To be honest, I knew little about Maastricht except that it’s the birthplace of André Rieu, world-renowned Dutch musician. I would soon discover that Maastricht was one of the most besieged cities in Europe for at least twenty times and today, it’s transformed into a university city. It was also in this city that the European Union was conceptualised two and a half decades ago. Maastricht is bisected by The Meuse (Maas River in Dutch), with the old cobbled section of the city situated mainly on the western riverbank. More interesting, the city centre is only 4km away from the Belgian border and 29km away from the German border.
Just back from Leipzig barely two months ago, this time hubby was going to attend the European Vascular Course that was held at the MECC Maastricht. Yup, even I thought it was insane to be travelling to Europe a total of three times (including Rome last September) in the last six months. Anyway, the weather in Maastricht towards the end of winter (early March) was more tolerable as the temperature was ranging between 6-12°C. Daily showers of rain were the only “problem” that could hamper any outdoor plans (Tip: prepare umbrellas or ponchos if you’re visiting around this time).
Flight
This trip was fully sponsored and the business class ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam on Qatar Airways came up to a whopping RM16855.38 per person inclusive of taxes. Well, we could only dream of enjoying such a privilege once in a lifetime. There was a short period of layover at Hamad International Airport, the same airport we were at six months ago. The only remarkable thing this time was a complimentary access to the exquisite Al Mourjan Business Lounge. Having had the opportunity to explore several airport lounges around the world, you’ve to take my word for it that Al Mourjan is hands down the best!
Accommodation
Since this was some sort of a business trip, everything was taken care of without any hassle on our part. Four nights accommodation at Apart Hotel Randwyck amounted to €432 (RM2058) inclusive all taxes. Truthfully, it’s just an average hotel which is located approximately 2.5km from the city centre. But, it’s one of the two only hotels within walking distance from the venue of the course, MECC Maastricht.
Transportation
Located 217km south of Amsterdam, Maastricht was not at all difficult to reach, thanks to the well-connected rail system of the Netherlands – Nederlandse Spoorwegen. The commute from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Maastricht (changing train at Utrecht) consumed a total duration of two hours and forty minutes. A one-way ticket would cost €26.99 (RM130.75). The speed of the wifi in the train was impressive, thereby making the journey not so dull.
From Maastricht central train station to the hotel was another 25-minute walk (1.8km). Within the city, cycling was definitely the best mode of transportation and the road infrastructure appeared very safe for cyclists. In fact, there were probably more bicycles on the road than cars.
Sightseeing In Maastricht
Eateries
Hubby’s course ended quite late almost everyday, thus preventing a more adventurous food exploration in the city. Furthermore, most of the days had been pretty wet which lasted for quite a significant number of hours. The best and only option around MECC Maastricht was Bar Bizonder in Hotel NH Maastricht, where we dined thrice. It served a wide range of international cuisines and the quality of which was excellent. A decent meal would average around €15 (RM70.80).
It’s ironic to end up in a Mediterranean restaurant while exploring the city on one evening, which was certainly unplanned but we were left with no choice but to seek shelter in this restaurant when the rain started pouring. So why not just have dinner, right? It turned out that to have dinner at Laus Mediterranean Kitchen wasn’t a bad decision after all. You might want to check out this restaurant that is located nearby the Onze-Lieve-Vrouweplein (Square of Our Lady), the next time you’re in Maastricht.
Peculiar Things
Perhaps due to its longstanding history and proximity to the United Kingdom, the Dutch are rather eloquent in English. I don’t find any problems at all communicating with most of them. This information should give you the peace of mind when travelling to Maastricht and I believe the same applies to the rest of the Netherlands.
What about drinking directly from the tap? As in most of Western Europe, tap water in the Netherlands is safe for consumption. However, most restaurants will still not serve you a free glass of tap water. You’ll only get bottled water (of course then you have to pay). I’ve written so much about this important asset in my previous posts on Rome and Leipzig. Interestingly, I found a helpful illustration that summarizes it.
Just like Johann Sebastian Bach is to Leipzig, André Rieu has also made Maastricht famous through classical music. Having said that, André travels around the world so extensively that his sensational Johann Strauss Orchestra only performs at the Vrijthof, Maastricht in July. Missed it!
NOTES:
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The rail system in the Netherlands really is super easy and quick. I would love to see Stick Street. It looks so romantic lit up like that at night with all of the stone work. Is good to know you can get by with English as I don’t know how easy Dutch is to learn:)
I really loved this post! The information you have given is really wonderful and I really enjoy looking at all the photos you posted. Maastricht looks like such a lovely place. My partner’s family is from the Netherlands (Delft) and we plan to travel there next year. I would love to use this time to also see Maastricht and perhaps also have a quick tour through Belgium while I am there.
Having travelled most of Europe I’m quite embarrassed to say I’ve never heard of Maastricht either before this post. I love the Netherlands and Amsterdam is amazing, but when I visit next, it looks like Maastricht will be on my list for sure 🙂 Those eateries look stunning and very modern, just my kind of restaurant!
This was an extremely readable and indeed thorough post. Certainly, for most tourists to Holland, a vast majority don’t make it much further than the capital but there is so much more to see, as your photos suggest, not to mention being a great spot to explore other countries. And well done on bagging a fully sponsored business class flight!
Such a lovely and detailed post about Maastricht. The impressions that I got from your snapshots are truly beautiful and make Maastricht look like a very cozy place. I didnt know that Andrê Rieu is coming from Maastricht, interesting fact. Most interesting for me is the Tap Water graphic, this looks pretty obvious. Even though also in Western Europe there are areas, where I would definitely not drink Tap Water.
The Hell’s Gate looks truly impressive, would love to see this one day with my own eyes!
Maastricht is such a beautiful and historical place and it has so much to offer, and I have no idea that the idea of EU was born there. As a bookworm, I would just sit in the cafe in the Dominicans Bookstore and devour all the books there. It is such a wonderful place to spend the day walking around and observing the beautiful architectures, and you captured the city perfectly.
These are pretty interesting info about Maastricht. It is rich of beautiful architectures and sceneries. The place looks peaceful and pleasant. I hope that I can visit this place someday.
Wow, the pictures got me hooked. I had to go back again to the top to read the text. I did not know about the place before reading this. I love places which have lots of interesting history to tell.