The 10 most beautiful churches in Maastricht

A church that, because of its robust walls, looks more like a defensive fortress. Or a green dome, which in the distance resembles a mosque. The skyline of the Limburg capital features several church towers. On this page, we tip off Maastricht's ten most beautiful churches. Strolling through the city, you will discover its rich religious history, different architectural styles and surprising repurposed buildings.

Basilica Of Saint Servatius | Sint Janskerk (St. John's Church) | Basilica of Our Lady | Dominican Church | St Martin's Church | Sint-Matthiaskerk (St. Matthew's Church) | Oude Minderbroederskerk church | Augustine Church | Sint-Lambertuskerk (St. Lambert's Church) | Koepelkerk church |

Basilica Of Saint Servatius

Saint Servatius Basilica 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 Reliquary 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.

  • Saint Servatius Basilica Maastricht front of towers
  • Saint Servatius Basilica inside altar from above

"Saint Servatius Basilica is the oldest surviving church in the Netherlands. "

Sint Janskerk (St. John's Church)

Next to Basilica Of Saint Servatius, the red tower of Sint Janskerk (St. John's Church) on Vrijthof stands out colourfully. The church dates from the 13th century, but partially collapsed two centuries later due to a storm. On the remains, the now almost 80-metre-high tower was built in 1400. To protect the marlstone from the weather, the tower was painted red. You can recognise the Gothic building style by the high windows with lots of light and rib vaults. The church was originally Catholic, but became Protestant in the 17th century with an austere interior. Today, the 'Sint Jan' mainly has a secular function, for lectures or events. Only on Sunday mornings is there still a Protestant service. At other times, you climb halfway up the tower for a wide view over Maastricht city centre and the surrounding area.

  • Vrijthof Maastricht Sint Servaas and Sint Jan
  • St John's church Maastricht tower

Basilica of Our Lady

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 light a candle ('bougie').

  • Church towers Basilica of Our Lady
  • Church of Our Lady in Maastricht
  • spark plug candle lighting slevrouw our dear lady basilica maastricht marketing

Dominican Church

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.

"Since 2006, the church has been filled with tens of thousands of books. "

  • Dominican bookshop inside from above
  • Dominican Church Maastricht front facade
  • Dominican bookshop downstairs
  • Dominicanen bookshop Maastricht inside shelves person

St Martin's Church

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.

  • Rechtstraat Wyck Maastricht street scene
  • Wyck Maastricht snow views

  • St Martin's Church

    Sint Martinuskerk is a neo-Gothic church building located between Rechtstraat and the river Maas, in the historic Wyck district of Maastricht. The church is one of the four Roman Catholic parish churches in the centre of Maastricht and is dedicated a More info on Sint Martinuskerk

    St Martin's Church

Sint-Matthiaskerk (St. Matthew's Church)

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.

  • Boschstraat Maastricht aerial photo Saint Matthias church

Oude Minderbroederskerk church

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 archive (Historisch Centrum Limburg), where the church serves as a reading room for the perusal of documents. Walk around the complex, towards Begijnenstraat. In summer, you can enjoy the architecture there on the terrace of Café Sjiek at the back of the monastery.

  • Old Minderbroekderkerk Maastricht front sun
  • Oude Minderbroederskerk church church Maastricht side from city park

Augustine Church

The Augustijnenkerk is the only church in Maastricht with a baroque exterior. The church was part of a monastery built by the Augustinians in the 17th century. The ornate baroque bell tower stood first, followed by the rest in late Gothic style. At the end of the 19th century, the Maastricht-Liège canal ran along the Kesselkade, for which the monastery had to partially give way. From then on, the church became visible on the banks of the Meuse. Since 1796, the building has not been used for services. Where quiet services used to be held, it now regularly hosts vibrant parties or vintage clothing sales. The church is now event location Rebelle.

  • Augustijnenkerk Maastricht rebelle outside
  • Augustijnenkerk Maastricht party location Rebelle interieu

  • Rebelle

    October 2015 saw the opening of Rebelle! Housed in the Augustijnenkerk, a 17th-century national monument with a special appearance due to its high ceiling, fantastic window panes and more than impressive interior. More info on Rebelle

    Rebelle

Sint-Lambertuskerk (St. Lambert's Church)

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.

Koepelkerk church

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.

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