Day trip to Maastricht
Historically, Maastricht is one of the most ancient cities in the Netherlands. It is known as an important hub of culture, history, and study. In Maastricht you can enjoy the historical beauty of Roman architecture, many large public squares, bustling student areas, or wander throught the vibrant shopping districs that are hugely popular with locals, national and international visitors.
If you love museums and art galleries, there are dozens to explore. Below are some of the more well known ones:
- Bonnefantenmuseum:This is the foremost museum for old masters and contemporary fine art in the province of Limburg. It has a mixture of the old paintings (including Pieter Breughel the Younger and Giovanni del Biondo) as well as a modern art collection. The museum is housed in a building designed by Italian architect Aldo Rossi.
- The Natural History Museum: It's modern displays offer an insight into both the recent and distant past. The museum holds more than 550,000 natural objects. The collection comprises more than 11,000 species.
- Galerie Arteux: A gallery with a varied collection of modern art & design objects, including paintings, sculptures and stainless steel pieces of design furniture. Arteaux works closely together with talented artists and designers who create high-quality individually crafted objects.
- Spanish Government Museum: Often used by King Charles the V of Spain when visiting Maastricht, the museum has a number of period rooms with 17th and 18th-century furnishings, silverwork, porcelain, pottery, glassware and so forth. It also has a superb collection of 17th and 18th-century Dutch paintings.
- Centre Céramique: The public library collection, with over 500,000 books, magazines and audiovisual resources.
If you are more into shopping, dining out or just strolling around, Maastricht has much to offer as well. The inner city is a maze of narrow streets with antique shops, books shops and lots of other fun shopping. Amongst the Dutch, Maastricht is known as the culinary high light of The Netherlands. The people from the South of Holland love their food and drinks, inspired on the French cuisine, and their restaurants show it. There is no better city in Holland to pamper your taste buttons. In Maastricht you can dine out in many different ways; whether you prefer 'haute cuisine' or a low key cafe meal ("eetcafe"), Maastricht has lots to offer.
Hotel Kadampa Holland is situated at just 15 minutes drive by car or by train from Maastricht.
The local tourist office can give your more information on visiting Maastricht. Do not forget to check the Lonely Planet Maastricht.