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Maastricht

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For the treaty signed in Maastricht in 1992, see Maastricht Treaty.
Maastricht
Mestreech
The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe-Embankment in Maastricht
The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe-Embankment in Maastricht
Flag of Maastricht
Flag		 Coat of arms of Maastricht
Coat of arms
Location of Maastricht
Coordinates: 50°51′N 5°41′E / 50.85°N 5.683°E / 50.85; 5.683
Country Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands
Province Limburg
Area (2006)
 - Total 60.06 km2 (23.2 sq mi)
 - Land 56.80 km2 (21.9 sq mi)
 - Water 3.26 km2 (1.3 sq mi)
Population (30 June 2008)
 - Total 117,548
 - Density 1,957/km2 (5,068.6/sq mi)
  Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

Coordinates: 50°51′N 5°41′E / 50.85°N 5.683°E / 50.85; 5.683 Maastricht (Dutch pronunciation: [maːstʀɪçt]  ( listen), sometimes [maːstʁɪχt]; Limburgish (incl. Maastrichtian) Mestreech [məˈstʀeːç]; French Maëstricht (archaic)) is a city and a municipality in the Dutch province of Limburg, of which it is the capital. The city is situated on both sides of the Meuse river (Dutch: Maas) in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, near the Belgian and German borders. The city is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, a Euregio whose other main cities include Aachen, Germany and Hasselt and Liège in respectively Dutch-speaking and French-speaking Belgium. The municipality borders the Dutch municipalities of Meerssen to the north, Margraten in the east, Eijsden in the south whilst it borders the Belgian municipalities of Lanaken and Riemst in respectively the west and southwest.

Nowadays, Maastricht is widely known as a centre of tradition, history and culture[1], and popular with tourists for shopping and recreation. It is the location for various educational, with some partial to fully anglophone, establishments including the Maastricht University (including the University College Maastricht), the Maastricht School of Management, parts of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences (including the Maastricht Conservatory, Academy of Dramatic Arts Maastricht and Hotelschool Maastricht) and starting August 2009 a United World College. Consequently the city has a large international student population.

Contents

[edit] Etymology

Its name is derived from Latin Trajectum ad Mosam or Mosae Trajectum, meaning "Mosa-crossing", and refers to the bridge over the Meuse river built by the Romans during the reign of Augustus Caesar.

[edit] "Oldest city of the Netherlands" dispute

There is some discussion as to whether Maastricht is the oldest city of the Netherlands: By some Nijmegen is considered to be the oldest mainly because it was the first settlement in the Netherlands to receive Roman city rights. Maastricht never received Roman city rights but as a settlement it may be considerably older.

The Maastricht claim is furthermore based on the city's unbroken chain of habitation since Roman times. A large number of archeological finds confirms this. Nijmegen has a gap in its history: There is practically no evidence of habitation in the early Middle Ages.

[edit] History

A view of the public park in Maastricht.

Paleolithic remains have been found to the west of Maastricht, between 8,000 and 25,000 years old. Celts lived here at least 500 years before the Romans came, at a spot where the river Meuse was shallow and therefore easy to cross. The Romans later built a bridge and a large road to connect the capitals of the Nervians and Tungri, Bavay and Tongeren, with the capital of the Ubians, Cologne.

A 13th-century town-gate: the Helpoort or Hell's Gate.

Saint Servatius was the first bishop of the Netherlands. His tomb, in the crypt at the Basilica of Saint Servatius, is a favoured place of pilgrimage: Pope John Paul II visited it in 1985. The golden gilt shrine containing some of the saint's relics is carried around the town every seven years. The city remained an early Christian bishopric until it lost this position to nearby Liège in the 8th century.

[edit] Middle Ages

In the early Middle Ages Maastricht was part of the heartland of the Carolingian Empire. It later developed into a city of dual authority, a condominium, with both the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and the Duchy of Brabant holding joint sovereignty over the city. It received city rights in 1204.

