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Cretaceous sea

  • Once upon a time...

    It’s hard to imagine as you walk through the quaint streets of Maastricht, but about 70 million years ago, you’d have been knee-deep in water. A shallow, subtropical Cretaceous sea covered the whole of south Limburg.

    Enci Groeve Maastricht Krijtzee

It teemed with flora and fauna such as sea grasses, corals, fish, sharks, and mosasaurs. The skeletons of these animals formed a thick layer of limestone over millions of years. When the sea later dried out, these yellow limestone layers of Cretaceous bedrock were left exposed. They are still clearly visible in the ENCI quarry and caves of the St Pietersberg nature reserve.

ENCI quarry

Today, the ENCI quarry is an industrial heritage and natural beauty site in one. In 1926, the Dutch cement company began excavating limestone from St Pietersberg hill to make cement. The marl mines were closed in 2019. What remains is a unique canyon landscape where you can walk among the grazing sheep and goats. The trail is open each day from 1 April to 1 September between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. From 1 September to 1 April, it is open each day from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

View it here
enci groeve maastricht sint pieter sint pietersberg Enci Groeve Maastricht Krijtzee

The viewing platform

From the viewing platform, you can enjoy a breathtaking view over rugged chalk cliff formations and azure pools. A 215-step, steel staircase leads you from the platform down to the landscape below. Keep your eyes peeled: as you look at the million-year-old rocks, you may just make the find of your life. In 1998, the head and a piece of backbone of the Mosasaurus Bèr, known as the monster of Maastricht, were discovered. Bèr is now on display in Maastricht’s Natuurhistorisch Museum (natural history museum).

  • Guided tour through Fort Sint Pieter | Maastricht Underground

    Guided tour through Fort Sint Pieter | Maastricht Underground

    until 5 January 2025

    Step back in time and experience history during a tour of Fort St. Pieter.

  • Guided Tours of the North Caves | Maastricht Underground

    Guided Tours of the North Caves | Maastricht Underground

    until 5 January 2025

    Do you dare go underground? Go exploring in the caves below the St. Pietersberg hill.

  • Mission Underground

    Mission Underground

    until 1 February 2026

    Active and thrilling! Experience a team-building program in the form of an immersive game set in the...

Experience Walk - We highly recommend taking part

Have you already heard of the Experience Walk? It is an interesting way to inspire you and to add a new twist to your daily walk How about an adventurous walk on St. Pietersberg hill. One of our Official Maastricht Guides has set out this walking route for you. You start at Fort St. Pieter. Put on your walking shoes, bring your binoculars, and let’s head on out!

History for kids

Here’s a golden tip for your kids: the 'Schatgraven’ (digging for treasure) exhibition in Maastricht’s Natuurhistorisch Museum (natural history museum). Here, you will discover, learn, and focus on digging up and handling the most amazing archaeological discoveries! This will help you discover what can be found in the ground and what information this gives about the times when dinosaurs, mammoths, and woolly rhinos. Dig for archaeological finds in the large sandbox and touch a real mammoth bone! 

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Schatgraven Natuurhistorisch Museum Schatgraven Natuurhistorisch Museum

From a long, long time ago to now - The timeline

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