Maastricht, Limburgish (incl. Maastrichtian) Mestreech [məˈstʁeːç]; French Maëstricht (archaic); Spanish Mastrique (archaic)) is a city in the Netherlands. It is located in the southern part of the Dutch province of Limburg, of which it is the capital.
In Dutch, a resident of Maastricht is referred to as Maastrichtenaar whilst in the local dialect it is either Mestreechteneer or, colloquially, Sjeng (derived from the formerly popular French name Jean).
Maastricht is widely known as a city of history, culture, local folklore and education. The town is popular with tourists for shopping and recreation. Maastricht is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network. The city has a large growing international student population.
Provincial Government Buildings
ENCI - First Dutch Cement Industry
Sappi - South African Pulp and Paper Industry
Mosa - ceramic tiles
BASF - previously Ten Horn, pigments
Hewlett-Packard - previously Indigo, manufacturer of electronic data systems
Vodafone - mobile phone company
DHL - international express mail services
Teleperformance - contact center services
Mercedes-Benz - customer contact centre for Europe
VGZ - health insurance, customer contact centre
Esaote (former Pie Medical Equipment) - manufacturer of medical and veterinary diagnostic equipment
Pie Medical Imaging - cardiovascular quantitative analysis software
CardioTek - manufacturer of medical equipment for Cardiac electrophysiology procedures
BioPartner Centre Maastricht - life sciences spin-off companies
Maastricht is served by the A2 and A79 motorways. The city can be reached from Brussels and Cologne in approximately one hour and from Amsterdam in about two and a half hours.
The A2 motorway that runs through Maastricht is heavily congested and causes air pollution in the urban area. Construction of a two-level tunnel designed to solve these problems is scheduled to start in 2011 and last until 2016.
In spite of several large underground car parks, parking in the city centre forms a major problem during weekends and bank holidays due to the large numbers of visitors. Parking fees are high in order to incite visitors to use public transport or park and ride facilities away from the centre.
Maastricht is served by three rail operators, all of which call at the main Maastricht railway station near the centre and the smaller Maastricht Randwyck, located near the business and university district. Services northwards are operated by Dutch Railways, including regular intercity trains to Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Den Bosch and Utrecht. The National Railway Company of Belgium runs south to Liège and Brussels in Belgium. The line to Heerlen, Valkenburg and Kerkrade is operated by Veolia. The former railway to Aachen was closed down in the 1980s. The old westbound railway to Hasselt (Belgium) is currently being restored. This line will be used as a modern tramline, scheduled to open in 2012.
Regular bus lines connect the city centre, outer areas, business districts and railway stations. The regional Veolia bus network extends to most parts of South Limburg as well as to Hasselt, Tongeren and Liège in Belgium, and Aachen in Germany.
Maastricht is served by nearby Maastricht Aachen Airport - locally known as Beek - with scheduled flights to Alicante, Berlin, Faro, Girona, Málaga, Pisa, Reus, Trapani and charters to popular holiday destinations during the summer season. The airport is located about 10 kilometres north of Maastricht's centre.
Maastricht has a river port (Beatrixhaven) and is connected by water with Belgium and the rest of the Netherlands through the river Meuse, the Juliana Canal, the Albert Canal and the Zuid-Willemsvaart.
City Fortifications, including:
Helpoort - a 13th century town gate, the oldest in the Netherlands.
fragments of the first and second medieval city walls.
Hoge Fronten (or Linie van Du Moulin) - remnants of 17th and 18th century fortifications with a number of well-preserved bastions and an early 19th century fortress Fort Willem.
Casemates - underground network of tunnels, built as sheltered emplacements for guns and cannons. These tunnels run for several miles underneath the city's fortifications. Guided tours available.
Binnenstad - inner city shopping district, including Grote and Kleine Staat, and high-end shopping street Stokstraat. Maastricht is also well known for its cafés, pubs and restaurants.
Dinghuis - Medieval courthouse with an early Renaissance façade.
