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.

This centrally located, small park is beloved by the city residents for the jog-perfect, tree-shaded paths, weekend Zumba classes taught by professional instructors (anyone is welcome to join in!), and the food stands with an array of snacks on sale.

The Museum is named after Lorenzo Rota (1855-1918), the first man to describe the flora of Bergamo province. Alpine Calcofile and acuidofile species are devoted such a degree of attention that for many years the Botanic Garden has been considered an Alpine botanic garden. Closed from November to February.

In the old Koekelberg chocolate factory, Brussels, come and discover the largest museum in Belgium solely dedicated to chocolate: the Belgian Chocolate Factory.