This forward-thinking student city combines youthful exuberance with a thought-provoking history. It’s a city with a distinctive, resilient pan-European character. Book a Maastricht hotel to discover lively restaurants, cafés and bars calmed by the tranquil River Meuse.
Skip to main content.
Skip to main content.
Book online or call:
800-2-HOTELS (800-246-8357)24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Start of main content. Read on from here or press tab to access the next link
Published 12/17/09
Courtesy of Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions
Related articles
- Hyderabad Food and Dining Guide - Restaurants, where to eat, and more
- Taipei Travel Tips - Helpful hints and advice on local destination information
- Kuching Shopping Guide - Find where and what to shop and buy
- Chongqing Food and Dining Guide - Restaurants, where to eat, and more
- Kaohsiung Travel Tips - Helpful hints and advice on local destination information
Useful links
Five things to love about Maastricht
- Picnicking in the city’s Botanical Gardens beside bird- filled ponds, fragrant herb terraces, grasslands and floral woodlands
- Holland’s biggest carnival: three days of marching bands, outlandish costumes and spinning DJs that brings Maastricht to its knees
- Rummaging through eclectic bric-a-brac stalls in the old Wyck district, a bohemian riverbank hang-out along the tree-lined River Maas
- Flicking through a copy of Week in/Week uit ‘s indispensible guide to Maastricht nightlife with a Gulpener beer on cobblestoned Vrijthof Plaza
- The buzzing after-dark vibe of Maastricht’s historic quarter before sipping coffee at daybreak in Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Plaza’s chilled-out calm
Antiques, arts and academics
Maastricht’s vibrant modern-day culture owes much to history (it claims to be Holland’s oldest city), a lively multicultural student population and border location (with Belgium). Cultural attractions range from film festivals and jazz concerts to poetry readings and plays in grand historical sites. In March, a vast arts and antiques fair dominates the city with over 200 dealers from 14 countries showcasing their wares in one of the world’s largest arts events.A gourmet city
Each August, Maastricht’s foodies enjoy fine wining and dining during the annual Preuvenemint (“taste event”) – a mouth- watering food festival on Vrijthof Plaza. Savour Holland’s finest cuisine in the bourgondisch tradition with plenty of Gallic gastronomic twists. Dozens of participating restaurants showcase the region’s culinary specialities, such as Limburg goat’s cheese, earthy cave mushrooms, gingerbread and Maastricht’s famous apple dumplings. For a splurge, head to one of Maastricht’s “Culinair Restaurants”: a guarantee of dining decadence.A bar for each day of the year
Pumping neon-lit clubs and historical monuments sit side by side in this up-all-hours city. It’s home to Holland’s largest number of watering holes per square kilometre – one for each day of the year. As the sunniest Dutch city, Maastricht is proud of its charming pavement cafés and pubs around lively Vrijthof Plaza. Grab a table on an outdoor terrace to drink locally brewed Brand and Gulpener beers before trawling the nightspots on Sint Amorsplein for live music, Europop, karaoke and all-night DJs.Get out and see Maastricht for yourself with one of Hotels.com’s Maastrich hotels