The most beautiful spots in Stadspark (city park) Maastricht
The most beautiful spots in Stadspark (city park) Maastricht tell the story of medieval fortifications, beheaded traitors and exotic animals. From medieval towers for soldiers to city walls that had to keep out the enemy. From cute Bambi baby deer in the Deer Camp to roaring bears in the Berenkuil. From sunny picnic meadows to organic city gardens. In the city park, nature and history are there for the taking. We tip eight spots that add up to a relaxing stroll in green.
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Stadspark (city park)
Stadspark (city park)
A romantic picnic, a culinary event, sports activities or just a nice walk. Maastricht Stadspark (city park) has it all. More info on Stadspark
Onze Lieve Vrouwe city wall
For a leisurely stroll overlooking nature, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwewal is the place to be. This old rampart borders the city park and the Meuse River. The elevation is formed by the former city walls that protected the city. The five old cannons at the foot of the rampart remind you that Maastricht used to be less quiet and peaceful than it is now. All year round, you can get a nice breath of fresh air here. Stroll along the quiet path past white houses overlooking the green park. From the rampart, you can see the Church of Our Lady nearby and on the horizon, the Meuse flows under the iconic Sint-Servaas bridge.
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Onze Lieve Vrouwe city wall
Onze Lieve Vrouwe city wall
The rampart along Stadspark Maastricht and the river Meuse was part of Maastricht's first and second medieval city walls. More info on Onze-Lieve-Vrouwewal
Pater Vinck tower
Between a huge weeping willow and a neatly trimmed hedge stands the Pater Vinck tower. This is where Maastricht's history comes to life. The medieval tower stood on a corner of the old city wall, remnants of which can still be seen today. Early life in Maastricht took place within the walls that protected the entire city. Looking at the tower, your view is not very different from that of a Maastricht man living hundreds of years ago. The tower used to be accompanied by about 40 more such towers, but most of them have disappeared. The grey tower with a pointed dark roof is named after Father Vinck, one of the friars who was beheaded after the failed Betrayal of Maastricht. What that priest had to do with the tower? Little, he just happened to live nearby.
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Pater Vinck tower
Pater Vinck tower
This stately tower from the 14th century was part of the city's second enclosure. Built to defend the city from the water gate by the river Jeker. More about Pater Vinck tower
Rondeel De Vijf Koppen
While travelling through the Stadspark (city park), don't miss the Rondeel De Vijf Koppen. Father Vinck was one of the unlucky ones whose head was exhibited here. Walk over the old city wall to the rondeel, a semi-circular balcony that is part of the thick city wall. You are standing in a historic place here. In 1638, there were five male heads "on display". These men were involved in the failed Betrayal of Maastricht. They were to surrender the city to the Spaniards during the Eighty Years' War. Maastricht would probably have looked very different now if that had succeeded!
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De Vijf Koppen Roundel
De Vijf Koppen Roundel
De Vijf Koppen is a late-15th-century roundhouse in the Maastricht Jeker Quarter and a national monument. More info on De Vijf Koppen (De Vief Köp)
Deer Park
Walking through Stadspark Maastricht, you pass by the deer park, home to a herd of fallow deer. Most fallow deer are brown with white dots, like Bambi, but every now and then an albino fallow deer is born. In summer, the Deer Camp is at its most beautiful, when the trees along the fences turn green and the animals eat fresh grass. Close to the deer camp is an aviary where many species of birds have lived since 1920. Information boards tell you who is currently flitting through the cage.
Walking along the city walls
Near the Hertenkamp, part of the city wall is right on the Jeker, the tributary of the Meuse that flows through Maastricht. The thick wall with several round towers and several old gates are well preserved here. A little bridge over the water leads to the Nieuwenhofpoortje, a passage in the wall as big as the average door in a residential house. Where the Jeker splits in two, water gate de Reek lies between two broad round towers. Here the Jeker flows through a 14th-century gate that, after renovations, looks much like more modern locks. You discover the wall and gates best during a walk along the city wall.
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City wall
City wall
Maastricht's strategic location meant it couldn't do without a defensive city wall. A first and second wall will take you through medieval Maastricht and its impressive military history. More about Stadsmuur
Tapijn urban garden
The Stadspark is home to one of Maastricht's lushest and most fragrant gardens. The former Tapijn military barracks is now a green oasis named Tapijntuin. Volunteers develop and maintain the organic city garden. Stroll along the paths among colourful flowers and nearly ripe vegetables. Bees and other insects are also attracted to the fragrant flowers. Look for forgotten vegetable varieties and get inspiration for your own vegetable garden. Buy fresh vegetables from Maastricht soil in a large cupboard on the premises. Take a guided tour or a workshop where you can learn about sustainable food production, for example.
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Tapijn urban garden
Tapijn urban garden
The Tapijntuin is a cosy and peaceful garden in Maastricht, perfect for a leisurely stroll or to unwind in the greenery. More info on Tapijntuin
Berenkuil
You might find it hard to imagine when walking through the city park, but once a group of bears lived here. Their home was the berenkuil: a small, round concrete pen surrounded by high fences. The pit as you see it today was built in 1970 to replace a 1920s bear enclosure. Five bears lived there until two moved to make more space. In 1993, the last bear, named Jo, moved out of the pit and the enclosure became vacant. In 2001, artist Michel Huisman turned it into a monument to extinct animals. The artwork is called "the semi-automatic comfort machine". He placed a bronze statue of the sad bear Jo on a bench. In the berenkuil is a statue of a woman comforting a dying giraffe. If you turn the rotating handle next to the pit, the woman's arm caresses the giraffe's neck.
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Berenkuil
Berenkuil
The Berenkuil in Maastricht was first a bear habitat, later a work of art, and became a municipal monument in 2001. More info on Berenkuil
Monument of d'Artagnan
What does someone have to do to earn a statue in Maastricht Stadspark (city park)? Be a legendary figure in the army and get killed on Maastricht soil, for example. Captain d'Artagnan died in a battle between his French army and their Spanish enemy. He died in 1673 at the Tongerse Poort city gate. In 1977, he returned as a bronze statue and now you can come face to face with one of the most famous figures in Maastricht's history. It was the writer Alexandre Dumas who made him world-famous in his books about the Three Musketeers.
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Monument van d’Artagnan
Monument van d’Artagnan
The statue of d'Artagnan in Maastricht commemorates the famous musketeer and symbolises courage and friendship. More info on Monument van d’Artagnan