The role of the Dukes was occupied by the Dutch States General from 1632 onwards when the city was taken from the Spanish by Frederik Hendrik. The important strategic location of Maastricht in the Dutch Republic resulted in an impressive array of fortifications around the city.

[edit] Bulwark of the Netherlands

The most famous Siege of Maastricht occurred here during the month of June, 1673 as part of the Franco-Dutch War, because French battle supply lines were being threatened. During this siege, one of history's most famous military engineers, Vauban, synthesized the methods of attacking strong places, in order to break down the fortifications surrounding Maastricht. His introduction of a systematic approach by parallels resulted in a rapid breaching of the city's fortifications. (This technique, in principle, has remained until the 20th century the standard method of attacking a fortress.)

After the breaching of the fortifications occurred, Louis XIV's troops started to surround the city of Maastricht. Under the leadership of Captain-Lieutenant Charles de Batz de Castelmore, also known as Comte d'Artagnan, the historical basis for Alexandre Dumas' D'Artagnan Romances, the First Company of Mousquetaires du Roi prepared to storm a rampart located in front of one of the city's gates. D'Artagnan was killed by a musket shot on 25 June 1673 during a night attack on the Tongerse Gate (this event was portrayed in Dumas' novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne).

Maastricht surrendered to French troops on 30 June. The French troops occupied the Dutch city from 1673 to 1678. It was subsequently restored to Dutch rule. The French again took the city in 1748 as part of the War of Austrian Succession, and again the city was restored to the Dutch that same year. The French would return once more in 1794, when they annexed the city to what would become the French Empire. Maastricht became the capital of the French département of Meuse-Inférieure.

[edit] Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Map of the Netherlands in 1843 after Belgian independence and retrocession of Limburg.

After the Napoleonic era, Maastricht became a part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 and the capital of the newly formed Province of Limburg. When the southern provinces sought independence from the North to form Belgium in 1830, the garrison in Maastricht remained loyal to the Dutch king, though the surrounding countryside came under Belgian control. Arbitration by the Great Powers in 1831 awarded the city and the eastern part of Limburg, despite being geographically and culturally closer to Belgium, to the Netherlands and the rest to Belgium. The North and the South did not initially agree to this and it would not be until the 1839 Treaty of London that this arrangement became permanent.

Because of the resulting eccentric location Maastricht often remained more focused on Belgium and Germany than on the rest of the Netherlands. Due to its proximity to the Walloon industrial basin, Maastricht industrialised earlier than most of the Netherlands. It thus retained a distinct non-Dutch character until the First World War forced the city to look northwards.

[edit] 20th century

The city did not escape World War II: it was quickly taken by the Germans on May 10, 1940 during the Battle of Maastricht, but on September 14, 1944, Maastricht was the first Dutch city to be liberated by allied forces.

The latter half of the century saw a decline of the traditional industries and a shift to more services-oriented economy. Maastricht University was founded in 1976. In 1992, the Maastricht treaty was negotiated and signed here, leading to the creation of the European Union and the Euro.[2]

[edit] 21st century

In recent years, several international conferences were held in Maastricht, like the OSCE-summit in 2003, and several other gatherings during the Dutch chairmanship of the European Union in 2004.

Under current mayor Gerd Leers, Maastricht has launched a campaign against various drug-related problems. The popular and often-praised Leers instigated a controversial plan to move several of the coffee shops - where soft drugs can be purchased in limited quantities - from the center to locations on the outskirts of Maastricht, in a bid to stop (foreign) buyers from entering the city and causing trouble.

However, the plan did not go down well with neighboring municipalities, who fear the problems may simply come their way. As of July 2008, it is uncertain if the so-called 'coffee corner' will indeed be created on the periphery of Maastricht, a determined mayor notwithstanding.[3]

On a more positive note, large parts of the city center were thoroughly refurbished under Mayor Leers, including the area near the railway station, the Market Square, the Entre Deux shopping center and the Maasboulevard. Maastricht looks notably fresher as a result and more large-scale projects are underway, such as the redevelopment of the Sphinx and Belvedère areas.

