Sphinxpassage

The Sphinxpassage is a 120-metre-long covered tile passage between the Eiffel Building and Pathé. Almost 30,000 tiles bring Maastricht's Sphinx past to life in words, images and objects.

Space for the past
Around the Eiffel Building, the Sphinx Quarter is rapidly developing into a modern, vibrant city district. The restoration of the Eiffel Building has been completed and The Student Hotel has been filling much of the building since September 2017. Operation of the Eiffel Building will continue in 2018, with new functions for living, working and retail. Meanwhile, the past is not lost sight of: with the opening of the Sphinxpassage, the area's rich history has also been given a permanent home.

Longest tile tableau in the Netherlands
With a mix of - among other things - family portraits, factory buildings, tableware decorations, old advertisements and toilet pots, tile tableaux tell the history of the Sphinx and the Maastricht ceramics industry in 26 chapters. Each tableau is supported by a background story (in Dutch and English), written by historians Jac van den Boogaard and Paul Arnold. From the establishment of the Sphinx factory by Petrus Regout to its closure in the city centre: through the Sphinxpassage, passers-by get a unique insight into the history of Maastricht's ceramics industry. At 120 metres long, the Sphinxpassage is the longest covered tile passage in the Netherlands.

Come and have a look!
The Sphinxpassage can be visited daily free of charge. Entrances are via the Penintentenpoort, where the first chapter of the tile-tableaupassage begins, or via the Sphinxcour, where chapter 26 closes the passage. Visitors are welcome from 08.00 daily. During Magical Maastricht, the Sphinxpassage is open daily until 20:00. From early January to 1 March, the Sphinxpassage closes its doors daily at 18:00. During the summer months, the passage remains open daily until 10 pm, all other months the passage is open until 8 pm.