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.

The winding road up to the caldera is a thrill in its own. Only after dozens of twists, turns and breathtaking vistas of mossy green cliffs can travellers arrive at the secluded settlement of Cilaos. For best vistas, walk up the Roche Merveilleuse, and do stop by the local thermal baths.

This steep and winding street is the most photographed street in San Francisco. Tourists come to the Russian Hill to see, drive or walk down the "crookedest street in the world," that has in total eight hairpin turns. The Hyde Street Cable Car makes a stop at the top of Lombard Street. From there, you can get amazing views of the Fisherman’s Wharf and the Bay.

With exhibits ranging from model boats to fish skeletons and sixteen aquariums, this is a superb museum about all things nautical. Look out for the two-headed sardine and the famous 60-ton whale skeleton. If after your visit you get hungry, there's a on-site restaurant with bay views.