Concise History of the City

The history of Maastricht goes back to c. 50 B.C., when the Romans built a settlement by the main road, near a ford in the river. The city's name is derived from the Latin 'Mosae Trajectum', the site where the Meuse could be crossed. This settlement grew to become a walled castellum, which was abandoned towards the end of the fourth century A.D.
From c. 380 to 722 A.D. Maastricht was a bishop's see. Saint Servatius, who died in 384, was the first and Saint Hubert the last bishop. The latter transferred the bishop's see to Liege whilst retaining his prerogatives in the town. As from 1202 Maastricht was ruled jointly by the Duke of Brabant and the Prince-Bishop of Liege. The rights and privileges of both lords temporal and ecclesiastical were laid down in the so-called 'Aide Caerte' (1284), and this situation continued until 1795.
Maastricht had its first outer walls built in 1229. Before long the town was felt to be too cramped, and at the beginning of the 14^th century construction work on a new series of walls was commenced. Maastricht has had to withstand many sieges; because of the Meuse crossing it was an important town strategically, and Dutch, Spanish and French armies laying siege to Maastricht frequently. During 1795 the occupying French forces took drastic measures, making Maastricht the capital of a French province, the Departement of the Lower Meuse.
After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Belgium and the Netherlands became a united kingdom under King William 1. After battling for nine years (1830-1839) the two countries went their own separate ways; thanks partly to the intervention of General Dibbets, Maastricht remains a Dutch city. In 1867 Maastricht lost its role as a fortress; the city started on a new period of expansion.

Maastricht now

Maastricht nowadays has about 120.000 inhabitants and an area of 5896 ha. The city lies on the rivers Meuse and Jeker, at the foot of Mount St. Peter. The major economic activities are commerce, services and industry (e.g. pottery, glass, paper and cement). Post-secondary educational facilities include a college for translation studies, a conservatory and a hotel school.
The centre of the city is especially attractive, due to its wealth of historic buildings; some 1450 monuments are protected by law. Care is taken that both new and renovated buildings maintain the period atmosphere of their surroundings. Because of its heritage value, the whole of Maastricht city centre has been declared a 'protected area'. We therefore thoroughly recommend a city walk.
On the southern side of the city (Randwyck) a new economic centre has been built, with exhibition halls, a conference centre, provincial building, academic hospital and office facilities. A new central district is located on the river Meuse: Céramique site. Until a short time ago, the site was home to the potteries of the Societé Céramique, from which the project has taken its name. Céramique will be a unique combination of dwellings, offices, shop, parks and the Bonnefantenmuseum. A dynamic district, delineated by the chief supervisor of the plan, the dutch architect Jo Coenen. A number of European institutes have already been set up in the city, e.g. the European Institute of Public Administration and the European Centre for Work and Society. Countless people visit the city to shop around in the various shopping centres or to taste of the convivial Burgundian atmosphere. Access is excellent, whether you are travelling by car, rail, bus or air. Maastricht Airport is a modern terminal, with flight departures several times a day to places like Amsterdam and London. In addition, the airport fulfils an important role in the tourist (charter), freight and sport sectors.

Since 1991 Maastricht has been well known throughout the world as the city whose name will always be closely linked to the unification of Europe. The half-yearly summit conference of the European Council, which was held in this city on 9 and 10 December 1991 under the chairmanship of the Netherlands, resulted in the "Treaty of Maastricht". This laid the foundation for the political, economic and monetary integration of Europe.
An architectural tour de force, it is build on the banks of the River Meuse and partly on an island. The section on the bank is open to the public at all times, and is well worth a visit. The conference of the Council of Europe was held in this building on 9 and 10 December 1991. Visitors may look around the administrative section from Monday to Friday (9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Historic Buildings

Basilica of Saint Servatius, Keizer Karelplein, Vrijthof square.
Medieval cruciform basilica, the heart of which dates from c. 1000. Crypts (11^th and 12^th century). The only church in the Netherlands built above the grave of a saint. St. Servatius, the first bishop of the Netherlands. The romanesque west side with Emperor's Gallery and Hall. The Cathedral was considerably enlarged in the 14^th and 15^th century. Beautiful entrance decorated with statuettes (Berg Portal and Keizer Karelplein entrance). The largest bell in The Netherlands hangs in the Southern tower of the west wall; it is called 'Grameer' (Grandmother) and weighs 7000 kg. In the cathedral stands a statue of Charlemagne. A treasure-house with an important collection of religious art objects. Church and treasury can be visited.

Basilica of Our Beloved Lady, O.L. Vrouweplein.
Medieval cruciform basilica of which the oldest part (west wing and crypts) dates from the 11^th century. The church has been enlarged and altered during different periods. The west wing as well as the choir are architecturally important and are the only ones of their kind. The capitals surrounding the choir are richly sculpted ('Heimo-Kapitelen', 2^nd half of 12^th century). In the side chapel the pilgrim's statue of Our Beloved Lady 'Stelia Mare' (c. 1500). Church and treasury can be visited but not during services.

Mount St. Pieter

Caves of Mount St. Pieter
The famous 'St. Pietersberg' caves are the result of centuries of excavation of marl, a building stone. What we now see is an enormous labyrinth of more than 20,000 passages. The stone-hewers have left their marks. On the walls are interesting inscriptions, some extremely old; artists too, have been at work here. During the many sieges Maastricht has suffered, and also during the last world war, local inhabitants used the passages as a shelter; some of the emergency provisions are still to be seen. The temperature in the caves is 9-10 degrees Ceicius; visitors are therefore advised to take a cardigan, pullover or coat with them. The round-trips, which last about an hour, are led by official VVV Tourist Office guides. Two sections of the labyrinths of Mount St. Pieter are open to the public.