Entre Deux - a recently rebuilt shopping centre which has won several international awards. It includes a book store located inside a former 13th century Dominican church. In 2008, British newspaper The Guardian proclaimed this the world's most beautiful bookshop.
Vrijthof - the best-known square in the city. Sights:
Sint-Servaas Basiliek - Romanesque church of Saint Servatius. The tomb of Saint Servatius in the crypt is a favoured place of pilgrimage: Pope John Paul II visited here in 1985.
Sint-Janskerk - sandstone Gothic church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist with distinctive red tower.
Theater aan het Vrijthof - main city theatre with Neoclassical façade.
Onze Lieve Vrouweplein - picturesque tree-lined square with an abundance of pavement cafes. Sights:
Basilica of Our Lady - 11th-century church.
Derlon Museumkelder - a small museum in the basement of hotel Derlon with Roman remains.
Markt - the Market Square was completely refurbished in 2006-2007 and is now virtually traffic free. Sights include:
Town hall - built in the 17th century by Pieter Post.
Mosae Forum - a brand new shopping center and civic building designed by Jo Coenen and Bruno Albert. Citroën Miniature Cars, the world's largest exposition of Citroën miniature cars, is inside the Mosae Forum parking garage below the square.
Bassin - a restored early 19th century inner harbor with restaurants and cafés. The surroundings are currently being developed into a cultural hotspot.
Jekerkwartier - a picturesque neighbourhood with the small river Jeker popping up between old houses and remnants of city walls.
Natural History Museum.
Wyck - the old quarter on the right bank of the Meuse river. Rechtstraat is the main shopping street in Wyck with a mix of specialty shops, art galleries and restaurants.
Céramique - a modern neighbourhood on the site of the former Céramique potteries. Now a showcase of architectural highlights:
Bonnefanten Museum by Aldo Rossi.
Centre Céramique (public library and exhibition space) by Jo Coenen.
La Fortezza by Mario Botta.
Siza Tower by Álvaro Siza Vieira.
Also buildings by MBM, Cruz y Ortiz, Luigi Snozzi, Aurelio Galfetti, Herman Hertzberger, Charles Vandenhove, Bob Van Reeth and Wiel Arets.
In Dutch, a resident of Maastricht is referred to as Maastrichtenaar whilst in the local dialect it is either Mestreechteneer or, colloquially, Sjeng (derived from the formerly popular French name Jean).
Maastricht is widely known as a city of history, culture, local folklore and education. The town is popular with tourists for shopping and recreation. Maastricht is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network. The city has a large growing international student population.
Provincial Government Buildings
ENCI - First Dutch Cement Industry
Sappi - South African Pulp and Paper Industry
Mosa - ceramic tiles
BASF - previously Ten Horn, pigments
Hewlett-Packard - previously Indigo, manufacturer of electronic data systems
Vodafone - mobile phone company
DHL - international express mail services
Teleperformance - contact center services
Mercedes-Benz - customer contact centre for Europe
VGZ - health insurance, customer contact centre
Esaote (former Pie Medical Equipment) - manufacturer of medical and veterinary diagnostic equipment
Pie Medical Imaging - cardiovascular quantitative analysis software
CardioTek - manufacturer of medical equipment for Cardiac electrophysiology procedures
BioPartner Centre Maastricht - life sciences spin-off companies
Maastricht is served by the A2 and A79 motorways. The city can be reached from Brussels and Cologne in approximately one hour and from Amsterdam in about two and a half hours.
The A2 motorway that runs through Maastricht is heavily congested and causes air pollution in the urban area. Construction of a two-level tunnel designed to solve these problems is scheduled to start in 2011 and last until 2016.
In spite of several large underground car parks, parking in the city centre forms a major problem during weekends and bank holidays due to the large numbers of visitors. Parking fees are high in order to incite visitors to use public transport or park and ride facilities away from the centre.
