Ultimate Guide for a Weekend in Maastricht

Ready to step into a fairytale book? All the way in the south of the Netherlands, you’ll find Maastricht, one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

If I were to describe this place in a few words, I’d say that this is a sweet medieval city full of history, striking architecture, and cozy cafes.

Many people spend a weekend in Maastricht as the city isn’t big and most of the main attractions are in the Old Town. However, if you don’t have much time, you’ll be able to see a lot in one day in Maastricht already.

The city has the second-highest number of national heritage buildings in the Netherlands, just behind Amsterdam, and it is a thriving cultural center in the country.

Maastricht is also famous for its good shops and festivals all year long, which attracts thousands of national as well as international tourists, given its distance to both the Belgian and German borders.

Hey, looking for more tips for your next trip to the Netherlands? Check out some of our other posts below, or click here to find all of our Netherlands posts.

• 25+ Best Day Trips from Amsterdam
• 30 Typical Dutch Foods You Must Try in the Netherlands
• Romantic Things to Do in Amsterdam
• 8 Cool and Inexpensive Things to do in Rotterdam
• 3 Days in Amsterdam Itinerary For First-Timers

Where to stay in Maastricht?

Boutique Hotel Sint Jacob has the best combination of location, price, and quality I could find. This comfy hotel is ideal for either solo travelers and families, including your pet.

It has a traditional Dutch decoration, simple but classy.

The rooms are spacious and quiet, even though it’s located right in the center of Maastricht. They are equipped with a tv, minibar, hairdryer, safe, etc, and some of them have a beautiful view of the city.

If you’re planning to spend a night having some drinks in Maastricht, you might consider this place as it’s close to most of the bars in the center.

A Weekend In Maastricht – Day 1

Arriving at Maastricht Central Station

Recently renovated, the Maastricht central station has direct trains to Amsterdam and many other cities in the Netherlands, such as Eindhoven and Utrecht.

It also has a bus station next to it, with buses going to nearby towns, such as Aachen in Germany.

The city center is within walking distance from here. You’ll only have to walk straight ahead and cross the river that gave the name to the city, the Maas River.

This river runs from France, through Belgium and Maastricht, all the way north until the port in Rotterdam.

Ps: Dutch train tickets are quite expensive. A return ticket to Maastricht costs €50.60. Way too expensive, I know.

That’s why I have a little tip for you: keep checking this official website for discounts and special deals. Sometimes the tickets can go as low as €19.

Petit Café Moriaan

Stop by the Petit Cafe Moriaan for a mouthwatering brunch. I’m assuming you just came from Amsterdam, which is 2.5 hours away by train.

Anyway, this place is said to be the tiniest café in the Netherlands. However, if you’re in Maastricht during summer you don’t have to worry about finding a table as they open the terrace for customers.

This homey café is a perfect place to have brunch and a good glass of wine. Too early for that, right? Sorry, guys.

Basilica of Our Lady (Basiliek van Onze Lieve Vrouw)

Head to an imposing basilica nearby, the Basilica of Our Lady. This Romanesque church was built around the 11th and 12th-century, although this is probably not the first religious building constructed on this site.

Yet, there aren’t any archeological studies to confirm it.

Today, the Basilica of Our Lady is a National Heritage building and possesses an important historical church treasury.

The treasury was a much larger collection, but they used it to pay taxes to the French when they conquered Maastricht in 1794.

Gate to Hell (Helpoort)

Now pay a visit to the oldest gate in the Netherlands. Back in the 13th-century, Maastricht used to have a medieval wall to protect the city against enemies and part of this former wall can still be seen.

Walk along the wall and you’ll see stairs to climb it. But watch out in the winter because the steps can be slippery.

Fun fact: The Gate to Hell, or Helpoort, has this name because they used to keep prisoners in its towers.

Visit the Historic Churches at the Vrijthof Square

Head north to the main square, the Vrijthof. A lovely square with cozy bars, restaurants, and the Gothic church Sint-Janskerk (the Protestant red church on the left).

There’s no entrance fee to the church, only to the tower (€2.50). Also, in this square is one of the oldest churches in the Netherlands, the Basilica of Saint Servatius (the one on the right).

There is a little entrance fee (€4.50) which gives you access to the treasury as well. The only downside is that they only had information in Dutch, at least when I was there.

Shopping in Maastricht

Maastricht is very famous among Dutch people for having good stores. So, many people from nearby cities come here to shop or just to enjoy one of its comfy cafes. Including me.

