We arrived in Masstrict and headed for The Kruisenherenhotel, our accommodations for the next two nights. I was very eager to see this historical hotel. The 15th century Kruisheren cloister and monumental Gothic church has been transformed into a designer hotel by renowned interior designer Henk Vos. This “modern” hotel has 60 rooms with a restaurant located at the mezzanine in the nave of the church.

 

Walking Maastricht

Maastricht is the oldest city in The Netherlands. It is a beautiful, almost fairy-tale, town with many restaurants, art museums, and some of the best shopping in The Netherlands. On this trip, with the support of Edwin, his connections and a private guide, I saw and learned more about the city than on my previous visits…

I’d heartily recommend touring with Cor Halmans, a delightful English-speaking guide. Cor took us around his city… showing us the many wonderful, old buildings and giving us the history of each. His combination of one-liners and insider Maastricht-knowledge made for an enjoyable walk through the city.

So much to see and do in Maastricht. One of my favorite locations was a Selexyz Dominicanen bookstore. This incredible bookstore is located in an 800-year-old Dominican church just off the main streets. Vaulted ceilings, medieval frescoes, huge windows and thousands of books create a unique atmosphere. There’s even a small café in the back of the bookstore!

 

Hotel Beaumont and Harry’s

For lunch we headed to the Hotel Beaumont for site-inspection and then lunch at their restaurant, Harry’s. The hotel has been given a complete makeover by British architect, David Chipperfield. It is fresh, chic and moderately priced. Of all the rooms we visited, I would recommend Room #101 – see the view from this room in the top photo below.

Hotel Beaumont is located across the river from the city center. The Beaumont family has run the hotel at this location since 1912. Through the years the hotel has grown to 124 rooms. It also includes conference and banquet room facilities. Harry’s restaurant is a member of Maastricht Culinair, the premier association of quality restaurants in Maastricht. It is an international brasserie, open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, and for brunch on Sundays. We had a wonderful lunch at Harry’s.

 

Museum Boijmans van Beuningen

In the afternoon we visited the Bonnefanten Museum. It is the foremost art museum in the area and one of Maastricht’s most prominent buildings. It has a combination of old masters (Rubens. Van Dyck, Jordaens) and modern art. The building is quite impressive!

The museum was founded in 1884 as the historical and archaeological museum of the Dutch province of Limburg. In 1995, the museum moved to its present location, a former industrial site named ‘Céramique’. It is one of Maastricht’s most prominent modern buildings. There is quite an eclectic blend of art in the Bonnefanten!

We explored all floors of the Bonnefanten museum and then spent the evening wandering the city of Masstericht; certainly a must-see location!

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