Maastricht

Entry/Visa
Schengen Passport/Visa

Vaccines
There are no required vaccinations, but as a tourist, vaccinations against tetanus and hepatitis are generally recommended.

Climate
Maastricht's climate corresponds to the typical Dutch climate. It's cold and wet in winter and moderately warm in summer. Winter temperatures average from -1 to 5 °C and summer temperatures average from 12 to 22 °C. Rainfall is consistent throughout the year whereas in the early months of the year rainfall more oftenly comes in the form of storms.

Currency
Euro

Language
As a city in the convergence of 3 Languages and as a educational center Maastricht has 3 additional languages spoken in public apart from the national language Dutch: English, French and German. As Maastricht is in the provinz of Limburg the local dialect is called  Limburgian.

Telephone reception
Telephone reception as in the most parts of the Netherlands is good.

Customs / Culture
Maastricht is a cultural center with national significance. It is a center of education, with multiple universities and a theater school, an art school and a conservatory. Adding to cultural the significance are several theaters and museums.

Traditions
From 11th November to Ash Wednesday it is carnival season in Maastricht. During this time there are a lot of carnivals in and around Maastricht. They are not only a traditional and cultural part of Maastricht, they also contribute strongly to Maastricht’s economy.
Queens Day is a very big celebration, not only in Maastricht but in the whole of Netherlands. The streets of Maastricht are seen full of flea markets and the orange color is seen almost everywhere.

Religion
The greater area of Maastricht is 31% Roman Catholic, 20% Protestant and 5.5% Muslim. 41% of the Dutch in this region claim that they neither practise or have a religion/conviction.

Airports / Car rental

Road
East of the Maas the motorway A2 connects Maastricht to Amsterdam and Liège, the A79 connects to Heerlen, from where you can get to Aachen via the A76/A4(DE). The A2 is currently under construction, a stretch of 1.5km is being added to ease daily traffic.

Air traffic
About 6 miles north of the city center is the international airport Maastricht Aachen Airport. The Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (Maastricht UAC) of Eurocontrol is there as well. It monitors the upper flight corridors of north-west Germany, the Benelux countries and northern France.

Car Rental
Rental cars are easily accessible; Europcar, Sixt and AutoEurope, all have offices in Maastricht, making renting a car no problem at all.

Public transport

Railway
Maastricht station connects to train stations north of Maastricht in the direction of Venlo and Eindhoven, both run via Roermond. To the south it connects to Liège (Belgium). It also connects east to Aachen (Germany) via Heerlen. There is also a bus line for the latter stretch. Since the end of 2006 there is a train connection from Maastricht to Brussels via Liège. From Brussels there are connections to Paris and London. In 2 hours and 58 minutes you can be in Paris and in 4 hours and 20 minutes in London.

Bus
Maastricht's Public transport within the city and surrounding region consists of a well networked infrastructure of city buses and regional buses. Also for tourists there is the Stadstram, it takes you around the city to the interesting places of Maastricht.

Taxis
Taxis in Maastricht are readily available whether on the street or by calling.

Events

Public Holidays:

• 
  
• New Year's
  
• Good Friday
  
• Easter Sunday
  
• Queen's Day (Koninginnedag) - April 30th
  
• Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) - May 5th
  
• Ascension Day
  
• Whit Sunday / Whit Monday
  
• Christmas Day / Boxing Day
  

The European Fine Art Fair
The TEFAF is one of the most important art fairs worldwide. This ten day fair takes place every spring at the Maastricht Congress Centre (MECC). In the list of about 240 exhibitors, almost all important galleries and art dealers from around the world are represented. According to the organzier, The European Fine Art Foundation, it is the world's largest art and antiques fair. Each exhibit will be reviewed for authenticity and quality by 20 expert committees and about 190 renowned arts professionals from around the world.

Food Festival (Preuvenemint Burgundian)
The Preuvenemint is a culinary festival on the famous Vrijthof square in the old town of Maastricht. It takes place annually on the last full weekend of August, lasting four days.
During the Food Festival the Vrijthof is filled with about forty stalls where you can eat and drink. It is also accompanied by a lovely and eclectic music program.

Culinary Specialities
The Limburgers have appoited their way of life to the savoir-vivre. This is noticeable when walking through the streets of Maastricht. Delicacy stores, waffle bakers, wine shops and elegant fashion boutiques are rowed one after the other throughout Maastricht. So when looking for delicious souvenirs, the search isn’t very long.
Maastricht, full of culinary locales, knows how to beguile you. Speciality stores like Adriaan de Smaakmaker, Blance Dael and Bisschopsmolen sell Limburgian culinary delights of the best quality. There is even a bakery where you are shown how the regional Vlaai is made, you can also try making it yourself. If your all about the discovery of Limburgian delicacies you might wan’t to drop by the tourist office. They offer a sort of culinary paperchase called Hap & Stap.

Sights

• 
  
• Bonnefanten Museum
  
• Town Hall
  
• The Vrijthof square with the Sint Servaasbasiliek, the Sint Janskerk and the Museum SpaansGouvernement in it.
  
• Notre Dame Basilica-square
  
• Servatius Bridge
  
• Jekerquartier
  
• Stokstraatquartier: Old Town district. Since a renovation in the 1970's it’s a shopping district with fashion and design shops as well as several restaurants. This area is located on the site of the former Roman fort.
  
• Museum storage facility Derlon (significant finds from the Roman Age)
  
• Bonbonnière (Old Town Theatre)
  
• Generaalshuis (new theater)
  
• Line of Dumoulin (fortifications north-west of the city)
  
• Casemates
  
• Dinghuis (medieval courthouse)
  
• Helpoort (Gates of Hell) build in 1230 as the first expansion of the city (parts of the city wall have remained). It was part of the defense system until 1516
  
• Printing Museum in Jodenstraat
  
• Caves of Mount St Pieter and Cannerberg