Features

Netherlands - The Treat of Maastricht

by Mike Levy

What is your definition of civilised travel? Mine is not being pushed around in airport queues where actually being treated like cattle is the best you can hope.

Masstricht is so civilised that you have to get there by train and what better choochoo than Eurostar from St Pancras International and a short but ever so civilised journey towards that quintessentially Dutch city.

The journey from London by train to Brussels now takes a shade less than two hours. The ride is fast and smooth and it’s never too far away from a very well-stocked buffet car. Before you can say “go on, let’s have another beer”, you are in the huge terminal at Brussels South (Midi).

Now you have a choice: a new super-fast train service to Maastricht has recently been opened: it takes 80 minutes and it’s a short hop from the Eurostar platform to your train to the deep Dutch south. If you have a bit more time, you can though catch a local train from Midi to the city of Liege (Luik in Dutch) which sits near the Dutch border and is a short ride from Maastricht. The advantage of doing this is that your Eurostar ticket is valid for anywhere in Belgium.

Liege is a handsome French-speaking city that gets very few English visitors. A local bus will take you from the station to the town centre with its huge cathedral and legion of pavement cafes redolent of a George Simenon novel (the author of Maigret was born here). From Liege you can get to Maastricht by short railway journey (under 30 minutes) or by river cruise ship up the broad river Meuse (Maas). This is a treat in itself – the journey takes around 3 hours and the comfortable cruiser passes through the Ternaaien lock with its awesome 15 metre drop. The boat drops you smack bang in the centre of the old town of Maastricht with its welcoming array of riverside cafes.

Maastricht is the southerly-most city of the Netherlands and has the reputation of being the country’s most laid-back and relaxed town despite connotations with the famous (but dull) EU treaty signed here in 1991. The city is a little gem and for green-aware travellers a perfect place for bikes (you can hire them at the railway station). The old centre is virtually car-free and it is a welcome sight to see pedestrians and cyclists given priority.

Your first port of call should be the tourist office (VVV) right in the centre of the old town. There pick up a map or the excellent little walking tour guide which will take you into the little alleyways and quaint corners of this ancient city. It is a place of old city walls, medieval towers, picture-book pretty Dutch gabled houses and rather lovely tree-lined squares packed with great restaurants and bars. Though walking around the town with its grand Stadhuis (town hall) and great market square should keep you happy for a chilled weekend, there are plenty of cultural attractions here too including the elegant Spaans Gouvernement (Spanish Government) Museum and the city’s strikingly odd Bonnefanten Museum (it looks like a giant bullet) stuffed with fine contemporary art works and old masters.

Choosing a place to stay can be tricky in the height of summer but the VVV should be able to fix you up with a room at any time. Budget conscious local secreters would do well to check out the new youth hostel, ‘Stayok’ which has wonderful river views and looks more like a posh hotel.

With its narrow lanes, ancient buildings and ubiquitous bikes, Maastricht has the air of a Dutch Cambridge about it – the main street Brugstraat is a dead ringer for Trinity Street. It is a place in which to feel immediately at home; an ideal weekend break destination and a city full of its own local secrets.