History
500-1500

Maastricht city park city wall water with swans

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Middle Ages

From 1204, Maastricht was in the hands of two lords: the duke of Brabant and the prince-bishop of Liège. The duke of Brabant gave permission in 1229 to replace the earthen wall around the city with a stone city wall as protection against invaders. Later, a second city wall was added. This enabled Maastricht to grow into a prosperous and lively city in the Middle Ages.

  • City wall Lang Grachtje Jekerkwartier Maastricht

The city wall of Maastricht

Large parts of Maastricht's first and second city walls have been preserved. They no longer separate the city centre from the enemy, but from a peaceful city park where students relax in the sun in summer. On top of the city wall you can take a stroll and imagine yourself a damsel or knight for a while. The city wall once had thirteen city gates, one of which has been preserved: the Hell Gate. This is the oldest surviving city gate in the Netherlands.

  • Helpoort in Maastricht
  • Maastricht city wall cannons
  • Meeting on the Maastricht city wall

  • Our Lady's Wall

    The rampart along Stadspark Maastricht and the river Maas was part of Maastricht's first and second medieval city walls. More info on Onze-Lieve-Vrouwewal

    Our Lady's Wall

Saint Servatius Bridge

The iconic 13th-century Saint Servaas Bridge (Aw Brögk) is another important monument from the Middle Ages. This is the oldest bridge in the Netherlands. Countless pilgrims crossed this bridge to pray at the tomb of the holy bishop Saint Servatius under Sint-Servaasbasiliek. In 1932, the bridge was named after Saint Servatius, but before that it was called the Maasbrug.

Sint-Servaas bridge in Maastricht

Historic streets

The securely walled city attracted traders as well as many churchmen in the Middle Ages. As a result, the economy flourished. Besides tanneries in the Jeker Quarter, the cloth weaving mills near the Markt in particular flourished. The Maastricht street plan mainly dates from that time. This can be seen in the wide main roads connected by narrow pedestrian alleys and in the narrow houses that were built close together to save space.

Discover the Jeker Quarter
Tafelstraat in Maastricht

The Ding House

In the Kleine Staat shopping street, you can still admire one of the few remaining medieval buildings: the late-gothic Dinghuis from 1470. The original entrance to the former courthouse consists of a double staircase with a stone platform. For tips on the city and local products, walk in via the ground-floor entrance, as the Maastricht Store is located here.

The Dinghuis in Maastricht

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