A Day in Maastricht
Maastricht. A small, enchanting city in the
South of the Netherlands that immediately catches you with its charm. It’s the birthplace of the European Union and reachable from Brussels by train in less than two
hours. On weekends you even get a 50% discount on train tickets. While it’s
quite evident where to walk around, because the city is quite small, I want to
give you a few tips where to eat and where to linger for a cup of coffee.
Café Zondag:
“Café Sunday” is a place that you’ll
pass when walking from the train station towards the city center. It’s a nice
café and bar a few meters away from the big old bridge that connects the right
and the left side of the river ‘Maas’ running through the city. Café Zondag is
perfect to start into a sightseeing day with a nice cappuccino, a bagel with
smoked salmon, cream cheese and fresh herbs as well as toasted banana bread
with melted butter.
Prices: 6-8€
for a bagel, 2-3€ coffee
Good to know: Wycker
Brugstraat 42, 6221 ED Maastricht, Website
Selexyz Dominicanen:
I’m a big fan of books and
bookstores and even more of this place. This bookstore is located in an old
church (700 years), where bookshelves rise up to the ceiling. The selection is quite big
with not only Dutch books lying in the shelves, but also in several other
languages. In case you decide to buy a book take it to the back of the church
and sit down at coffeelovers, a
little coffee place that offers seating with a view on the whole store.
Good to know: Dominicanerkerkstraat
1, 6211 CZ Maastricht, Website
Café Sjiek:
Got hungry? Maastricht is a city
with a lot of Michelin-star restaurants. If you’re looking for something
simpler, Dutch and more relaxed (and slightly less pricy) you should try Café
Sjiek. A nice traditional restaurant, decorated in a rustic way with a big,
massive, dark wooden bar facing the entrance and dark wooden chairs, benches
and tables inside. You’ll find the traditional ‘zoervleis’ a traditional horse
stew served with thick Dutch fries and apple compot, guniea fowl in an apricot
sauce or seafood. They also have a nice selection of wines and even a
self-produced house wine. They don’t take reservations, but in case you’ll have
to wait for half an hour just sit at the bar and be patient. The people working
here are very nice and attentive.
Prices: main
lunch dishes for 14-18€, 5€ for a glass of wine
Good to know: Sint
Pieterstraat 13, 6211 JM Maastricht, Website
Teazone:
My all-time must to-go-to spot when
in Maastricht is this tea place serving an overwhelming amount of different
green, black, fruit and Darjeeling teas. My favourite is the green tea with
Japanese cherry blossoms. They also prepare full afternoon teas with little
sandwiches, different sorts of cakes and cookies and their delicious scones
with clotted cream. If that’s too much for you order a single piece of cake
with their homemade ‘slagroom’ (whipped
cream). Cakes differ every time, but you can find white chocolate cardamom,
banana caramel or simple chocolate cakes here among others. The owners are very
nice, happy to advise you on any tea questions you might have. Read more here...
Prices: 2,5-5€
for a pot of tea, 3-5€ for pastries and cakes, 24€ for afternoon tea
Good to know: Koestraat 9, 6211 HR Maastricht, Website
Le Salonard:
Not to come back to
Brussels empty-handed you should make a stop at Le Salonard a few metres away from Café Sjiek. This little, cosy shop sells fresh bread, cheeses,
salami, honey, special mayonnaises, jams and other gems that you can bring home
and enjoy back in Brussels.
Prices: 4-7€
for a loaf of bread
Good to know: Rechtstraat
84, 6221 EL Maastricht, Website
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