Netherlands, Maastricht

Maastricht is a municipality, and capital of the Dutch province of Limburg. The city is situated on both sides of the Meuse river (Maas in Dutch) in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands between Belgiumand Germany. The place-name is derived from its Latin name Trajectum Ad Mosam or Mosae Trajectum (Mosa-crossing), referring to the bridge built by the Romans during the reign of Augustus Caesar.

History

Paleolithic remains have been found to the west of Maastricht, between 8000 and 25 000 years old. At least 500 years before the Romans came, Celts lived here, at a spot where the river Meuse was shallow and therefore easy to cross.

In the early Middle Ages Maastricht was part of the heartland of the Carolingian Empire. It later developed into a city of dual authority, a condominium, with both the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and the Duchy of Brabant holding joint sovereignty over the city. It received city rights in 1204.

The most famous Siege of Maastricht occurred here during the month of June, 1673 as part of the Franco-Dutch War, because French battle supply lines were being threatened.

After the Napoleonic era, Maastricht became a part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 and the capital of the newly formed province of Limburg.

The city did not escape World War II: it was quickly taken by the Germans on May 10, 1940, but on September 14, 1944, Maastricht was the first Dutch city to be liberated by allied forces.

Sports

In football, Maastricht is represented by MVV (Maastrichtse Voetbal Vereniging), currently playing in the Dutch first division (which is actually the second division).

Maastricht is home to the Maastricht Wildcats, an American Football League team, member of the AFBN (American Football Bond Nederland). They play in the Dutch 1st division and are rivals with the Amsterdam Crusaders.

Transportation

By car; Maastricht is served by the A2 and the A79 highways. The city can be reached from Brussels and Cologne (Köln) within 1½ hours and from Amsterdam within 2½ hours.

By train; the Dutch Railways serves both the main station of Maastricht (Maastricht Centraal (CS)) and the station located near the business and university district (Maastricht Randwyck).

By airplane; Maastricht is served by Maastricht Aachen Airport with scheduled flights to Alicante, Amsterdam, Girona, Milan, Valencia and popular holiday destinations (e.g. Turkey) during the Summer season.

By boat; Maastricht has a river port on the Meuse, and is connected with the rest of the Netherlands through the Juliana Canal and the Zuid-Willemsvaart.

By bus; In Maastricht various buslines serve the majority of the city and suburbs. The regional bus network stretches to most of parts of Southern-Limburg as well as to Belgium (Hasselt, Tongeren and Liège) and Germany (Aachen).