Experience Italy in Maastricht with Ciao tutti
Maastricht is arguably the most Italian city in the Netherlands. Not only because of its Roman history, but also thanks to its many Italian culinary addresses. Discover the Italian atmosphere of Wyck, the Stokstraat quarter and Onze-Lieve-Vrouweplein with Saskia Balmaekers of Ciaotutti.nl.
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Listen to the podcast of Ciao tutti
Listen to the podcast of Ciao tutti
'La dolce vita in Maastricht'
Start the day with espresso e un cornetto
The perfect place for an Italian start to your stroll through Italian Maastricht is Van Wijck. Thanks in part to the beautiful La Marzocco espresso machine, a cappuccino or espresso here tastes just like in an Italian coffee bar. Add a cornetto (croissant) with dark chocolate shavings for a real Italian breakfast. Continue along Wycker Brugstraat and turn right into Rechtstraat after Café Zondag. At number 19 you will find Regalo, an unusual gift shop with an Italian name run by people with intellectual disabilities. At number 22 is Toscanella Apuana, an authentic Italian trattoria where you can join them for lunch or dinner later in the day.
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Van Wijck
Van Wijck
Welcome to Van Wijck. Pure enjoyment of coffee, breakfast, lunch, high tea, drinks and 'to go'. More about Van Wijck
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Regalo Cadeau
Regalo Cadeau
Looking for a colourful, handmade gift? Regalo Cadeau combines selling and making the most creative gifts with a day care service for people with mental disabilities. More info on Regalo Cadeau
Several roads lead to Rome
Walk past St Martin's Church out of Rechtstraat and turn left into Sint Maartenslaan. Walk to the narrow strip of greenery on the Embankment along the Maas. Here you will find two remnants of the Wilhelmina Bridge. They are two reliefs depicting Maastricht's history, made by Haarlem artist Hendrik van den Eijnde. The left relief shows the arrival of the Romans, who founded Traiectum ad Mosam, a 'crossing place in the Maas', here.
La dolce vita
Follow the embankment along the Maas to the Sint-Servaas bridge, the oldest existing bridge in the Netherlands. Walk across the bridge, then turn left and walk along the Vissersmaas to the little square where the Mestreechter Geis stands. It is a playful, dashing statue, characteristics that characterise the average Maastricht person. The Mestreechter Mestreechter Geis symbolises the way the Maastricht people live their lives. The local version of la dolce vita!
The Mestreechter Geis has its back to Darq, where both coffee and chocolate lovers can indulge. Order a delicious espresso, cappuccino or one of the other coffee varieties (made with Illy coffee beans from Trieste in northern Italy) with one of the chocolate creations from chocolatier Ralph Hagen's workshop. Nice souvenirs are the Mestreechter punekes (chocolate kisses).
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Mestreechter Geis
Mestreechter Geis
A difficult to translate concept made visible by sculptor Mari Andriessen (1897-1979) in a sculpture of the same name. More info on Mestreechter Geis
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DARQ Maastricht
DARQ Maastricht
On the banks of the river Maas and the beginning of the idyllic Stokstraat quarter is DARQ, a unique chocolate and coffee concept in a setting of luxury and history. More info about DARQ Maastricht
More tracks - of the Romans
Continue walking along Het Bat. Cross the Maasboulevard at Eksterstraat to admire the only visible remnant of the Roman bridge on the Maas promenade: a stone lion overlooking the Maas (the original lion belongs to the Bonnefanten collection).
Walk down Eksterstraat to the little square called Op de Thermen, in the heart of the Stokstraat quarter. This was once the site of the Roman castellum, which also included, as the square's name suggests, a large thermal complex. Unfortunately, the remains of the baths are no longer visible, but you can still see the contours of the various buildings in the pavement.
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Op de Thermen square
Op de Thermen square
Op de Thermen is an intimate, quiet square in Maastricht, with a historical reference to a Roman bathhouse. More info on Op de Thermen
Where Romans once enjoyed a few hours of bathing, steaming and swimming, at Vino & Friends you now enjoy a wonderful selection of wines, personally curated by owners Fabian Wijering and Bas Lenoire, accompanied by classic antipasti, beautiful (homemade) pastas and tasty secondi. There is also a changing three- or four-course menu every month highlighting one of the Italian regions.
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Vino&Friends
Vino&Friends
Vino&Friends in Maastricht is an atmospheric Italian restaurant in the historic Stokstraat quarter. Here you will enjoy refined Italian dishes prepared with fresh and seasonal ingredients. More info about Vino&Friends
A stone's throw away is Onze-Lieve-Vrouweplein, where more Roman history awaits, including in the basement of the Derlon Hotel. Archaeologists found here the remains of a temple complex dedicated to Jupiter, the Roman supreme god. But also the remains of a section of Roman road and the western gate of the castellum. In the showcases, remains of statues and a spout of a pouring jug, in the shape of a delicately rendered animal head, sparkle.
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Museum cellar Derlon
Museum cellar Derlon
Many Roman remains have been found in and around the Onze-Lieve-Vrouweplein square. These remains are kept in the museum cellar of Hotel Derlon. More info on Museumkelder Derlon
Spot the cornerstones in Basilica of Our Lady
The castellum is also said to have contained a monumental column topped by a life-size statue of Jupiter. In memory of this, a statue of Jupiter on horseback stands high on a column in the Onze Lieve Vrouwe square. The only visible 'souvenir' of the Romans at Basilica of Our Lady are the spolia, the grey corner stones on the right side of the church. The impressive chapel of Mary, gold-lined statue of the Star of the Sea, has a very Italian feel to it. Like the Maastricht people, light a candle there, at the feet of Mary.
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Basilica of Our Lady
Basilica of Our Lady
Religious and non-religious visitors and residents alike often light a candle here. More info on Basilica of Our Lady
Italian hotspots - around the square
Contemporary Italy is fortunately also plentiful on Onze-Lieve-Vrouweplein, thanks in part to Ristorante Il Giardino, one of the city's oldest Italian restaurants. The owners have Sicilian roots, but the menu features dishes from all over the boot. On the corner with Sint Bernardusstraat is Infinito, a wine bar with mostly Italian dishes and drinks on the menu. For toe get a gelato, ice cream, in summer at Gelateria Luna Rossa, on Graanmarkt, with which you can take a quick stroll through the former Roman part of town.
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Il Giardino della Mama
Il Giardino della Mama
Il Giardino della Mama is a delicious Italian restaurant located on Onze Lieve Vrouweplein in Maastricht. More about Il Giardino della Mama
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Gelateria Luna Rossa
Gelateria Luna Rossa
Luna Rossa Gelateria has a branch in Wyck and in the Stokstraat Quarter. Here you can enjoy artisanally prepared gelato in a variety of delicious flavours. More info on Gelateria Luna Rossa
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Ciao tutti's City Walk Maastricht
Order the walkCurious about more Italian spots in Maastricht? With Ciao tutti's City Walk Maastricht - Italy on the Maas you will discover them all. Buona passeggiata, nice walk!
