Top 5 cities to visit near Maastricht
There’s a lot to do in Maastricht. However, if you want to explore other cities in the Netherlands, Germany or Belgium, these places are certainly worth it!
Eindhoven is known as the design city of the Netherlands. There is a lot to do from shopping to visiting bars and local hotspots. You can, for example, rent a bike, enjoy the architecture and art around the city and have some great coffee and cake at the Coffee lab.
Don’t forget to visit Strijp-S (a former Philips factory). This is the cultural and creative centre of Eindhoven. Here you can shop, eat pastries at the Pastryclub and have a nice lunch. Eindhoven is also a great place to go have a drink or party in one of the many bars and pubs. With over 50 bars, the 225 meters long street ‘Stratumseind’ is a real must! With public transport, it takes approximately one hour to get to Eindhoven from Maastricht.
Tilburg
Tilburg might not look special at first sight. However, there are some cool and creative places and hotspots that make Tilburg unique. Wander around in het Dwaalgebied. In these smaller streets of the historical city centre, you will find unique and hip interior and clothing stores. You can also find some nice, small lunchrooms and restaurants. For the creative people there is an art-house cinema, an innovative theatre and a music stage in this area. If you like art you have to visit museum De Pont. Don't miss out on the famous fair in July.
Also enjoy the Piushaven, for a nice drink and diverse events such as watching movies on a boat. Tilburg is a student city, so it is the perfect place to go out. At the Piusplein and Korte Heuvel you will find a lot of nice pubs and bars for a drink or a dance.
Luik (Liège)
There are some cool places to visit in this historical city. If you know Belgium, you know that it’s famous for its specialty beers. In Luik you can find some local beers you’ll have to try if you are a real beer lover. Brasserie C and Beerlover’s Café are two of the places where you can taste these local beers. Furthermore there is a big range from more classical to more modern restaurants. Don’t forget to try the typical Luikse gehaktballen (meatballs) and Luikse waffles!
You can also go biking along the canal (de Maas), visit an abandoned pool: Le Cité Miroir and take cool pictures, climb the Montagne de Bueren for a nice view of Luik and go shopping in the neighbourhood La Cárre. It only takes 30 minutes to get to Luik by train from Maastricht.
Aken (Aachen)
Aken is an important historical German city, which is visited a lot because it is located near a three-country border. Romans discovered sulphurous mineral springs which they turned into bathing places in Aken. In the Adalbertkirchestrasse you can find larger and smaller boutiques and there are multiple shopping malls that make this city perfect for a shopping spree!
In the historical centre you can find some nice places where you can enjoy the traditional German cuisine, including currywurst and schnitzels. Like in many other German cities, you can find a really cosy Christmas market in Aachen, starting a month before Christmas. Don’t miss out the Gluhwein (hot red wine) and typical Christmas snacks.
Keulen (Köln)
Another city in Germany that’s certainly worth your while! If you are into architecture, you should visit the Kölner Dom, which is on the list of world heritage sites. In the Altstadt (the city centre) you will find the Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum. In this museum you will see how chocolate is made, learn about the history of chocolate and taste some chocolate during your visit!
Just like the Ponts des Arts in Paris, Keulen has a bridge full of locks of loved ones called the Hohenzollern Bridge. Enjoy one of the many nice restaurants with a view of the Rhine (river). End your day in Keulen with a nice drink on one of the many pubs and bars! It takes around 2 hours to reach Keulen from Maastricht with public transport.
There are many more cities that are worth visiting around Maastricht. Which one would you like to see?