Maastricht is served by three rail operators, all of which call at the main Maastricht railway station near the centre and the smaller Maastricht Randwyck, located near the business and university district. Services northwards are operated by Dutch Railways, including regular intercity trains to Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Den Bosch and Utrecht. The National Railway Company of Belgium runs south to Liège and Brussels in Belgium. The line to Heerlen, Valkenburg and Kerkrade is operated by Veolia. The former railway to Aachen was closed down in the 1980s. The old westbound railway to Hasselt (Belgium) is currently being restored. This line will be used as a modern tramline, scheduled to open in 2012.
Regular bus lines connect the city centre, outer areas, business districts and railway stations. The regional Veolia bus network extends to most parts of South Limburg as well as to Hasselt, Tongeren and Liège in Belgium, and Aachen in Germany.
Maastricht is served by nearby Maastricht Aachen Airport - locally known as Beek - with scheduled flights to Alicante, Berlin, Faro, Girona, Málaga, Pisa, Reus, Trapani and charters to popular holiday destinations during the summer season. The airport is located about 10 kilometres north of Maastricht's centre.
Maastricht has a river port (Beatrixhaven) and is connected by water with Belgium and the rest of the Netherlands through the river Meuse, the Juliana Canal, the Albert Canal and the Zuid-Willemsvaart.
City Fortifications, including:
Helpoort - a 13th century town gate, the oldest in the Netherlands.
fragments of the first and second medieval city walls.
Hoge Fronten (or Linie van Du Moulin) - remnants of 17th and 18th century fortifications with a number of well-preserved bastions and an early 19th century fortress Fort Willem.
Casemates - underground network of tunnels, built as sheltered emplacements for guns and cannons. These tunnels run for several miles underneath the city's fortifications. Guided tours available.
Binnenstad - inner city shopping district, including Grote and Kleine Staat, and high-end shopping street Stokstraat. Maastricht is also well known for its cafés, pubs and restaurants.
Dinghuis - Medieval courthouse with an early Renaissance façade.
Entre Deux - a recently rebuilt shopping centre which has won several international awards. It includes a book store located inside a former 13th century Dominican church. In 2008, British newspaper The Guardian proclaimed this the world's most beautiful bookshop.
Vrijthof - the best-known square in the city. Sights:
Sint-Servaas Basiliek - Romanesque church of Saint Servatius. The tomb of Saint Servatius in the crypt is a favoured place of pilgrimage: Pope John Paul II visited here in 1985.
Sint-Janskerk - sandstone Gothic church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist with distinctive red tower.
Theater aan het Vrijthof - main city theatre with Neoclassical façade.
Onze Lieve Vrouweplein - picturesque tree-lined square with an abundance of pavement cafes. Sights:
Basilica of Our Lady - 11th-century church.
Derlon Museumkelder - a small museum in the basement of hotel Derlon with Roman remains.
Markt - the Market Square was completely refurbished in 2006-2007 and is now virtually traffic free. Sights include:
Town hall - built in the 17th century by Pieter Post.
Mosae Forum - a brand new shopping center and civic building designed by Jo Coenen and Bruno Albert. Citroën Miniature Cars, the world's largest exposition of Citroën miniature cars, is inside the Mosae Forum parking garage below the square.
Bassin - a restored early 19th century inner harbor with restaurants and cafés. The surroundings are currently being developed into a cultural hotspot.
Jekerkwartier - a picturesque neighbourhood with the small river Jeker popping up between old houses and remnants of city walls.
Natural History Museum.
Wyck - the old quarter on the right bank of the Meuse river. Rechtstraat is the main shopping street in Wyck with a mix of specialty shops, art galleries and restaurants.
Céramique - a modern neighbourhood on the site of the former Céramique potteries. Now a showcase of architectural highlights:
Bonnefanten Museum by Aldo Rossi.
Centre Céramique (public library and exhibition space) by Jo Coenen.
La Fortezza by Mario Botta.
Siza Tower by Álvaro Siza Vieira.
Also buildings by MBM, Cruz y Ortiz, Luigi Snozzi, Aurelio Galfetti, Herman Hertzberger, Charles Vandenhove, Bob Van Reeth and Wiel Arets.
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