The most beautiful churches in Maastricht

Sint-Servaasbasiliek is the oldest surviving church in the Netherlands, built on the burial site of Saint Servatius from the fourth century. The current church dates from the 11th century, but an earlier burial chapel and church stood on this site. Nevertheless, the crypt with the mystical tomb of Maastricht's first bishop has always been preserved. Besides the typical Romanesque walls and towers, you will also detect Gothic pointed arch windows and Baroque details in the interior. You will visit the hidden treasure chamber, where the Emergency Chest with the relics of Saint Servatius and other enchanting objects can be admired. Servaas is also the city's patron saint and appeals incredibly to the imagination. For instance, some sources described that he was said to be the second cousin of Jesus Christ, fought with a dragon and possessed the key to heaven's gate.

The 11th-century Basilica of Our Lady stands on the remains of a 5th-century church and even the remains of a Roman temple. Basilica of Our Lady is one of the oldest churches in the Netherlands in the Romanesque architectural style. It can be recognised by its thick walls with small rounded frames and therefore dark atmosphere. You will visit the mysterious treasure chamber, the famous statue of Mary Star of the Sea from 1400, the richly gold-lined ambulatory or the treasure chamber with the Levite robe of Bishop Saint Lambert. Religious and non-religious visitors often come to the church on the Onze Lieve Vrouwe square to symbolically light a candle, 'bougie'.

The Dominican order built the Dominican Church between 1265 and 1294, as part of their monastery. The Gothic church has pointed arch windows with stained glass, rib vaults and centuries-old frescoes, which were restored in 1970. Since 2006, the church has been filled with tens of thousands of books. Not holy books, but all kinds of genres. Boekhandel Dominicanen is in The Guardian top-10 most beautiful bookstores worldwide. The ingenious constructions by Dutch architecture firm Merkx + Girod allow you to admire the architecture on two floors. At Coffeelovers in the former presbytery, settle down with your newly bought book and order a cup of coffee and some goodies.

We cross the Maas to Wyck. There is really only one church there that can be spotted immediately from the banks of the Meuse: St Martin's Church. Dedicated to Saint Martin, whom we know from the November 11 songs. St Martin's Church is a neo-Gothic church building from 1858. There was a Gothic church here in Wyck well before the Middle Ages, according to drawings, but it was demolished in 1855. A few years later, the current church was built of red brick. Inside the church walls, a brass baptismal font from 1482 and a 14th-century dark wood statue of Christ still stand.

A little hidden away, enclosed by the historic buildings on Boschstraat, stands Sint-Matthiaskerk (St. Matthew's Church). The first stone was laid in the 14th century. The colourful interior is in neo-Gothic style and finished with stained-glass windows by Charles Eyck and others and wall frescos. The church was not open to visitors for a long time, but today you can even walk to a walled garden, where you can admire the nave and apse. If you stand in front of the church and put your head on your neck, you will see that the tower consists of three parts. And that's right, because the tower has been destroyed and rebuilt several times through wars and storms, but to this day, never completed to its intended height.

The Oude Minderbroederskerk church church was the church of a former Franciscan monastery complex. Popularly called Friars Minor. The monastery church was built against the city wall around 1234. You can still see further down Pieterstraat where the wall ran through the monastery complex, through a symbolic opening with glass. It is an example of the oldest Gothic style in the city, with an austere interior. Befitting the Franciscans' philosophy. Yet the ornamentation of the large Gothic windows, aerial arches and architecture are impressive. After the dissolution of the convent, the complex served as an orphanage and military hospital. Today, the complex is home to the city archives (RHCL and SHCL), where the church serves as a reading room for the perusal of records. Walk around the complex, towards Begijnenstraat. In summer, you can enjoy the architecture there on Café Sjiek's terrace at the back of the monastery.

The two green pointed towers on either side of a rounded grey tower make Sint-Lambertuskerk (St. Lambert's Church) an imposing structure. Its neo-Romanesque appearance gives it the nickname of Maastricht's Sacré-Coeur. A style not often seen in Maastricht. The church is relatively young: the first stone was laid in 1913 and stands on the remains of the Hoge Fronten and the Kazematten, the system of corridors under Maastricht. As a result, the building probably suffered several cracks and subsidence over the years. From the stone exterior, you cannot see the extraordinary interior. Since 2016, the church has been owned by a private owner and completely renovated with a research centre, residence and cultural space. Hypermodern meets old architectural elements such as the high ceilings and beautiful stained-glass windows here.

From a distance, it looks like a mosque, as seen in Istanbul. The Koepelkerk church can be recognised by its copper-green dome. The design is a mix of neo-Romanesque and neo-Byzantine styles. The dome is an example of the Byzantine style, which adopted architectural elements from the Middle East. This church is not very old either, but built between 1920 and 1921. The church is close to the railway station, so be sure to walk past it before heading into town. Walk inside and be surprised by the mix of styles, colours and materials. Since 2021, the Eritrean Orthodox religious community has also held services in the church.