Hoge Fronten

Maastricht's cultural heritage goes beyond the eye. There are at least as many historical treasures underground. Go back in time, meet the dark and let your imagination run wild with the stories Maastricht Underground has to tell you. Maastricht Underground is the collective name for everything there is to see and experience in Fort Sint Pieter, the Caves and the Kazematten.

The Kazematten

The Kazematten, the underground corridor system, extends under the Hoge Fronten between the Holstein bastions ( north-west side of Statensingel ) and Waldeck ( south of Tongerseplein ). The still existing above-ground part of the dry moat system behind Pastoor Habetsstraat and Statensingel is called The Du Moulin Line. The first underground fortifications, consisting of corridors reinforced with wood, were built around 1579. The first brick corridors were constructed around 1690. The last renovation of the underground corridor system took place between 1771 and 1782 with further modifications until around 1820.

In 1867, Maastricht lost its status as a fortified city. Besides the demolition of all kinds of gates and ramparts of the first or second rampart, this meant the end of a number of above-ground fortifications outside the city wall in favour of housing construction. However, the underground corridor system, under the western dry moat system, of about 11 KM long was almost completely preserved.