Those who live and work here say that you don’t really need to explain where the Jeker quarter is: Once you’re there, you’ll know. This is where the locals stroll the streets at their leisure, students read in the park, and you can spend a whole Sunday on a café terrace, a wisp of jazz music in the air in the background, and never get bored. The Jeker quarter is nestled between the old city walls and centuries-old houses, bordered by the green of the city park. Although people have lived here for centuries, no one has ever explored it all. Enterprise is deeply rooted in the genes of this community: A history full of crafts and trades has left its marks, and forged the unique, authentic, innovative and creative atmosphere you feel here today. And right through the middle of it, that impudent little river, the Jeker, flows brazenly on. The quaint streets, stately homes, and idyllic parks have everything to make history come alive, while the rich student life, mix of young and old, culinary highlights, and abundant art and culture pull you back to the present.

Located just 30 kilometres away from the city is a beautiful island with a mesmerising beach, a 15-kilometre long coast line sprinkled with sea shells and coconut trees. If you want to get away from the city and relax on a breathtaking island, Cherai Beach is the place to be.

You would almost miss them. Almost. Because as soon as you pass the entryway to the St. Servaas Basilica, you’ll figure out that it’s worth walking on. You’ll see for yourself that Maastricht doesn’t end at the Vrijthof. Sometimes you just have to take those few extra steps. That’s when Maastricht will surprise you with just how surprising the city centre really is. The Vrijthof has a number of little streets leading into it from all directions. They include Brusselsestraat, Grote Gracht, and De Kommel. Unlike the more idyllic boulevards in most of the rest of the city, these streets evoke a feeling of the urban, the artistic, the unknown. Here, students and locals come and go: artists, designers, professionals. It’s an area that’s moving fast: new shops, start-ups, young businesses, surprising concepts. Yet at the same time, it’s bursting with historic buildings, and is still very much a place where locals want to live. In truth, you can’t really describe the streets around the Vrijthof in a few words. It’s where local, university, business, authentic, forward-looking, and surprising Maastricht all come together.

The Castello Sforzesco was built in the 15th by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Until the beginning of the 20th century it was a symbol of power and the nobility used it as their residence. Today the castle houses a wide selection of cultural sights, such as museums and exhibitions.