To go Back at any time,
use Browser's "Previous Page"
Maastricht began as a small trading settlement around a Roman bridge crossing the Maas River. After centuries of peaceful growth, Maastricht witnessed the decline of Roman power and, eventually, the withdrawal of Roman troops. Increasingly frequent attacks from Germanic tribes followed, and this led the town to construct massive fortifications.
Our local guide first brought us to this view of the east side of the Church of Our Lady (known locally as “Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk”):
It was only later in the day, walking on our own, that we realized that the huge tower wall about a block behind this side of the church was actually part of it! Here’s a photo of this awesome “westwork” (free of scaffolding) from the visitor’s bureau website:
The westwork, begun around 1150, is a wide, almost completely closed tower flanked by two stair turrets. Its fortress-like character evolved because the church was once part of the town’s fortifications. Unfortunately, we did not enter the church --- it’s possible that it was as full of scaffolding that day as was the westwork.
In later years, a second large basilica was built in Maastricht and named after a local bishop, St. Servaas. The scope of this massive structure is better realized in a postcard shot like this:
In all, St. Servaas has five towers.
The two smallest are in this ground-level scene from the adjacent market place:
(We have no idea what significance the artistic creations may have.)
Two of the larger towers are visible in this view from the cloister:
And, finally, an interior shot of the nave:
If not part of a group, we would not have been allowed inside as preparations for a funeral had begun. We’ve seen before how traveling with a group does, occasionally, bestow certain privileges.
Having had our fill of churches, it seemed an appropriate time to take in the “Gates of Hell”:
These are the oldest surviving town gates in the Netherlands. “Hell’s Gate” is the literal translation of their Dutch name, the “Helpoort”.
The Helpoort was part of the walled fortifications of Maastricht, dating from 1229:
To round out our selection of photographic subjects, here is the old Town Hall (or Stadhuis) which we passed returning to our ship:
This 17th century creation has an imposing double staircase for a none-too-obvious reason. At that time Maastricht had two rulers who governed different parts of town. The staircase was so designed to enable both rulers (the Duke of Brabant and the Prince-Bishop of Liège) to enter the town hall simultaneously.
On a more serious note, the following day we were driven by coach to Margraten. There, on 65 meticulously groomed acres, is the Netherlands American Cemetery. Walking the grounds, we paid our respects to the 8300 Americans who lost their lives nearby and the 1722 Americans whose remains were never found or identified:
A poignant view from the top of the Memorial Tower reveals the extent of the burial ground. The central mall is lined with American oaks, still in winter-slumber at the time of our visit:
Though only six miles from Maastricht, the cemetery is surrounded by peaceful farmland:
This is the only American military cemetery in the Netherlands. It was established with the gratitude of the Dutch people for the American sacrifices made to liberate their country during WWII.
The living must eat and so, lunch bound, we headed to Chateau Neercanne for a most unusual meal:
Beneath the chateau, cavernous rooms have been hollowed out over the years and now make outstanding places to age wine and to feed guests. It was no surprise the food and drink were exceptional; the candlelit ambiance unforgettable. Sorry we have no photos to prove either statement --> you’ll have to trust us.
This terraced former castle is so close to the Belgian border that we crossed it twice returning to our coach --- a sign that our time in the Netherlands was quickly running out. Tonight, after a cruise down the Albert Canal, our riverboat docked in Antwerp and would carry us no further.