Maastricht is a city for lovers of all things historical. This amazing city is rich in examples of historic buildings and churches with over 1400 monuments protected by the State. The city centre is a great place to start your exploration of Maastricht, the main square, Vrijthof is home to the Basilica Saint Servatius one of the oldest churches in the Netherlands. There are a whole host of other historical buildings located within close proximity to one another in the city centre including the old ‘fortress remains’. Take a stroll around and find something ‘old’ on every corner or take a guided tour organised by the local tourist office.

The Helpoort

The famous 'St. Pietersberg' caves is a must with its enormous labyrinth of 20,000 passages carved out of the rock face of Mount St.Pieter. Tours lasting about an hour are available through the VVV Tourist Office
A nice addition to the caves is a tour of the old mining galleries on the western limits of Maastricht dating back to 1575. Visitors are able to take a guided tour of the mines which include powder rooms, plunging steps and a variety of galleries.
Before leaving Maastricht visitors must take time to visit the Helpoort, the only remaining city gate in Maastricht dating back to 1229. This magnificent structure is the oldest of its kind in all of the Netherlands and gives visitors a great sense of the importance of Maastricht in historical terms.