A Walking Tour of Maastritcht

June 8, 2024

The weather has been relentlessly cold, rainy at times and windy. Spring has generally not been very welcoming. However, today looks good. So, as we are bikeless, we are going to head out for a big hike today and explore Maastritch. We’ll follow the lead of this fellow and his dog as they head out for some fresh air.

Dogs in Holland are welcome guests at hotels, sometimes with a surcharge, but not always. The pet culture is very inclusive including public spaces, businesses, restaurants etc. What makes it work is the strong ethic of pet owners to train their dogs well. This dog has the discipline to walk without a lead and is probably better behaved than most humans!

The Dutch people take great pride in their homes. They are well cared for, impeccable and flowers are always an important part of the decor. This home is very representative of what we see, and as usual, it is part of a row of attached homes.

The love of flowers and having a natural environment, even in the city, is an important facet of life in the city in the Netherlands. Along this street, with connected historic townhomes, there are areas of flower gardens and picnic areas for the residents to,enjoy.

Often, groups of homes have the same facade, yet individuality is expressed with what they display in the front window. This home had countless solar powered figures who were all moving in the sunshine.

Next door, the family have created a beautiful window with a wooden mermaid, seashells and lighting.

Saint Servatious Bridge. This iconic historic bridge in Maastritch dates from 1280 and it spans the Maas River. It is named after the first Bishop of Maastricht and is the oldest bridge in the Netherlands.

During WW2 the bridge was severely damaged by the retreating German forces. Today, its use is only for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Basilica of our Lady is a Romanesque church in the historic centre of Maastritch. It dates Bach to the 11th century and continues to dominate the skyline.

It makes sense that Holland, a country of canals and waterways, would have water based accomodation. The Boatel offers reasonably priced rooms on the Maas River and in the centre of town. What you don’t get is much space in your room, but you do get priceless views and character.

It is such a joy to tour a city that is a living historic monument. Take away the cars, the electricity, etc and the scene you see would be very similar to that of centuries past.

We walked across a modern pedestrian and cyclist’s bridge on the Maas. Note the metal flat section at the edge of the stairs that is used by cyclists to push their bike up or down this flat surface. It sure beats carrying your bike. We can do this with Seavo if there is no load, but it is awkward. We often prefer a regular bridge if we have a choice.

We like this bronze statue of the boy with his dog. It felt familiar, and sure enough, the last time we were in Maastricht years ago, we included a photo of this statue in our journal at that time.

It is Sunday, the sun is shining, it is a beautiful and the crowds are enormous. The parks, the narrow streets, the shops are full of people.

People enjoying the day. This cafe has a lot going on…support for the local soccer team, support for their country with the Dutch flag and orange banners and many happy people with their dogs.

This landmark in Maastricht, the Dominican Bookstore, is a must see. We often think of our time here years ago and it is great to return.

The church was built in 1294 and it has a very diverse history. It functioned as a Dominican Monastery until 1794 when the French army under Napoleon invaded Maastricht. French soldiers used the Monastery as a stable for their horses. Later it was later utilized as a parish, a warehouse, an archival centre and more recently as a storage space for the city’s bicycles. It is now known as Boekhandel Dominican, the Dominican Bookstore and has been in operation since 2006.

Little has been done to modify the exterior of this church. The exception is the entrance which has been renovated to ensure a secure space. It has been respectful of the space and works well.

The area normally used for the choir is now a coffee shop, which provides a unique view of the cathedral, normally reserved for the clergy and choir. We didn’t appreciate when we were seated having coffee, that the table is created in the shape of a crucifix.

We love this book store…first of all it is a great book store and it features an area of an upper floor with English language books. It is great for book lovers, history buffs and basically anyone who enjoys a beautiful unique space. Looks like Mary Ellen has found something of interest on the main floor.

The architects have created a magical space giving you a bird’s eye view of every part of the cathedral when you ascend to the upper levels. This is in contrast to the usual approach to a church where you view the cathedral from the ground level and have limited access to the front of the church..

It has been redesigned as a “3 storey bookshelf” with the addition of two partial metal floors above the ground level.

This town square features some imaginative and quirky creations like this oversized turquoise fellow with his bugle.

These quirky characters make everybody smile.

Saw this beguiling character in a shop. Would have loved to brought him home, but such are the sacrifices of cycling with a bike that has enough to carry.

We have escaped the crowds and are now following these lovely narrow cobbled streets wherever they may take us. It is lovely.

This is part of the first wall built in Maastricht. The people of Maastricht in 1229, obtained the right to fortify their city and an earthen defense wall was built around the city.

Just loved this building which is in the characteristic style of the area and how it frames the uniquely angled corner.

This building is part of Maastritch University with the University Library next door. The University stretches throughout the city but this historic area has a concentration of buildings.

Sometimes our best experiences are ones when we just wander without an itinerary. We have loved all the treasures we are finding on this walk. This quiet neighbourhood of homes, historic buildings and university buildings had this lovely statue with a shaded area to rest.

We came upon this fortified wall which you could climb and get a nice view of the park. Mary Ellen is staying below to enjoy the

Duke of Brabant ordered the construction of the city wall with 13 gates in 1229. One of these gates is still standing and is pictured below. There are many University students enjoying the park as one part of their campus is nearby.

This sunny Sunday had lots of students and people out for a stroll enjoying the day. Lots of people were up on the wall having a drink or a picnic.

It is a beautiful spot set in the midst of the city.

Another view of the remaining City Wall.

Well, it has been quite a big day of walking. We have covered so many miles and it has been fantastic. We need a rest and food. We found this wee place in a neighbourhood with incredible food. It is run by a woman and her mom, plus a stray cat who has taken up residence.

Didn’t we make a good choice. The Dutch do frites (French fries) well and it seems we have found the source of the best frites in Maastritch. Yeah.

Like all cats, this lucky guy only sits where he can be in command and in the way! The cat wandered in two weeks ago and is not leaving. That’s like us, we came to Maastricht for a day or two and are still here. Granted we are waiting for our bike to be repaired, but Maastricht is a favourite place for us.

These two women are hard workers and they are able to serve a wide variety of food choices. We went simple (we thought!)..hamburger and fries.

Barry’s burger was unbelievable….first the mother sautéed mushrooms in a red wine sauce, added truffle mayonnaise, garlic chutes and arugula, and to the large patty are added walnuts, veg, you name it. Wow, it was unlike any burger Barry has had and delicious.

To understate it, B’s burger was a mouthful.

Mary Ellen’s burger was a salmon fillet…tasty. We ordered frites and they were so good…crispy on the outside and soft in the centre. This is an extra small order of fries which she advised us to have. It was plenty. We saw a person get a large order for take out and it was literally a bag filled with fries.

These concrete fellows keep popping up in neighbourhoods. A local artist has contributed these hippos to communities around town.

We highly recommend this cafe for a meal if you are 8n Maastricht.

Cats are plentiful in this area. We will always remember the one in the cafe where we ate. It had so much character and talked constantly. I have a feeling that if we returned a year later that it would still be there, but much larger.

This has been a remarkable day, revisiting treasures we loved on our last visit and new gems we discovered. We have walked miles on cobbles and we are still moving. Mary Ellen’s walking sticks make it enjoyable and a heating pad will be our reward back at the hotel. But best of all, are the animals who make our day…the dog we walked out with this morning and the cat who stayed with us as we ate our dinner. A good day.

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gj de RollerDear Mary and Barry,

The bikes with blue front tire belong to a lease company for bikes. You lease the bike and if you have a technical problem you contact the lease company and they come to fix the problem.
Gert
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