Monument City

Thanks to its strategic location, Maastricht played an important role as a garrison city in north-western Europe in the past. Throughout the city you can still find beautiful fortifications that were once built to protect the city from enemy attacks. The Romans were the first to build a fortress, a castellum. That fortress was located on and around Onze-Lieve-Vrouweplein. The fortress had to protect the very first bridge across the Meuse. In the early 13th century, Maastricht was granted city rights and the construction of a city wall began. A century later, a second city wall was built around it. At the small but interesting Vestingmuseum Maastricht, you will discover the story of this piece of special history. These fortifications are not to be missed anyway:

In the 19th century, Maastricht was an industrial city full of activity. Some of the factories and other industrial buildings from this era have been preserved as monuments and now have a new purpose. Many of them can be found in the hip residential and cultural district Sphinx Quarter, with the Eiffel building - the Eiffel - as the most prominent industrial monument. But you will also find industrial monuments in other places in the city. Be sure to go and discover them!

Maastricht has had rich religious roots for at least 2,000 years. The city cherishes a large number of Catholic customs, and a wide range of monumental churches and monasteries define the contemporary Maastricht streetscape and skyline. Walking through the city, you will automatically pass several religious monuments. We highlight a few special examples for you.