Historical sights in the Jeker Quarter
On the Jeker river, in the southern part of the historic city centre, lies one of the districts with the highest density of monuments in Maastricht: the Jekerkwartier. With medieval streets, churches, monasteries and the most beautiful buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries, you will experience the rich history. Whether you stroll along the old city walls, admire the statue of d'Artagnan or visit an old monastery: history is tangible everywhere. We recommend the ten most beautiful historical pearls in Maastricht's Jeker Quarter.
Medieval - city walls
Maastricht has had two city walls since the early 13th century. Construction of the first began around 1229, soon after obtaining city rights to protect residents. The Helpoort, the Pater Vinck tower tower and walls along Onze Lieve Vrouwe city wall are remnants of this oldest defensive system. Particularly in the Jeker Quarter and along the Stadspark, parts of this wall still stand centuries later. Maastricht grew steadily since the construction of the first city wall, which soon proved too cramped. From the 14th century onwards, a new wall was therefore built around a larger part of the city. In the centuries that followed and especially during the 80-year war, this defensive work was reinforced.
Helpoort gate - and Pesthuys
The Jeker Quarter is home to the oldest surviving city gate in the Netherlands. The Helpoort was built around 1229 as part of the first city wall. Walk between the thick round towers and under the gate's red balcony into the city. The HelpoHelpoort houses the Vesting Museum Maastricht with all the history of the city's strategic walling. Just outside the wall, opposite the gate, is the white Pesthuys. Originally a paper mill called Het Ancker because of the cast-iron anchors on the walls. The nickname 'Pesthuys' comes from the time when people with the plague were isolated in surrounding houses. The building itself never served as a plague house. Culture lovers now flock there for the performances and lectures in the small-scale Pesthuyspodium theatre.
"Walk between the thick round towers and under the gate's red balcony into the city. "
Onze Lieve Vrouwe city wall - and Jeker Tower
Between the Maastricht Stadspark (city park) and the river Maas lies the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwewal. The rampart was part of both the first and second city walls to protect inhabitants. The first wall was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and maintained thereafter. Climb the steps to the street of the same name and stroll past the historic buildings overlooking the Stadspark (city park). At the corner, where two city walls meet, an old Waltz Tower has been built. This Jeker tower once stood at the foot of the Jeker River, which then ran as a moat around the wall. You climb the tower via steps on Sint Bernardusstraat or via Onze-Lieve-Vrouwewal and take a peek through the arching crevices. Can you imagine that this tower was once important for defending the city?
Pater Vinck tower
The Pater Vinck tower was part of Maastricht's second city wall. It is also one of the two surviving wall towers. You can see a crumbling part of the second city wall right next to the wall tower. The 13th-century structure is named after Father Vinck, who allegedly betrayed the city. He collaborated in a plot to get Maastricht back into Spanish hands after Dutch conquest. So the story goes. This failed and beheading for nine 'traitors' followed. The priest had to wait in the tower for his trial. Earlier, the structure was nicknamed 'Achter die Swestern' (Behind the Sisters), because of the adjacent convent of the Faliezusters. The surrounding Faliezusterspark is also named after these nuns. The tower was little more than a ruin in 1880, but was restored 25 years later.
Rondeel De Vief Köp - and rondeel Haet ende Nijt
Maastricht's second city wall contains two roundeles: semicircular bastions protruding from the wall. Cannons were often placed on such a roundel to keep the enemy at bay. Ronddeel De Vief Köp owes its name to the five heads that were displayed here after an execution during the 80-year war. The head impaled on a stake, facing the enemy. Everyone would thus know what happens to traitors. Whether treason had actually been committed was never established.
The name of rondeel Haet ende Nijt (hate and envy) is written on the wall. Probably because the roundel served as the backdrop for battles several times when the people of Liège attacked from St Peter's. Both roundels are now national monuments. You can admire them from the Stadspark (city park), or by climbing the ramparts: via Poort Waerachtig you arrive at De Vief Köp for the best view.
Bisschopsmolen - and Lion Mill
There are two old mills on the Jeker River. In fact, De Bisschopsmolen is one of the oldest working water mills in the Netherlands. The current stone facade was built in the 17th century, but it is believed that a mill for grinding grain was already there around the year 1100. The owner was the city administrator, the prince-bishop of Liège. Grain still plays the main role. You can order delicious freshly baked bread, breakfast cereals and all kinds of flans, made from local - and mill-milled - spelt. A bit downstream is de Leeuwenmolen. The exact year of construction of this mill is not known either, but it was already in use in 1694. It first made paper, and later ground corn and tanned leather. No longer in use as a mill, De Leeuwenmolen is a national monument.
Old Friar of Friars Minor and Walloon Church
Religious heritage is also plentiful in the Jeker Quarter. The Franciscan Friars Minor lived, taught and worked in the old Friars Minor Convent since 1232. Since 1639, monks no longer live there and the building served as an orphanage, military hospital and shelter for the garrison. Today it is a city archive.
French-speaking Protestants founded the Walloon church in 1680. They fled from France to Maastricht due to religious wars, where the Protestant faith was allowed at the time. In the baroque Walloon Church with its striking tower, the Reformed denomination still holds services every Sunday. A little further on, on Hondstraat, is also the Lutheran Church. Today, this Protestant church fulfils the function of event location, for fairs, concerts or exhibitions.
The Beguinage - and female Franciscans
Anyone who thinks Maastricht has no Beguinage is wrong. Hidden away on de Zwingelput is a courtyard, which later became the Nieuwenhof convent. Beguines settled in Maastricht from the 13th century onwards. In the 15th century, it became a Franciscan monastery, which today is taught by Universiteit Maastricht.
Opposite the Beguinage is the former Bonnefanten Convent, which also housed nuns(bons enfants). Today, the 17th-century building houses the Natural History Museum. Here, besides the Mosasaurus, you can also visit the most beautiful hidden city garden. Walk along the Looiersgracht towards the Ezelmarkt and you will see the imposing gate of the Grauwzustersklooster on the left. In this neighbourhood, the river Jeker used to be used for tanning leather. A little further on, on Bonnefantenstraat, the iconic Huys op Den Jeker overhangs the Jeker River.
More monasteries? Yes, there is also the Jesuit monastery, which was not only a monastery but also a Jesuit theological faculty. During the French occupation in the 18th century, most monasteries lost their function. The former Jesuit monastery church, on the corner of Onze-Lieve-Vrouweplein, is now event venue Bonbonnière.
Gate Vicious
The 19th-century Gate Waerachtig is one of the newer gates in Maastricht. Its design comes from architect Pierre Cuypers, who is also the mastermind behind the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam's Central Station. Connoisseurs of architecture will recognise the style as neo-Gothic. Non-experts will see a car-wide passage in a grey wall, which looks medieval but is not. The gate was built on the site of a former fortress wall. You walk through the gate from the green Villapark district straight to the Jeker Quarter.
Tapijnkazerne
The Tapijnkazerne in Maastricht had been the setting for exercises by the Dutch army and NATO since 1919. Although Maastricht had not been a garrison town since the end of the 19th century, the last soldiers left the site in 2010 and it was given an entirely new function. Before that, most of the buildings were not demolished, but neatly restored and preserved. Students cycle back and forth in front of the Universiteit Maastricht campus buildings and the brasserie is a temporary venue for events. The area has a vibrant atmosphere where you can stroll among the greenery and plop down on the specially designed carpet bench, terrace square or lawn. Visit the educational Carpet Garden for a lesson on urban agriculture with local crops, the stork's nest and the bee hotels. Also check out the deer park with red deer and wooden sculptures.
