History
1st century AD.

Church of Our Lady in Maastricht

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Roman fortress

Maastricht has a rich Roman past, traces of which can still be seen in some places. In many other places, there’s no sign of it left, but numerous fascinating stories from this era have been preserved. Follow in the footsteps of the Romans in Maastricht.

  • On the Thermen Maastricht narrow street
  • Sint-Servaas bridge in Maastricht

Mosa Trajectum

Maastricht lies on the Via Belgica, a Roman trade route that once ran from the French coastal town of Boulogne-sur-Mer to Cologne. The Romans crossed South Limburg along this route, but near what is now Maastricht they encountered a problem: the Meuse. In summer, the river was dry and the Romans could easily cross to the other side, but in winter the riverbed filled with rainwater. To solve this problem, they built a bridge so that they could cross the river all year round.

A lively settlement sprang up around the bridge, complete with a harbour, trade and inns. The Romans eventually remained in this area for some 400 years and named the settlement ‘Mosa Trajectum’. The name Maastricht is derived from this Latin name, which means ‘crossing at the Meuse

  • Drawing of Roman settlement Maastricht

Roman ruins

History is closer than you think! Why not pop into the Museum Cellar at Hotel Derlon on Onze-Lieve-Vrouweplein? In 1983, during renovation work, the remains of a Roman sanctuary were discovered here, including a walled square with a column dedicated to Jupiter. This was a place where the Romans made sacrifices to the gods they worshipped. The building plans were immediately revised and the hotel’s cellar was converted into a museum. Admire the finds whilst enjoying a cup of coffee.

Basilica of Our Lady

Close to the Derlon Hotel, you’ll find the following sight with Roman influences. The largest stone blocks from the Roman Castellum in Maastricht were reused in the construction of the Basilica of Our Lady. You can see them on the right-hand side of the monumental façade. These are the last traces of the Roman presence that can be seen in the current streetscape.

Exterior of the Church of Our Lady in Maastricht

Remains of the Roman bridge

From the Sint-Servaasbrug, you can see the spot where the Roman bridge once stood until it collapsed in the 13th century. During dredging work in 1964, remains of this bridge were found at the bottom of the Meuse . Based on these findings, it was established that the bridge was situated in a different location to the current Sint Servaasbrug bridge. On the left-hand side of the Meuse Promenade stands a column topped with a stone lion, marking the spot where the Roman bridge once stood. The lion’s head is a replica of the statue that was fished out of the Meuse . Did you know that divers regularly dive to the bottom of the Meuse to assess the condition of the bridge remains? Erosion is causing the remains to deteriorate. Consideration is being given to ways of protecting them.

sculpture lion Maasboulevard Maastricht

Basilica Of Saint Servatius

The Romans were the ones who introduced Christianity to Maastricht. Servatius, one of the bishops of the Romans, came to Maastricht at that time with his episcopal seat and he turned the settlement into an episcopal city. When he died, he was buried according to Roman custom. At that time, the Vrijthof was used to bury ashes of the deceased along with grave goods for the afterlife. Servatius was buried roughly at the site of today's Saint Servatius Basilica. His successors built a chapel over his grave and this later grew into Basilica Of Saint Servatius.

Saint Servatius Basilica Maastricht Saint Servatius Basilica Maastricht corridor inside

Op de Thermen square

Like every Roman settlement, Maastricht had a bathhouse. Its remains were found during the renovation of Stokstraat in a courtyard now called 'Op de Thermen'. The contours of the Roman bathhouse have been made visible on the square with coloured tiles. The area around this square used to form the heart of the Roman settlement. More Roman remains are probably buried under the surrounding buildings.

  • Op de Thermen square group of people at picture

Via Belgica

Via Belgica is the name given in the 20th century to a 400-kilometre-long ancient Roman route. The Via Belgica ran from Boulogne-sur-Mer via Arras, Bavay, Tongres, Heerlen and Maastricht, among others, to Jülich and Cologne. Within today's national borders, the Via Belgica crossed the border in Dutch Limburg at Maastricht to continue its way past Meerssen, Valkenburg and Voerendaal. It then crossed the border with Germany via Heerlen and the village of Rimburg in Landgraaf.

The Roman - kitchen

Did you know that you can also get a real taste of Maastricht’s Roman past? At the Derlon Hotel’s restaurant, Roman influences and ingredients feature on the menu, whilst at De Bisschopsmolen , baking is done using ingredients brought over by the Romans. Think, for example, of spelt used to make bread and cherries used as a filling for Limburg vlaai. At Adriaan de Smaakmaker , you can try ‘Via Belgica Condimentum’, a compote made from pumpkin, apricots, dates, almonds and honey. These are all ingredients that featured in Roman cuisine.

  • Maastricht stacked bags of spelt
  • Maastricht flan baking oven hands
  • Adriaan de Smaakmaker Jam-making Jeker Quarter Maastricht Marketing Jonathan Vos

  • Roman walk

    Would you like to see Maastricht’s Roman hotspots for yourself? Set off on the special walking route we’ve put together.

    View the route
    Saint Servatius bridge Maastricht skyline inner city

  • Out and about with a guide

    Would you like to explore these Roman sites and more with a guide? The Official Maastricht Guides from Explore Maastricht would be delighted to take you on a city walk.

    To Explore Maastricht
    City walk group

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