeat. If you are a tourist visiting Europe in Winter with limited number of days and looking for a nice Christmas market around Netherlands, you can visit Cologne Christmas Market in Germany (3 hours from Amsterdam). If you are willing to travel a little farther, check out Colmar Christmas Market in France (10-12 hours from Amsterdam).
How To Reach
Although Maastricht is in the Netherlands, it is so far in the south that coming here from Brussels, the capital of Belgium is much faster than going from Amsterdam. If you are already in the Netherlands, then there is direct train from different places like Castricum, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Eindoven and most probably many others but I found these places during my direct train journey from Castricum. If you are coming from UK or any other European countries then maybe Brussels is a better choice to do a day trip.
The direct route from Amsterdam Central to Maastricht takes 2:20 hours. So, if you are doing a day trip, keep in mind that almost 5 hours is required as a commute time. Keep some food and drink for the journey and make sure not to board in a silent compartment if you want to make a phone call or gossip with your partner during the journey.
Many a times NS Official website offers cheaper transport tickets if you opt for a day trip from Netherlands. Generally these tickets include a complementary boat ride in the river or free pie and drink (with a choice between alcoholic or non alcoholic). The tickets are valid on any trains across the Netherlands but when I purchased it, bus rides were not included.
Which Season To Pick
Well, every traveler is different but when it comes to choosing best season to visit Maastricht, the answer is pretty simple. It’s the Christmas season. This is because the top places to visit in Maastricht are mostly indoor or underground and you don’t really broad daylight or sunny weather. Whereas, the Christmas market is definitely the best in the Netherlands that you won’t find anywhere else in the country.
However, if you are a tourist in the Netherlands with limited number of days, I won’t recommend visiting Holland in the Winter and I definitely won’t recommend Maastricht if you are staying in the country less than 5 nights. For a tourist in the Netherlands, you must consider Zaanse Schans, The Hague, Giethoorn, Castle de Haar, Tulip Fields (In Spring Only), Marken and Amsterdam before looking somewhere else.
Useful Insider Tips
Maastricht is not a place which is heavily advertised across tourist offices at Amsterdam so at a first glance, it looks challenging to get some good deals while visiting Maastricht. However, below you can find some useful tips to get some good deals to make your Maastricht visit more affordable and enjoyable. Also, read on to avoid the same mistakes that we did when we first planned our Winter Maastricht trip
- Check out the NS website Day Return page. During Christmas, they provide combined day trip package to Maastricht. It includes train fare to Maastricht from any train station in Holland with a free Vlaai and Beverage at a designated store within the Christmas market. The entire package costs much less than the train ticket price itself if you try to book it separately.
- If you are not visiting Maastricht during Christmas Market season, NS includes a river cruise in their package. That’s not bad but I would prefer canal cruise at the Amsterdam.
- Bus fare is not included in NS day tour package. If you board any bus, you have to pay its ticket price separately.
- Check out the Explore-Maastricht website for getting discount in underground guided tours. If you plan to join in more than one tour then book those together to get some discount (Approximately 20%).
- Not all Underground tours are accessible by Public transport. Check out the Website in #4 to know about how to reach. Don’t plan too many on a same day. Maximum of 2 guided tour should be ideal because almost all the tours have similar entry timing.
- When the tour guide will ask your group to make a queue before the entrance, stand at very front or at the very back. You will get a chance to hold the candle which is a nice experience.
- If you plan to visit any guided tour, book online and in advance. There are limitations on how many tourists can go inside at the same time and slots do get full on the day of the tour. So, plan at least one day in advance and confirm your reservation by booking online. Purchasing ticket at the counter costs the same money but reduces your chance of taking part in the tour significantly.
- Do not plan anything else on the day of your Maastricht tour. You simply won’t be able to make it.
- The Christmas market is good to look at and explore and if you have a fast glass then it’s fantastic to photograph but I found it costlier than Leiden. In fact, when I visited Ghent Christmas market in Belgium (It’s less than 200KM from Maastricht), I found it much cheaper than Christmas markets of the Netherlands.
- I had a complete misunderstanding that Snow is guaranteed at Maastricht in the Winter. Rather, It’s pretty rare. However, combined with the Meuse river and the Hill, Maastricht feels colder than rest of the Netherlands.
During the Dark Winter months when the cold seems to conquer the warmth, Maastricht continues to illuminate the streets of Limburg. After spending many Winter days in the Netherlands, I can positively say that nothing is as vibrant and colorful as Vrijthof square during the winter months. Maastricht is really an enchanting city that makes sure that come what may, the light needs to keep shining.
Readers, what do you think of Maastricht? Have you visited it? If yes, please let me know about your experience in the comment below. For those of you haven’t, how do you feel about this article? Do you have any question or suggestions or feedback? Feel free to use the comment box and I shall respond to my level best. Till next time, Doei Doei.