By Rafe Calder
Maastricht sits on the Meuse, and its best-known landmark is a bridge worth looking at.
The bridge
The Visit Maastricht tourism site calls the Sint Servaasbrug the oldest surviving stone bridge in the Netherlands, and says it has joined the city centre to Wyck, on the far bank, for more than seven centuries. Building the present bridge began around 1280. The Roman predecessor stood slightly further south and, the tourism site says, largely collapsed in 1275, after which a new stone bridge was planned a little to the north. A column with a stone lion on the Maastricht bank marks where the Roman crossing once stood.
On the Wyck side, the tourism site says, there was originally a wooden span that could be removed in time of war. Stone replaced it, and later steel. The steel section still opens for tall inland vessels.
A bookshop in a church
Visit Maastricht says Boekhandel Dominicanen has occupied the Dominican Church since autumn 2006. The church lost its sacred function two hundred years ago, the site says, and was later a snake house, a bicycle shed and a carnival hall.
Winter in the town
The tourism body’s own site, visitmaastricht.com, carries the current winter programme. Check it before you plan.
Dates in order
- 1275: the Roman bridge largely collapses, according to the tourism site.
- Around 1280: work begins on the present bridge, according to the tourism site.
- Autumn 2006: the bookshop opens in the church, according to the tourism site.
Quick answers
What is the oldest bridge in the Netherlands? According to the Visit Maastricht tourism site, the Sint Servaasbrug in Maastricht is the oldest surviving stone bridge in the country, begun around 1280.
What was in Maastricht before the present bridge? The tourism site says a Roman bridge stood slightly south and largely collapsed in 1275.
Is there really a bookshop in a church in Maastricht? Yes. According to Visit Maastricht, Boekhandel Dominicanen has been in the former Dominican Church since autumn 2006.
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Roam first. Shop later.