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Maastricht Travel Guide
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| Maastricht
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Squashed
between the Belgian and German borders, MAASTRICHT is one
of the most delightful cities in the Netherlands. A cosmopolitan
place, where three languages happily coexist, it's also
one of the oldest towns in the country. The busiest of Maastricht's
many squares is Markt, at its most crowded during the Wednesday
and Friday morning market. At the centre is the mid-seventeenth-century
Stadhuis. Just west, Vrijthof is a grander open space flanked
by a line of café terraces on one side and on the
other by St Servaaskerk, a tenth-century church. Next door
is St Janskerk, with its high fifteenth-century Gothic tower.
Maastricht's other main church, the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Basiliek,
is a short walk south of Vrijthof, down Bredestraat, in
a small, shady square crammed with café tables. On
the other side of the square lies the appealing district
of Stokstraat Kwartier, with narrow streets winding out
to the fast-flowing River Jeker and the Helpoort of 1229.
Continuing south, the casemates in the Waldeck Park are
further evidence of Maastricht's once-impressive fortifications.
Fifteen minutes' walk further south is the 110m hill of
St Petersberg. Of the two ancient defensive tunnel systems
under the hill, the Zonneberg is probably the better, situated
on the far side of the hill at Casino Slavante. Just outside
the city lies the busy tourist town of VALKENBURG, which
provides a base for walking the nearby hills and forests.
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| Maastricht
Travels & Tours |
Bonnefanten Museum
Designed by Italian architect Aldo Rossi and opened in 1995,
the otherwise restrained riverside museum, amid the relentlessly
modern architecture of the new Céramique district,
is instantly recognizable from its striking, bullet-shaped
dome. Works of art from the Maasland School include sculpture,
silverwork, and woodcarvings from the Maas Valley in Limburg
and Belgium. This art dates as far back as the 13th century
and had its apogee during the 15th and 16th centuries. Internationalism
is illustrated in the museum's collection of Italian and
Flemish masters. These include works by Filippo Lippi and
Bellini, and Pieter Brueghel the Younger's Wedding In Front
Of A Farm and Census At Bethlehem. Also on display are archaeological
finds dating from 250,000 B.C. to the Middle Ages, with
emphasis on the Roman period. In the Wiebengahal next to
the museum are changing exhibitions by contemporary artists.
The Kneipp Cure Centre
brief stay at this health center/spa will cure some of your
aches and pains as you wallow in luxury at the romantic
13th-century Château St Gerlach.
St. Pietersberg Caves
As over the centuries more and more marlstone was extracted,
the interior of Mount St. Peter became honeycombed with
20,000 passages boring into its interior. You shouldn't
miss these unique underground caves, called the Northern
Caves and the Zonneberg Caves. From the Roman times to the
days of medieval sieges, to the 4 years of enemy occupation
during World War II, their passages have served as a place
of refuge. Many people have left behind drawings and signatures
on the marlstone walls.
During
World War II, the caves sheltered such Dutch masterpieces
as Rembrandt's The Night Watch and other treasures that
were hidden away from the Nazis. You follow your guide's
lantern through a labyrinth of 6 to 12m (20-40-ft.) high
tunnels. Stay close to that lantern -- tales are told of
those who entered the 200km (120 miles) of tunnels and were
never seen again (ask about the four monks). NATO uses some
of the caves for an underground communications complex;
others make ideal caves where Château Neercanne stores
its vintage wines. The temperature underground is about
50°F (10°C), and it's damp, so bring a cardigan
or a coat to protect against the chill.
Natuurhistorisch Museum (Natural History Museum)
Visit this museum after you've seen the St. Pietersberg
Caves, for then you can more fully appreciate the fossils
that have come from the marlstone walls of those caverns.
These include the skeletons of Mosasaurier dinosaurs and
giant turtles. In addition, there are other rocks and minerals,
and both rough and cut gemstones. The courtyard contains
a botanical garden, where you find some beautiful examples
of the local flora. |
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