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With origins lost in the mist of times, this important Dutch city has preserved its medieval architecture although having been ravaged by war through the centuries and enjoys today a vibrant and cosmopolitan scene. From the Roman times to the Treaty of Maastricht and the foundation of the European Union, there is much to get to know here: the City Hall of Maastricht, built in 28 years in the 17th century to serve the two rulers of the period, or the statue of Hendrik van Veldeke in the square in front of St. Servaas Church.

Van Veldeke was the first writer to have ever written in the Dutch language. He wrote a work called “The Legend of St. Servatius” in the 12th century and was honored in the square. Get to know “Hell’s Gate”, or Helpoort, the oldest gate of Maastricht and the Netherlands, and the Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk), one of the most important and oldest catholic buildings in town, dated as far as as the year 1000 AD. We will show you also a small but famous curiosity, Pieke oet de Stokstraot, also known as the Boy and his Dog statue, fictional characters from a novel by the local author Bèr Hollewijn.

Follow your guide to get a feel of what makes this city one of the quintessential European cities that have shaped the present and future of the continent as a Union.

You will learn about:
*Origins of the city by the Romans
*Middle Ages and the Carolingian Empire
*Legend of Saint Servatius
*Religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries
*Economic turnaround in the industrial revolution
*Napoleonic era
*The Kingdom of the Netherlands and the hard integration of Maastricht
*World War I: haven for refugees
*World War II German occupation
*Post-war
*The Maastricht Treaty and the foundation of the European Union and the Euro

You will see:
*City Hall (Stadhuis)
*Street Market
*Dominicans Church (Dominikanerkerk)
*St. Servatius Church
*Museum Aan Het Vrijthof
*St. John Church (Sint-Janskerk)
*Hendrik van Veldeke
*Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk)
*Helpoort
*Pieke oet de Stokstraot
*Sint Servaasbrug