Maastricht
May 27th 2008 09:52
Maastricht has something no other Dutch city can offer.
You would be correct in pointing out that it has unique place in European history, the city where the treaty relating to currency was signed in 1992, charting a course to the eventual creation of the Euro. It celebrates this, with the Maura Biava sculpture Stars of Europe thoughtfully set in a Vodafone office complex. And it’s more than just money: the whole city has a united Europe sense to it with the European Journalism Centre and several other European institutions calling Maastricht home.
And you would not be lying either if you said that Maastricht has a ceramic industry which no other Dutch city could claim. They even created a ceramic district just to the south of the East bank’s Wyck quarter which holds the aforementionened sculpture and a pleasant museum called the Bonnefanten, sporting a lump that’s a dead ringer for an oversized metallic rugby ball.
If you were at a pub trivia evening you could write down that Maastricht is the only city in the Netherlands that shares an airport with a German city: the Maastricht-Aachen Airport, a short cheap hop on Ryan Air from Stanstead. Again you would be right. Though this is not what I am thinking of.
Maastricht is close to both Germany and Belgium. Indeed, its right lug grazes the Belgian border and the Germans are only 20 or so kilometres away to the east. This gives it a cuisine not found in the other Dutch cities that have generally not moved much past deep fried bread crumbed snouts and entrails, pancakes, and pea and ham soup. And for the beer lover, German, Dutch, and Belgian, the elite beer brewing nations, all come together harmoniously in one convenient city. There is a continental feel to this region and this I would not deny. Even the streets have a more windy, grubbier charactered feel to it with it’s small greyed cobblestones, that is not found in the usually orderly Dutch town.
The city, you say, is the oldest settlement in the Netherlands, settled by the Romans around the death of Christ at the ford of the Maas. Yes. On top of this it is one of the finest displays of preserved fortifications in the country. Again, absolutely correct. At night the various ancient stone emplacements are bathed in golden light, particularly beautiful are the walls that stand above the Jeker river just to the south of the west bank shopping district. If you are hard to please, you can also try the Lichtenberg castle, the Helpoort gate, Linie van Du Moulin too. This hardly stands Maastricht out from the Dutch city crowd though.
Maastricht is a shopping town. Well done. I talked to several people who make two and three hour drives to the city just to carry out a day of shopping. Even Germans make the trip, though for flowers, cheese, and marijuana rather than for skirts and sweaters at the Mexx Megastore. I seems the reputation is wide spread, unfortunately I would suggest that this is not unique to Maastricht so I am afraid I cannot give you that one.
There is a distinct Catholic feel to the city. In contrast to the largely plain Protestant style throughout the rest of the country, the city is dotted with elaborate Catholic buildings which can entertain for an hour or two. If you know this strange little fact I applaud you. It did have a spell of rule under Spain and if you have any interest in how religion can affect architecture - compare and contrast. Still not what I’m looking for though as similar catholic architecture can be found in the city of Venlo. Take in the shrine at the Basilica of St Servatius for an enriching spiritual experience. You also get to walk through a cool ornate entrance called the Berg Portal.
Enough guesses: it's hills. Maastricht has hills, sizable lumps of rock and dirt that stand off the levelled ground. Quite the novelty, unlike the rest of the Netherlands, Maastricht is in close proximity to hills. And not only is it a novelty, it is a tourist attraction as well. Mount Saint Pieter is a leisurely walk to the south of the city centre. It's a must see of any trip to the Limburg region. But after spending a bit of time in the rest the Netherlands be careful: after Maastricht, your arse muscles will be hurting.
You would be correct in pointing out that it has unique place in European history, the city where the treaty relating to currency was signed in 1992, charting a course to the eventual creation of the Euro. It celebrates this, with the Maura Biava sculpture Stars of Europe thoughtfully set in a Vodafone office complex. And it’s more than just money: the whole city has a united Europe sense to it with the European Journalism Centre and several other European institutions calling Maastricht home.
Maastricht
And you would not be lying either if you said that Maastricht has a ceramic industry which no other Dutch city could claim. They even created a ceramic district just to the south of the East bank’s Wyck quarter which holds the aforementionened sculpture and a pleasant museum called the Bonnefanten, sporting a lump that’s a dead ringer for an oversized metallic rugby ball.
If you were at a pub trivia evening you could write down that Maastricht is the only city in the Netherlands that shares an airport with a German city: the Maastricht-Aachen Airport, a short cheap hop on Ryan Air from Stanstead. Again you would be right. Though this is not what I am thinking of.
Maastricht is close to both Germany and Belgium. Indeed, its right lug grazes the Belgian border and the Germans are only 20 or so kilometres away to the east. This gives it a cuisine not found in the other Dutch cities that have generally not moved much past deep fried bread crumbed snouts and entrails, pancakes, and pea and ham soup. And for the beer lover, German, Dutch, and Belgian, the elite beer brewing nations, all come together harmoniously in one convenient city. There is a continental feel to this region and this I would not deny. Even the streets have a more windy, grubbier charactered feel to it with it’s small greyed cobblestones, that is not found in the usually orderly Dutch town.
The city, you say, is the oldest settlement in the Netherlands, settled by the Romans around the death of Christ at the ford of the Maas. Yes. On top of this it is one of the finest displays of preserved fortifications in the country. Again, absolutely correct. At night the various ancient stone emplacements are bathed in golden light, particularly beautiful are the walls that stand above the Jeker river just to the south of the west bank shopping district. If you are hard to please, you can also try the Lichtenberg castle, the Helpoort gate, Linie van Du Moulin too. This hardly stands Maastricht out from the Dutch city crowd though.
Maastricht is a shopping town. Well done. I talked to several people who make two and three hour drives to the city just to carry out a day of shopping. Even Germans make the trip, though for flowers, cheese, and marijuana rather than for skirts and sweaters at the Mexx Megastore. I seems the reputation is wide spread, unfortunately I would suggest that this is not unique to Maastricht so I am afraid I cannot give you that one.
Stars of Europe
There is a distinct Catholic feel to the city. In contrast to the largely plain Protestant style throughout the rest of the country, the city is dotted with elaborate Catholic buildings which can entertain for an hour or two. If you know this strange little fact I applaud you. It did have a spell of rule under Spain and if you have any interest in how religion can affect architecture - compare and contrast. Still not what I’m looking for though as similar catholic architecture can be found in the city of Venlo. Take in the shrine at the Basilica of St Servatius for an enriching spiritual experience. You also get to walk through a cool ornate entrance called the Berg Portal.
Enough guesses: it's hills. Maastricht has hills, sizable lumps of rock and dirt that stand off the levelled ground. Quite the novelty, unlike the rest of the Netherlands, Maastricht is in close proximity to hills. And not only is it a novelty, it is a tourist attraction as well. Mount Saint Pieter is a leisurely walk to the south of the city centre. It's a must see of any trip to the Limburg region. But after spending a bit of time in the rest the Netherlands be careful: after Maastricht, your arse muscles will be hurting.
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