St Martin's Church

St Martin’s Church stands in the heart of Wyck, between Rechtstraat and the Meuse. This striking Neo-Gothic church is recognisable from afar thanks to its 70-metre-high tower and has been a landmark in Wyck for over 150 years.

A church with a long history
As far back as the Middle Ages, a predecessor to the present-day St Martin’s Church stood on this site; it was one of Maastricht’s four parish churches. It was probably not the first church on this site, however. When the medieval church was demolished in 1855, a fragment of a Roman statue of the god Mercury was found. This suggests that this site may have served a religious purpose as far back as Roman times.

Following the demolition of the old church, the present-day St Martin’s Church was built between 1857 and 1858 to a design by architect Pierre Cuypers. A few years later, the adjacent Wycker Gunpowder Tower was also demolished. According to the story, the parish priest felt that the dilapidated tower did not fit in with the new church.

Neo-Gothic architecture and a remarkable interior
St Martin’s Church is a three-nave neo-Gothic cruciform basilica, inspired by French Gothic architecture. The red-brick façades, the slender tower and the richly detailed ornamentation are characteristic of the early work of Pierre Cuypers. Above the main entrance is a relief depicting Saint Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar, a reference to the saint to whom the church is dedicated.

Several remarkable works of art have also been preserved inside. For example, parts of Cuypers’ original neo-Gothic interior are still present, as are a 15th-century baptismal font, the impressive Black Christ from the early 14th century and colourful stained-glass windows from various periods.

An active parish church
St Martin’s Church is still an active parish church and is one of the four Roman Catholic parish churches in the centre of Maastricht. As well as church services, concerts and other cultural activities are held there regularly.

Fun fact
The organ at St Martin’s Church was built in 1878 by the Maastricht organ builders Pereboom & Leijser. The instrument is still played during concerts at the international organ festival L’Europe & L’Orgue, meaning that, after almost a century and a half, it still regularly sounds as it was originally intended.