Maastricht

**Maastricht** (Limburgish: _Mestreech_) is a municipality in the south of the Netherlands. It is the capital city of the province of Limburg.
About 120,000 people live there.
Maastricht has an airport and a university (Maastricht University).

The first settlement in that region was founded in the Stone age about 25000 years ago, the first permanent settlement was founded by the Celts about 500 B.C. Maastricht got City Rights in 1204. Since 1815, after the Napoleonic Wars, Maastricht belongs to the Netherlands. The European Contract of 1992 was signed in Maastricht, the so-called Treaty of Maastricht.

## History

The first settlement was about 25000 years ago. Real permanent settlements (and not just hunter gatherers) were founded at least as early as 5000 B.C. 4000 years after that, the Celts built a settlement in Maastricht. They presumably worshipped a _River God_. A Roman city was built around 0 AD, making Maastricht the oldest city of the Netherlands (together with Nijmegen). In this time, Maastricht was called _Trajectum ad Mosam_. This means _Road across the Maas_. A Roman bridge in Maastricht connected the west with the east, making Maastricht a very strategic point. This bridge - located at Eksterstraat - collapsed in the 13th century, and was replaced by the famous St. Servaas bridge.

In the early middle-ages Maastricht was very important in the spreading of Christianity in the Netherlands. In the 4th century, the bishop St. Servaas was the first bishop in the Netherlands, and the Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (which also is the oldest still standing building in the Netherlands) could be described as the root of Christianity in the Netherlands. Servaas' remains are still kept in Maastricht in a tomb.

Maastricht received its City Rights fairly early, in 1204. It was of strategic importance during the Eighty Years War and the Napoleonic Wars. Therefore, Maastricht has two forts; _Fort St. Pieter_ and _Fort St. Jan_. Maastricht also had city walls. Remains of those walls can still be seen today (notably the _Helpoort_ is one the few still standing City Ports).

In the beginning of the 20th century, Maastricht was an industrial city, with many factory's. Jan Pieter Minckeleers - a scientist from Maastricht - was the first to discover Coal Gas, making the first city lights available. In 1940, Maastricht was conquered by the German forces. However, many paintings were hidden in the caves at Sint Pietersberg - a steep hill in the south-west of Maastricht. Even De Nachtwacht was hidden there. Maastricht was liberated on 14 September 1944. In 1992 Maastricht was the host-city for the 1992 European Treaty, where the EU was officially formed and a decision was made about the Euro.

## Topography

Maastricht is located on both sites of the river Maas in the south-east of The Netherlands and the south-west of the province of Limburg. Maastricht lies in a valley, the Maasvalley, so hills surround the city. On the south-west of the city, the famous _St. Pietersberg_ is located. On the western edge of the city, there is no space between the city and the Belgian border. On the east, is the _Savelsbos_ (a forest). Neighbouring municipality's are Eijsden and Visé (B) in the south, Lanaken (B) and Riemst (B) in the west, Meerssen and Valkenburg in the north, and Margraten in the east.

### Traffic and public transport

The city can easily be reached. There is a highway (A2; E25) running from the south to the north (within the Netherlands, this highway runs from Eijsden to Amsterdam). Another highway also begins in Maastricht, the A79 (going to the east). Maastricht has two train stations (_Maastricht_ and _Maastricht Randwyck_). Trains are going to Amsterdam, Heerlen, Roermond, and Brussels (B). Plans are made to re-establish the old train route to Lanaken (B). If this connections is to be made again, Maastricht will be accessible from all directions by train.

A few kilometres north of Maastricht, is the Maastricht Aachen Airport. That's the second airport of The Netherlands.

### Areas

Maastricht is divided into many areas. The areas _Heer_, _Amby_, _St. Pieter_, and _Wolder_ used to be individual villages, but are now (for a few decades) part of Maastricht. According to the Dutch central bureaus of statistics (_Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek; CBS_), Maastricht can be divided into seven larger districts. These are:

1. _Centre_. (areas: _Binnenstad_, _Jekerkwartier, Kommelkwartier, Statenkwartier, Boschstraatkwartier, Sint Maartenspoort, Wyck_)
1. _South-West_. (_Villapark, Jekerdal, Biesland, Campagne, Wolder, Sint Pieter_)
1. _West_. (_Brusselsepoort, Mariaberg, Belfort, Pottenberg, Malpertuis, Caberg, Oud-Caberg, Malberg, Dousberg-Hazendans, Daalhof_)
1. _North-West_. (_Boschpoort, Bosscherveld, Frontenkwartier, Belvédère, Lanakerveld_)
1. _East_. (_Wyckerpoort, Heugemerveld, Wittevrouwenveld, Nazareth, Limmel, Scharn, Amby_)
1. _North-East_. (_Beatrixhaven, Borgharen, Itteren, Meerssenhoven_)
1. _South-East_). (_Randwyck, Heugem, Heer, De Heeg, Vroendaal_)

## Other websites

- City of Maastricht, official site (Dutch)
- City of Maastricht, official site (English)
- Map of Maastricht

**Tourism**
- Tourist Board, Dutch, English, French or German
- Hotels in Maastricht
- Sights in Maastricht
- Restaurants in Maastricht
- MaastrichtNet, Agenda for Maastricht with English Section Highlights of the Week
- Maastricht360.nl, 360° view of Maastricht
- Bonnefanten Museum

**History**
- Maastricht in Roman times
- Churches of Maastricht
- News Reports of Musketeer Skeletons found
- Webpage about the fortifications

**Higher education and research**
- Maastricht University
- Academie van Bouwkunst Maastricht (Academy of Architecture) http://www.academievanbouwkunst.com/
- Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology - United Nation University http://www.merit.unu.edu/
- Maastricht School of Management http://www.msm.nl
- Center for European Studies (CES) http://www.ces.unimaas.nl/index2.asp
- Conservatorium Maastricht (Academy of Music)
- Toneelacademie Maastricht (Academy of Dramatic Arts)
- Academie Beeldende Kunsten Maastricht (Academy of Fine Arts)
- Jan van Eyck Academie http://www.janvaneyck.nl/

**Other**
- Vastelaoftrap  Kickoff of the carnival days
- Crossroads  English-language website for expatriates in Maastricht, published by the European Journalism Centre

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Maastricht
- **settlement type**: List of municipalities of the Netherlands, Municipality
- **image skyline**: Maastricht, kerstverlichting 2014, Markt01.JPG
- **imagesize**: 265px
- **image caption**: City Hall of Maastricht
- **image flag**: Flag of Maastricht.svg
- **image seal**: Wapen van Maastricht.svg
- **pushpin map**: Netherlands
- **pushpin mapsize**: 265px
- **pushpin label position**: left
- **pushpin relief**: yes
- **subdivision type**: List of sovereign states, Country
- **subdivision type1**: Provinces of the Netherlands, Province
- **leader title**: Mayor
- **leader name**: Wim Hillenaar
- **area total km2**: 55.99
- **population total**: 122,161
- **population as of**: January 1, 2001
- **population density km2**: 2,182
- **timezone**: Central European Time, CET
- **utc offset**: +01:00
- **postal code type**: Postal code(s)
- **postal code**: 6200–6229
- **area code type**: Telephone numbering plan, Area code(s)
- **area code**: 043
- **blank name sec2**: Community Identification Number, CIN
- **blank info sec2**: 0935
- **blank1 name sec2**: Address