[edit] Institutions and education

[edit] Economic aspect

Centre Céramique, the public library of Maastricht.

Private companies settled in Maastricht include:

[edit] Neighbourhoods

The Lang Grachtje street in Maastricht.

Maastricht consists of over 40 neighbourhoods. These are in alphabetical order:

  • Amby
  • Beatrixhaven, Belfort, Belvedère, Biesland, Binnenstad (the city centre), Borgharen, Boschpoort, Boschstraatkwartier, Bosscherveld, Brusselsepoort
  • Caberg, Campagne, Céramique
  • Daalhof, De Heeg
  • Eyldergaard
  • Hazendans, Heer, Heugem, Heugemerveld
  • Itteren
  • Jekerdal, Jekerkwartier
  • Kommelkwartier
  • Limmel
  • Malberg, Malpertuis, Mariaberg
  • Nazareth
  • Oud-Caberg
  • Pottenberg
  • Randwyck
  • Scharn, Sint Maartenspoort, Sint Pieter, Statenkwartier
  • Villapark
  • Vroendaal
  • Wittevrouwenveld, Wolder, Wyck, Wyckerpoort

Neighbourhoods have a number which corresponds to the postal code.

Amby, Borgharen, Heer, Itteren, Limmel, Oud-Caberg, Scharn, Sint Pieter and Wolder all used to be separate municipalities or villages until they were annexed by Maastricht.

[edit] Politics

Election results of 2006: council seats
Party Seats Compared to 2002
PvdA 13 +5
CDA 7 -4
GroenLinks 5 0
VVD 3(4) -1
SP 3 +1
Senioren 3 0
D66 2 0
Stadsbelangen 2 -1
Liberalen Maastricht 1 0
Total 39 –

The mayor of Maastricht is the Christian Democrat Gerd Leers. His party, the CDA, became the largest party in the city council after the 2002 municipal elections, when they made up the coalition together with PvdA, VVD and GroenLinks.

The 2006 municipal elections saw a political landslide from right to left all over the Netherlands, and Maastricht was no exception. The present coalition still kept its majority, but the shift to the left made Maastricht one of the 39 Dutch municipalities in which an all-left-wing coalition of PvdA, GroenLinks and SP has become possible. Another factor that contributed to this situation in Maastricht, was the 2005 enduring disagreement within the VVD between the traditional and progressive members. September 2006, this lead to the establishment of the Liberalen Maastricht. Previously the VVD forced one of its members to leave the party, just a month after the 2006 municipal elections.

One issue that brought Maastricht in the news circa 2005-2006, was the supply of cannabis to coffeeshops. Under the so-called gedoogbeleid, the sale of cannabis is allowed  under certain conditions, but the supply is not. This results in a paradox and obvious illegal activities including private plantations. Mayor Leers therefore proposed to let the government take over the growing of cannabis. However, the Netherlands are bound by international laws and a complication for Maastricht is its proximity to Belgium and Germany, making drug tourism a much-discussed problem.

[edit] Sports

  • In football, Maastricht is represented by MVV (Maastrichtse Voetbal Vereniging), currently playing in the Dutch first division - which is actually the second for the top-level division is known as Eredivisie or Honorary division. MVV plays in the Geusselt stadium near the A2 motorway.
  • Maastricht has been the traditional starting place of the annual Amstel Gold Race - the only Dutch cycling classic - since 1998. From 1991 to 2002, the race also finished in Maastricht, but since then the finale takes places on the Cauberg in Valkenburg.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] By car

Maastricht is mainly served by the A2 and the A79 motorways. The city can be reached from Brussels and Cologne in approximately 1 hour and from Amsterdam in about 2.5 hours.

The A2 motorway that runs through Maastricht is heavily congested and increasingly causes air pollution in the urban area. A large tunnel currently being planned should solve these problems by 2016.[4]

Due to the high number of visitors, parking in the city centre forms a major problem during weekends and bank holidays despite several large underground car parks. Parking fees are therefore deliberately kept high in order to incite visitors to use public transport or 'park & ride' facilities further away from the centre.

