Khoo Kongsi was built just over a century ago, and it is the finest example of a Hokkien Chinese ‘clan house’ complex in Georgetown. Its grand hall is replete with decorative carvings and ornamented columns, and the red tiled roof is crowned with extravagant carvings of demons, dragons and other creatures from Chinese mythology. The hall is surrounded by a complex of shops, houses and other buildings, within a rectangle of defensive walls.

You’ll feel like you’ve crossed the border, but you’re not quite there yet. Of course, you’re aware that Maastricht’s central location in the Euregio means you can be in Belgium very quickly. But you don’t really feel it until you see how the city, and the countryside around it, is layered with a unique mix of foreign influences. With the Sint Pietersberg hill, the historic caves, the vineyards, Fort Sint Pieter, and Château Neercanne as backdrop, this part of the city has everything you need to capture that holiday feeling. Sint Pieter was its own municipality until 1920. This part of the city was always outside the city walls (and so had it the toughest in times of war). Then, it was mainly farmers who lived here; now, it’s mostly families, epicureans, and a few descendants of the inhabitants of that old Sint Pieter. Today, Sint Pieter is Maastricht’s most popular residential district, not just for its beautiful houses but because of its ideal location between city and green. And it still feels like its own town, with its own social life, and charm, even though it’s just a stone’s throw away from the city park. In fact, it has the best of both worlds: village and city. Nature and culture.

Visit St. James Park and watch a match of Newcastle United. The football stadium is one of the most popular in England and holds about 52.000 visitors. Whether there is a game on or not, the St. James Park and the surrounding area is always worth a visit.