I’ve kept busy this fall checking out the many day trip options from Amsterdam but still hadn’t made it to the town of Maastricht. With fall winding down and winter feeling as though it’s just around the corner, I decided to take advantage of an empty weekend on the calendar.
So I booked a hotel and started tracking the weather forecast. The weather is notoriously unpredictable in the Netherlands, especially this time of year, and sure enough as the weekend approached the forecast started to show higher and higher percentages of rain.
Unsure if I should cancel the reservation or not, I started researching top attractions in Maastricht and was relieved to see that most were indoors. So we decided to forge ahead with our weekend plans are were rewarded with a lovely weekend retreat (and, perhaps thanks to the rain, few tourists!).
If you’re looking for a Dutch town to visit during the Netherland’s rainy shoulder seasons — or really, let’s face it, any time of year — Maastricht is an excellent choice. It’s cozy bars and restaurants, numerous cathedrals, and fascinating underground network of caves will keep you busy (and dry!) all weekend long.
Keep scrolling to see a list of the best rainy day activities in Maastricht as well as some recommendations for restaurants, cafes, and bars.
Visiting Maastricht
Maastricht is three hours away from Amsterdam by train, so it’s just far enough to warrant an overnight stay if visiting from the capital city. It’s also just 1 hour and 45 minutes by train from Brussels and 3.5 hours from Paris on the high-speed Thalys train.
Maastricht is a very popular weekend getaway destination for the Dutch, but it’s location immediately adjacent to the Belgium border and just 10 miles west from Germany brings plenty of tourists from other countries as well. The result is a town that feels different from most Dutch towns. You’ll hear a variety of languages — Dutch, German, French — and may notice the people here are less reserved than your average Nederlander.
Rainy Day Highlights
Maastricht Underground Tour
The highlight of the whole weekend was our tour of the extensive cave network that lies below the town of Maastricht. It’s definitely one of the most popular things to do in town and for good reason!
The tours are led by the company Maastricht Underground. There are three different tours available in English: Fort St. Pieter, the North Caves, and the Zonneberg Caves. We did the first two since they depart from the same point and are easy to do back-to-back (plus you get a great discount on both if you purchased a combined ticket).
Both tours were fascinating, but our favorite was definitely the North Caves tour, which took us underground to explore the extensive network of caves and tunnels below the city.
Cathedrals
During the Iconoclastic Fury of the 16th century, most of the churches in the Netherlands were stripped of their Catholic art, leaving the churches with whitewashed interiors free of color and embellishment. Maastricht’s churches, however, were spared and still maintain their original detail and ornamentation.
There are a number of cathedrals and basilicas around the historic city center. The most popular to visit are the Basilica of Our Lady, Basilica of Saint Servatius, and Sint-Janskerk.
Museums
Maastricht isn’t necessarily known for their museums, but there are a couple of notable ones for those looking to escape the rain for an hour or two.
The Bonnefanten Museum is Maastricht’s primary art museum and contains both medieval and modern art.
While the exhibitions are almost entirely in Dutch, the Natural History Museum may still be worthwhile for anyone interested in geology or paleontology. They also have a rat king on display, which I was blissfully ignorant to before visiting.
Book Store
You may be thinking: really, a bookstore made it on the list? Well, this is no ordinary bookstore.
Maastricht’s Boekhandel Dominicanen has converted a 700-year-old church into a massive shop selling new and used books, records, and various other odds and ends. There’s also a cafe that occupies one end of the church. There’s even a section for English books on the 1st floor.
Restaurants, Cafes & Bars
One of the best things about Maastricht is the food! If you’re into fine dining, there are an impressive seven restaurants with Michelin Stars in town or near the city: Tout a Fait, Chateau Neercanne, De Kristalijn, Altermezzo, Magis, De Mijlpaal, and De Leuf.
There are many other places to get a great meal without spending a fortune, too!
On Saturday, we had a fantastic brunch at Livin’ Room and a delicious burger and fries from Burgerlijk. After dinner we checked out Mr. Smith, an underground speakeasy with sophisticated cocktails.
On Sunday, we started the morning with a coffee at Alley Cat Bikes & Coffee, a cute place near Markt Square that’s half-coffeeshop and half-bike shop. For lunch we followed a friend’s recommendation and headed to Cafe Sjiek for some authentic local cuisine. I had a delicious and hearty chicken pie and Dan had the horsemeat stew.
Recommended Reading
It has an excellent section on Day Trips and includes great recommendations on what to see, which museums to visit, and where to eat in each place. He also includes great tips for first time visitors to the Netherlands.
Click here to purchase Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands travel guide.
