Aubree and Emma Maastirct BOG tour

Vrijthof
● Large square in the center of Maastricht that was a roman cemetery, turned town square
belonging to Collegiate Church of Saint Servatius
● The square hosts public events such as concerts
● It is surrounded by museums, restaurants, bars, theaters, hotels and more making it a
popular site
● Large cemeteries were excavated in 1968-1970, and in 2003 they found 13 layers of
ancient roman road called Via Belgica

Sint Servaasbrug
● is an arched stone cyclist and pedestrian bridge across the river Meuse in Maastricht,
Netherlands
● It is named after Saint Servatius, the first bishop of Maastricht, and (despite being largely
rebuilt after World War II) it has been called the oldest bridge in the Netherlands.
● The bridge is made of limestone, and in its current configuration it is 160 metres (525 ft) long
and 9 metres (30 ft) wide. Its seven arches each span approximately 12 metres (39 ft), and
[3][4][5]
are supported by seven piers. A separate steel drawbridge with a span of 54.5 metres
[6]
(178 ft 10 in) connects the east end of the bridge to the east bank of the river.
●

Construction start 1280

Construction end 1298

Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk

● The Church of Our Lady (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) in Bruges, Belgium, dates

mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries
● Its tower, at 115.6 metres (379 ft) in height, remains the tallest structure in the city
and the third tallest brickwork tower in the world (after St. Mary's Church in Lübeck
and St. Martin's Church in Landshut, both in Germany)
● The church demonstrates the Gothic style in the prominent Flying buttresses on the
exterior which were constructed in the 1270s and 80s
● In the choir space behind the high altar are the tombs of Charles the Bold, last Valois
Duke of Burgundy, and that of his daughter, the duchess Mary. The gilded bronze
 effigies of both father and daughter repose at full length on polished slabs of black
stone. Both are crowned, and Charles is represented in full armor and wearing the
decoration of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

Markt
● Located in maastricht towns market square, has modern shopping centers, a medieval town
hall, and a 13th center bookstore called “the most beautiful bookstore in the world”
● It's been named Markt since 1660, when Gevangenenpoort and the old city wall had to be
demolished
● Most of the houses built in Markt were built in 17th and 18th century
● In 1930, large amounts of traffic called for building a new bridge so the Markt was completely
redone
● From 2002-2007 Markt was destroyed and rebuilt to a new, more modern Markt was created
and the shopping centers were installed
○ Friday and Wednesday Markt (friday markt attracts a larger audience and has the
fish markt, the wednesday markt is more general goods)

Maastricht Spirit Statue (Mestreechter Geis)

● The statute reflects the humor, creativity and spirituality of the towns people
● It was created by Mari Andriessen and was given as a gift to Mayor Michiel Baron of
Kessinich for his jubilee in 1962.
● Mestreechter Geis is a character from an operetta by Lou Maas and was originally a
harlequin from the Comedie dell' Arte.
● The statue is made of bronze and stands on a lava rock pedestal

Statue of Pieke oet de Stokstraot

● One of the most famous monuments in Maastricht
● Depicts a little boy (Pieke) sitting on a wall with his dog selling cigarettes
● Pieke and his dog are famous characters from a novel by Bèr Hollewijn
● The piece depicts the great poverty the city was struck with
● Designed by R. van Kesteren and sculpted by Nicolas Van Ronk Stein
● It was unveiled in 1996.

Maastricht Ancient Fortification Sites

● This was the key point of European cultures and trading routes
● For millennia, Maastricht was the center of battles, and the city earned its strong
reputation due to their impenetrable defenses
● The first fortifications built in Maastricht were in the 1200s, and some still stand today
○ Fort St. Pieter (Saint Peter's Fortress) – a hexagonal construction, part of the
defense that protected the city during the 18th-19th centuries; full of tunnels and
caves, and it only ever saw a single battle
 ○ Waldeck Park Casemates – these ancient marlstone mines have more than 20,000
passages decorated with generations of graffiti. During WWII these quarry tunnels
were converted into an air raid shelter, but were never used
○ Helpoort (Hell's Gate) – one of the iconic monuments that give Maastricht its special
atmosphere; forms part of the Old Town wall built in the 13th century. This was one of
the main entrances to Maastricht and today is the oldest Dutch city gate still
standing.

Helpoort Historical Landmark

● Hells Gate is part of the original city wall, built after Henry I, Duke of Brabant, gave permission
for its construction in April 1229. It is the only remaining city gate in Maastricht and the oldest
city gate in the Netherlands.
● It was then used for various purposes: a meeting place for the cloth fullers or walkers, an armory,
a powder storehouse and a residence

Dominicanen bookshop
- Since the autumn of 2006, you can find the unique Dominicanen bookshop (previously
Selexyz Dominicanen and Polare Maastricht) in the centuries-old Dominicanenkerk
(Dominican church) in Maastricht.
- two hundred years ago, the church lost its sacred function and has since served for
many years as a reptile house, bicycle shed, and ‘carnival temple’.
- Many Maastricht residents have special memories here, including their 'first kiss’
at carnival time. You can still feel this rich history at this beautiful location.
- Dominicanen bookshop has a wide range of public books, music, and books for
professionals. Yet as this place even attracts those who are not so much interested
in books, it is a must-see location if you are in Maastricht.

Basilica of Saint Servatius

- The Basilica of Saint Servatius is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Servatius, in
the city of Maastricht, the Netherlands. The architecturally hybrid but mainly Romanesque
church is situated next to the Gothic church of Saint John, backing onto the town's main
square, Vrijthof.
- The present-day church is probably the fourth church that was built on the site of the grave of
Saint Servatius, an Armenian missionary who was bishop of Tongeren and died allegedly in
384 in Maastricht.
- A small memorial chapel on the saint's grave was replaced by a large stone church built by
bishop Monulpharound 570. This church was replaced by a larger pilgrim church in the late
7th century, which was then replaced by the present-day structure, which was built in several
stages over a period of more than 100 years.
- The dedication of the church in 1039 was attended by the emperor Henry III and twelve
bishops. Most of the church's Medieval provosts were sons of the highest ranking German
noble families. Several held the office of chancellor of the German Empire; at least eight
[2]
provosts went on to become archbishops.