[edit] By train

Maastricht central station

The Dutch Railways serves both the main station of Maastricht and a station located near the business and university district (Maastricht Randwyck). A railway branch passes through Maastricht that runs south to Liège, Belgium and north into the rest of The Netherlands, where it has a branch to Heerlen. The old westbound railway line going to Hasselt (Be), is currently being restored. As of June 2009, the Dutch part of this international line has been finished, with tests being conducted in July 2009. This line will also be Limburg's first modern Tram-line. The Tram function (going through to Maastricht Randwyck), will be opened in 2012. [5] [6]

Intercity trains to the city of Alkmaar or Schagen in the province of North-Holland connect Maastricht directly with Eindhoven, Den Bosch, Utrecht, Amsterdam, and several other cities. Commuter trains furthermore cover the regional area, and an international intercity train connects Maastricht with Liège and Brussels in Belgium.

[edit] By airplane

Maastricht is served by nearby Maastricht Aachen Airport - often known as Beek locally - with scheduled flights to Alicante, Girona, Pisa and popular holiday destinations (e.g. Turkey) during the summer season. The airport is located about 10 kilometres north of Maastricht's centre.

[edit] By boat

Maastricht has a river port on the Meuse river, and is connected with Belgium and the rest of the Netherlands through the Juliana Canal and the Zuid-Willemsvaart.

[edit] By bus

Various buslines serve the vast majority of the city and its suburbs. The regional bus network furthermore stretches to most of parts of Southern-Limburg as well as to Hasselt, Tongeren and Liège in Belgium, and Aachen in Germany.

[edit] Culture & tourism

Events & Festivals in Maastricht

  • Carnival (Dutch: Carnaval, Limburgish and Maastrichtian: Vastelaovend) - a traditional 3-day festival in the southern part of the Netherlands (Feb/March).
  • 11de van de 11de - the official start of the carnival season (November 11).
  • KunstTour - an annual art festival.
  • Amstel Gold Race - an annual large international cycling race with start in Maastricht (April).
  • TEFAF - The European Fine Art Fair is the world's leading art and antiques fair (March).
  • Preuvenemint - a large culinary event held on the Vrijthof square (August).
  • Winterland - a winter-themed fun fair and Christmas market held on the Vrijthof square (December/January).
  • Inkom - the traditional opening of the academic year and introduction for new students of Maastricht University (August).
  • Maastrichts Mooiste - an annual running and walking event.
  • Jazz Maastricht - a jazz festival formerly known as Jeker Jazz.
  • Jumping Indoor Maastricht - an international concours hippique.
  • André Rieu Vrijthof concerts- the famous Maastricht violin player and orchestra director André Rieu traditionally gives a series of concerts on Vrijthof square (Summer).

Furthermore, the Maastricht Exposition and Congress Centre (MECC) hosts many events throughout the year.

Museums in Maastricht

  • Bonnefanten Museum - the foremost museum for old masters and contemporary fine art in the province of Limburg.
  • Natuurhistorisch Museum - exhibits collections relating to geology, paleontology and the flora and fauna of Limburg.
  • Spanish Government Museum - features several period rooms with 17th and 18th-century furnishings, silverwork, porcelain, pottery, glassware and so forth, and a collection of 17th and 18th-century Dutch paintings.
  • Derlon Hotel Museum - a museum with Roman remains, uniquely preserved in the basement underneath a hotel.