If you’re up for some shopping you can literally get lost walking around the shopping malls and streets in the city center. There are stores of all sorts, for everything you imagine!

Dominican Church

Among so many stores, there is a very special one. For book lovers only.

What if you could read a book in a former 13th-century Dominican church? That’s right! This impressive bookstore can be found right in the center of Maastricht.

I’m not a religious person, but I love to visit the European churches and cathedrals because the architecture is often breathtaking. And that is not different from this one.

The architects Merkx and Girod chose to maintain most of the original decoration which gives customers an authentic feeling.

It goes without saying that the architecture here is striking and you might find yourself appreciating the paintings on the ceiling instead of the books.

The ground floor has plenty of aisles, but most of the books are on the shelves of a colossal three-store black steel construction.

At the altar, you will find a coffee shop, which is claimed to have the best coffee in town, and a cross-shaped table. Appropriate, huh?

Pro tip: Go upstairs and appreciate the astonishing view of the church, it is almost sacred.

Read next: 3 Days In Amsterdam Itinerary For First-Timers

Waldeck Casemates

Between the 16th and 19^th-century around 14km (8.6mi) of underground corridors were excavated in Maastricht to be used against enemies.

Later on, during WW2 this place was meant to be used as an air-raid shelter, but luckily it was never necessary.

Today, it’s possible to take a one-hour tour in the casemates (€ 6.75) and this is definitely an interesting thing to do in Maastricht, where you can learn much more about the story of the city.

The casemates are at a walking distance from the city center (around 1,2km), just follow the “Bastion Waldeck” signs and you’ll be fine.

Alternatively, you can also take the bus 48 towards Pottenberg – Caberg and get off at the Cannerplein stop. Download the app 9292 to check the timetables.

Dinner – Where to eat in Maastricht?

The Cafe De Zwaan has over 200 sorts of beer, including Dutch ones. If you don’t know which one you should order, their friendly staff is more than happy to help you.

But don’t think it’s all about beer. They also have a good selection of wines and Dutch snacks and food. Ops, and food, of course!

This cafe is very close to the hotel I’ll suggest below, by the way. So, no problem if you want to have a few more drinks.

A Weekend In Maastricht – Day 2

Considering that you have a little headache of last night, start this day a bit later. I’d say to wander around the center to see a little more of the city and then go to Livin’ Room Restaurant for a delicious brunch.

This cozy and friendly café is perfect for vegetarians because of its super broad options. If you’re not a vegetarian (I’m not), don’t worry because there are also tasty options for you.

Saint Peter’s Fortress

This 18th-century fortress was built to protect Maastricht against the French. It was successful for quite a long time, but they eventually had to surrender.

Today, the fortress is broadly intact, and it offers the possibility to be explored in a one-hour guided tour (€6.75). The fortress is a little bit further than the casemates of day 1.

To get there, take the bus 9 towards Waldeckpark at the Vrijthof and get off at the Waldeckpark stop. From there you have to walk 1km.

Alternatively, you can just walk the whole route (1.8 km/ 1.12 mi) starting at the city center.

St Peter Caves

Old tunnels decorated with generations of paintings on the walls. These caves were also meant to be used as an air-raid shelter for the population during the WW2, but as I said above, it was never necessary.

Today, there are still around 80 km (49mi) of the cave system, way less than the original length. There are two caves you can explore, North and South. The North caves are located together with the Saint Peter’s Fortress.

The South (Zonneberg) caves are 3km south of the city center, so you decide if you want to reach it on foot or not. And since the caves extension is quite long, it is impossible to cover the whole place in a guided tour, of course.

You can buy a combo ticket for the Saint Peter’s Fortress and the North Caves for €10.40. Each tour will take around 1 hour.

If you want to go to the other caves as well (I haven’t been there myself), you’ll have to walk around 1.8 km from the fortress.

Note that the ground level in the caves is irregular and it can be a climb at some times, so if you have some physical deficiency it might be difficult to follow the tour.

Hot tip (pun intended): the temperature in the caves is around 12 Celsius (53 F), so bring a jacket with you.

Read next: Romantic Amsterdam Guide

American Cemetery Margraten

This WW2 American Cemetery and Memorial lie in Margraten, around 10km (6mi) East from Maastricht.

On the left side of the entrance, writings on the wall describe the achievements of the American Army Forces during the war.

As you walk through the entrance, both walls are covered with the names of the soldier who lost their lives fighting for freedom, although they rest in unknown graves.

