7 reasons to quickly book a weekend in Maastricht
Maastricht is always fun, if you ask me. Because, oh my, you can wine and dine wonderfully here. I’m happy to share my favorite addresses with you!
Head straight to Wyck
Coming by train? Then you can walk straight from the station into Wyck. You wouldn’t have wanted to be found dead here in the past, but now Wyck is at least as fun as the city center. That’s because Wyck is bursting at the seams with charming lunch spots and boutiques offering Burgundian delicacies. I once had a flammkuchen and oysters at ’t Wycker Cabinet, which still makes my mouth water.
Cheese bar
If you love cheese, you have to come here. De Kaasbar is the very first cheese bar in the Netherlands—or rather, the Benelux! A perfect spot for true bon vivants, with 35 different cheeses accompanied by wines and specialty beers! Order a glass and you’ll be served the perfect cheese pairing. De Kaasbar looks like a charming little pub, but with cheese to go with the wine included. For serious cheese-and-wine enjoyment, a tasting is highly recommended. Though there is a risk you might bump into me, by the way.
Cosy wine restaurant
The table linen is starched and the food is culinary, but otherwise wine restaurant Mes Amis is a warm bath of no-nonsense Limburg cosiness. Owner Annaline Doelen does everything to make sure you want for nothing. The wines come from Limburg soil, local flavors keep emerging from the refined kitchen, and you can linger at the table for hoooours and hours. The fine-dining dishes are created around the Limburg wines. In the beautiful monumental building on Tongersestraat, a real private restaurant was recently created on the second floor. Here you dine in a small party with your own chef in a private space with a kitchen and service.
Taste more than 450 wines
Meesters in wijn, Maastricht’s wine bar (and wine shop), is located right in the heart of the lively Jeker Quarter. All the wines on the menu can also be sampled by the glass. And there are more than 450 of them! Wine from small winemakers, quality wine and wine with a good story. The wine list is informative and playful, but above all, let the ‘wine masters’ advise you. I once drank a delicious Swiss wine here (rare in the Netherlands). And of course, you can order a lovely charcuterie or cheese board to go with it. Feeling hungrier? Go for the risotto from the little kitchen.
A nightcap at Onze Lieve Vrouweplein
Or a warming drink, because in the afternoon it’s also lovely to spend time on Mestreech’s cosiest square. The square takes its name from the Basilica of Our Lady, whose massive westwork dominates the square. Onze Lieve Vrouweplein is best known for the chapel of Sterre der Zee and its large number of outdoor dining terraces. A Limburg beer in this bustling city along the Meuse is part of any visit, if you ask me.
Stay in style
Within a pleasant walking distance of where it all happens stands the former Kruisheren monastery, now the Kruisherenhotel, awarded five stars, with heavenly beds and a breakfast that leaves you slightly breathless (and full, because there is an enormous amount to choose from). Upon arrival, the man said the magical words: “Willem-Alexander slept in this room when he was still a prince.” You can imagine that it became a royal stay.
More Maastricht for less
At the weekend, you have to maneuver your way through the tourists. But on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Maastricht is yours and yours alone (apart from the occasional clever person who follows my advice, of course). To make you feel extra welcome during a Maastricht Midweekend, the city is bursting with great prices, perks and discounts. It’s simple arithmetic: you get more Maastricht for considerably less. How about staying in a five-star hotel, dining at a wine restaurant and joining the table at a cheese bar? Just suggestions, of course, but if I were you, I’d take a look at the options for a Maastricht Midweekend like this.
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