Sights of Maastricht

Maastricht is known for its picturesque squares, romantic streets, and historical buildings. The main sights include:

The Vrijthof square with Saint Servatius Basilica.
The Fortress of Sint Pieter on the hill of the same name.
The small Jeker river runs through the city.
  • 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 (English: High Fronts) or Linie van Du Moulin - remnants of 17th-18th century fortifications with a number of well-preserved bastions and the 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.
  • 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 brandnew shopping centre and civic building designed by Jo Coenen and Bruno Albert. Included in Mosae Forum are MosaeGusto!, a 3.500 m² fine food market and Citroën Miniature Cars, the world's largest exposition of Citroën miniature cars inside Mosae Forum parking garage .
  • Entre Deux - a recently rebuilt shopping centre which has won several international awards.[7] It includes a book store located inside a former Dominican church. In 2008 British newspaper The Guardian proclaimed this the world's most beautiful bookshop.[8]
  • Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Plein - picturesque tree-lined square with an abundance of pavement cafes. Sights:
    • Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Basilica - 11th-century Basilica Minor.
    • Derlon Museumkelder - a small museum in the basement of the hotel Derlon with mainly Roman remains.
  • the Inner City - city centre and main shopping district, including Stokstraatkwartier, Maastrichter Brugstraat, Grote and Kleine Staat, and Wolfstraat. Maastricht is known for its cafés, pubs and restaurants.
  • Vrijthof - the best-known square in the city. Sights:
    • Theater aan het Vrijthof - main city theatre.
    • Sint-Servaas Basiliek - Romanesque church of Saint Servatius.
    • Sint-Janskerk - sandstone Gothic church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist with distinctive red tower.
  • Sint-Pietersberg - a modest hill just South of the city, peaking at 171 metres above sea level. Sights:
    • Fort Sint-Pieter - an 18th-century fortress fully restored in 2008.
    • "Grotten Sint-Pietersberg (caves) - sandstone (marl) quarry with vast network of manmade tunnels. Guided tours available.
    • Ruine Lichtenberg - a farmstead containing a ruined medieval castle keep.
    • D'n Observant - artificial hilltop atop Sint-Pietersberg.
  • Bassin - an old and completely restored inner harbour with restaurants and cafés.
  • Parks - there are various parks in Maastricht. The more interesting ones:
    • Stadspark - the main public park on the West bank of the river.
    • Monsigneur Nolenspark - extension of Stadspark with remnants of medieval city walls.
    • Aldenhofpark - another extension of Stadspark with statue of d'Artagnan.
    • Charles Eykpark - modern park between the public library and Bonnefantenmuseum on the East bank of the Meuse river
    • Griendpark - modern park on the East bank of the river with inline-skating and skateboarding course.

The tourist information office (VVV) is located in the so-called Dinghuis - the 15th-century former town hall and law courts building at the intersection of Grote Staat and Kleine Staat.

[edit] Natives of Maastricht

See also People from Maastricht

[edit] Sister Cities

[edit] See also

[edit] Impressions

City Hall

Public park

Public park

Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Embankment

Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Square

Father Vink Tower

Hells Gate

Jeker river

Lang Grachtje street

Saint Hilarius street

Vrijthof & Saint Servatius Basilica

Saint Servatius Basilica

Saint Servatius Basilica interior

Saint Servatius Bridge

Public library

Square 1992

Square 1992

Bonnefanten Museum

Mosae Forum

High Bridge

Meuse River

Dinghuis

Train station

Sint Pieter

Fortress Sint Pieter

Fortress Sint Pieter

Lichtenberg estate

ENCI Quarry

[edit] References

  1. ^ VVV Maastricht
  2. ^ Gnesotto, N. (1992). European union after Minsk and Maastricht. International Affairs. 68(2), 223-232.
  3. ^ Coffee Corner: Dagblad de Limburger
  4. ^ A2 tunnel fors duurder: Dagblad de Limburger
  5. ^ Tramlijn: Dagblad de Limburger
  6. ^ Tramverbinding tussen Nederland en België (Dutch)
  7. ^ Entre Deux
  8. ^ Top shelves: The Guardian

[edit] External links

Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Maastricht

General

Tourism

History

Higher education and research

  • Hogere Hotel School (higher hotel school)

Resources for expatriates

Other

v • d • e
Maastricht and related topics
Culture
General
Education
History
Flag of Maastricht
Geography
Geology & Hydrology
Juliana Canal · Maastrichtian (geological period) · Meuse · Zuid-Willemsvaart
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Politics
Local politics
Gerd Leers (CDA) (current mayor)
International politics
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