City Hall

For over 350 years, the Town Hall on the Markt has been the administrative heart of Maastricht. The monumental building was constructed between 1659 and 1664 to a design by the Haarlem architect Pieter Post and is regarded as an important example of Dutch Classicism. The Town Hall remains the workplace of the mayor and aldermen to this day.

A town hall for a special city
When the town hall was built, Maastricht had a unique form of government. For centuries, the city was under the joint rule of the Duke of Brabant and the Prince-Bishop of Liège. This shared history is reflected in the building, where in the past there were even two mayors in office at the same time: one representing Brabant and one representing Liège.

Its location right in the centre of the Markt underlines the central role that the town hall has played for centuries in the city’s administrative and economic life.

A richly decorated interior full of symbolism
Behind the classical façade lies a richly decorated interior. In the central hall, the ceiling paintings by Theodoor van der Schuer depict, amongst other things, the four seasons, the four elements and the virtues of good governance. The period rooms are also richly decorated with features including tapestries, gold-leather wallpaper, stucco and monumental mantelpieces.

Tower and carillon
The distinctive tower was added in 1684. It houses a carillon with 49 bells that is still played regularly. In the past, the bells were used not only to mark the time, but also to warn residents, for example in the event of a fire or when the city gates were being closed. In this way, the carillon served as an important means of communication for the city for centuries.

Visit the Town Hall
The town hall is still the day-to-day workplace of the mayor and aldermen and can therefore only be visited as part of a guided tour. As the building is in use, it cannot always be guaranteed that all the period rooms will be accessible. Check the current options on the guided tours page.

Would you like to find out more about the history, architecture and interior of the town hall? Then be sure to watch the short film by Max van Even.