Experience the best of Maastricht

Maastricht is the capital of Limburg, set on the River Maas in the far south of the Netherlands, almost surrounded by Belgium and close to Germany. It began as a Roman crossing of the river, and the Sint Servaasbrug still crosses the river at the old crossing. The Vrijthof, a large square, is flanked by the Romanesque basilica of St Servatius and the red tower of St John's church, and the Helpoort is among the oldest town gates in the Netherlands.

A Dominican church has been turned into a bookshop under Gothic vaults. Beneath the Sint Pietersberg hill, kilometres of marl-stone passages were quarried for centuries and can be visited. The Bonnefanten museum, with its rocket-shaped tower, stands on the river. The rolling hills around Valkenburg, called the Heuvelland, and the cities of Liège and Aachen are within easy distance.

Limburg's pies, vlaai, filled with fruit or rice, are the local sweet, and sour stewed beef, zuurvlees, and white asparagus in spring are regional dishes. This is a relaxed corner of the Netherlands, with terraces filled with wine and beer, and Carnival, locally called Vastelaovend, fills the streets before Lent.