MAASTRICHT
MAASTRICHT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST CITIES IN HOLLAND,
AS YOU WILL DISCOVER WHEN STROLLING THROUGH
THE HISTORIC CENTRE.
BASILICAS, CHURCHES, CITY WALL, MONUMENTAL MERCHANT HOUSES
AND BIG SQUARES, MERGE SEAMLESSLY
WITH A COMPREHENSIVE AND VARIED RANGE OF SHOPS.
THE LARGE VRIJTHOF SQUARE
in the centre of Maastricht is justly famous inside
as well as outside the Netherlands.
This magnificent square is also the site of a great many monuments
that attest to Maastricht's long and turbulent history.
Besides the centuries-old Church of St. Servatius ( St. Servaaskerk) and the new theatre,
a large number of beautiful and historic buildings line the square.
The RIVER "MAAS";
rising at Pouilly on the Langres Plateau in France
and flowing generally northward for 590 miles (950 km)
through Belgium and the Netherlands
to the North Sea.
The CITY HALL,
built over the years 1659-1664
under the guidance of master architect Pieter Post,
has a tower dating from 1684 and a carillon with 49 bells
that is still regularly played.