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Seventy million years ago, the area of today's Maastricht city centre was knee-deep in the shallow waters of the subtropical Cretaceous Sea that covered southern Limburg.

Maastricht harbours a rich Roman past, partly visible in the city, partly preserved in special stories that you can follow along the traces of the Romans.

Maastricht has many religious sites, recalling its being a European religious hotspot, where you can admire the heritage and pause for a moment, even without faith.

From 1204, Maastricht was divided between the duke of Brabant and the prince-bishop of Liège, with the construction of stone city walls protecting the city in the Middle Ages and allowing it to grow into a prosperous centre.

Maastricht's location on the Meuse and Via Belgica made it a garrison town for centuries, with fortifications still visible in parts.

In the 19th century, Maastricht became the Netherlands' first industrial city, with large pottery and glass factories by Petrus Regout, much of whose heritage can still be seen in the Sphinx Quarter.

In 1940, Dutch soldiers blew up bridges to defend Maastricht, but German tanks entered Wyck anyway, and later the city lost hundreds of inhabitants due to the occupation.

Maastricht almost makes you feel abroad, thanks to its southern atmosphere, burgundian lifestyle and the fact that half of its university students come from abroad.

On 7 February 1992, the Maastricht Treaty was signed in Maastricht, establishing the European Union and making the city a symbol of European unity.

In 2018, the King Willem-Alexander Tunnel opened, bringing the A2 connection under Maastricht and giving the city a quiet, green avenue atop the Groene Loper.