Walk further to see the grave of the soldiers who rest in this moving and peaceful place. There are around 8,300 American soldiers here, you can read their names, city, battalion, and death date on the crosses.

In the photo below, you can see the sea of crosses, a sea of brave men. It was supposed to be beautiful, but it’s sad.

How to get there? At the Vrijthof, take the bus 10 towards Gulpen via Forum MECC. Get off at “Amerikaanse Begraafplaats”.

Happy Hour

To cheer you up a little, head to De Gouverneur. A self-called retro Belgian specialty beer-café with a respectable list of beers (more than 250 different kinds) and tasty food.

There is a terrace in front of it with electrical heaters, so even in the winter, you’ll be just fine in this café. I saw many more locals than tourists there, so it’s also a good place to have that local feeling.

Extra Secret: Bisschopsmolen

If you have time to stop by this historic building, please do! This is a 14th-century bakery that sells delicious Limburgse vlaai, the local sweet pie, and it’s said to have the best bread in town.

Pssst: There is a working mill on the water at this site.

Seasonal Events in Maastricht

Carnival

The provinces of Noord Brabant and Limburg celebrate the carnival because these were predominantly Catholic provinces.

The tradition goes forward at full power and Maastricht has one of the best carnivals in the country.

Dress up, grab a beer, and enjoy the parades with Dutch people of all ages. It’s a really fun event and even though the songs are in a dialect from the South of the Netherlands, you can have a good time because the ambiance is great!

Magical Maastricht

Heading to Maastricht in December? Perfect! At this time of the year, the city is completely gorgeous and cozy. Yep, even more stunning.

But what is the Magical Maastricht? It’s a winter event with a lot of attractions for people of all ages, such as a delicious Christmas market, the Santa Claus (yes, he comes all the way from Finland just to be here), a gorgeous Xmas tree, a Ferris wheel, ice-skating arena, and a market with crafts and regional products.

Cool, right? Magical Maastricht takes place in the Vrijthof square, right in the heart of the city.

Food and Beer Festivals

These itinerant festivals go from city to city in the Netherlands, but the Maastricht editions are my favorite ones. Maybe because they take place in a medieval city with a great atmosphere?

I honestly don’t know, but it’s a great ambiance for sure. People here in the south of the country spend more time appreciating good food and beverages than people from Amsterdam, for example.

So, the city has a huge concentration of cozy cafes, especially wine and special beer cafes.

The festivals take place around May and June.

Perfect Day Trips from Maastricht

If you’re spending a weekend in Maastricht and want to make a day trip to one of the surrounding cities, I’ll give you some amazing national and international ideas.

Pro tip: Download the app 9292 to check the bus’ timetables and the NS for the train’s timetables.

• Valkenburg (Netherlands) – A pretty little medieval city 10 minutes by train from Maastricht. It has plenty of intimate cafes, a castle ruin, and a cave just waiting to be explored.
• Drielandenpunt – Have you ever been in 3 countries at the same time? The three-country point is the place where Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands meet. There is a labyrinth in that place, a restaurant, and a 34m high tower with a skywalk for the brave ones (I couldn’t walk on there, my legs were shaking so much!). This is the highest point in the Netherlands, by the way.
  • How to get there? Take the bus 350 towards Aachen Centrum at the central station and get off at Vaals stop. There you have to take another bus (33 towards Vaals Flats) and get off at the Korenstraat stop. It takes around 1h50 to get there.
• Aachen (Germany) – Visit Germany’s first UNESCO Heritage site, the iconic Aachen cathedral. This church was founded around 800 AD, just so you can have an idea of how old it is. Also, have some beers in the Marktplatz am Rathaus, in front of the 14th-century city hall. It’s a very pleasant square. In case you want to read more about this city, I wrote a useful guide on it.
  • How to get there? Take the bus 350 towards Aachen Centrum at the central station and get off at the Elisenbrunnen stop. It takes around 1h30 to get there.
• Liège (Belgium) – Its Old Town dates to the medieval era, for that reason, the city is home to many traditional museums, churches, and historic buildings. Burn some calories on the 374 steps of the Mountain of Bueren and appreciate the view when you reach the top. 
  • How to get there? Take the train towards Hasselt and get off at the Liège station. It takes around 30 minutes to get there.

Map of Maastricht

So, you have seen that Maastricht is a lovely city, did I convince you to go there? What attractions are you planning to visit? Comment below and let’s talk!

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