'From the dawn of knowledge to the dusk of ignorance, there's little that typifies human race as strongly as illusion of wisdom.,
Peter Debye, one of the most famous chemists of the 20th century, a Nobel Laureate and the proponent of the famous Debye-Huckel Light Theory, thus wrote in an introduction of one his research papers. Although most of his life was spent in foreign lands, most notably Germany and America, the fact that Debye was a Dutch national born in Maastricht, Holland is still one that Dutch people are proud of!
Like Debye, many other famous contributors to the development of human race and society have been created by Maastricht. But when you take a good look at it, you won't be able to feel the air of modesty that hangs high about this city.
Being modest or being great are two common things. But the mutually exclusive set of these qualities is often a weak one, and Maastricht seems to fit in there quite snugly. Apart from its culture of learning and education, Maastricht is also famous for its beautiful buildings, serene natural escapades situated at a stone's throw from the city and a host of other attractions that have been enticing tourists for years.
If you are sitting on the fence, confused whether to finalize Maastricht as your next holiday destinations, we can only advise you to get off the fence, and start preparing for what is very likely to be one of the most interesting journeys of your life!
And in a way of offering a little help from our end, we are thrilled to present this nifty guide of sorts about Maastricht hotels, tourism and sightseeing!
Finding Budget Hotels in Maastricht
It may not be a necessity to put obvious facts on record. But still, it is worth mentioning that tourists who plan on visiting Maastricht and other cities in Netherlands need to be aware of the fact that Netherlands happens to be one of the costliest countries in all of Europe, when it comes to standard of living, real estate, education and healthcare.
So, quite automatically, it can be predicted that it would be a tough ask for cities like Maastricht to house too many cheap hotels that visitors can rely on to save them money. That's precisely seems to be the cold and harsh ground reality, as finding affordable hotels in Maastricht is by most accounts a foregone conclusion.
But without entirely giving up on the cause, we did carry out some research of our own, and ended up with a few cheap hotels that are “ while not being cheap in the strictest sense of the world “ relatively more affordable.
Botel Maastricht is the first ranker in that lot. It is one of the oldest lodges in the city, and quite rightly so, one of the most famous ones. It is much more reasonably priced than many of its newer competitors. It is located in downtown Maastricht, and is easily accessible from almost every mode of transports. Clean, hygienic and spacious rooms coupled with a cooperative management mean that your stay here will be easy-going and without any hassles.
Hotel de Pauwenhof follows Botel Maastricht pretty closely in terms of prices. There's little to separate these two in other aspects, as well “ except for the fact that the former is more accessible from many sights of the city, than the latter.
Winding up our discussion of budget Maastricht hotels, let's move on ahead to discuss the other end of the scale “ luxury resorts!
Luxury Hotels, Resorts and Spas in Maastricht
Being a capital city of the province (Note: Maastricht is the capital of Limburg Province, and also the largest city in the province) has brought a widespread attention to Maastricht. One of the results of this attention is the fact that Maastricht is home to over half a dozen truly world-class luxury resorts and spas. These establishments take every possible care to make sure that their patrons are well-satisfied by the time it's their cue to check-out. Although, it would also be fair to say that they charge a very big buck for that, too!
The one we will be shortlisting here has all these traits, and then some. Chateau de Gerlach is a former aristocratic house converted into a splendid luxury resort, where luxury of every kind is bowing in readiness to please the guests.
Among other luxury and lavish hotels in Maastricht, brand-name resorts like Radisson Blu and Sofitel are definitely worth a mention!
The Very Best of Maastricht Sightseeing
The very first site you should be visiting while visiting Maastricht are the twin city centers. Erected in different eras of history, the old and the new city centers carry their unique flavors, and are extremely charming, especially when you explore them on foot.
Bonnefantenmuseum is the best museum of art in Limburg Province. It houses hundreds of original art works from Old Masters, as well as newer maestros. If you are an art connoisseur, you will be surely spending at least one whole day here.
Apart from these two sites, there are a number of museums, art galleries and churches that can be visited during your stay in Maastricht.
Hotels Near Maastricht Airport
Maastricht Airport is a mini-airport that has direct connections to a handful of cities in Europe. Most tourists, however, choose to travel by air to Amsterdam and then by road to Maastricht.
Maastricht Airport is located at a distance of about 5 km form the center of the city, and there exist no lodging options in the immediate vicinity of the airport.
Getting Around in Maastricht
- The best way to get around here is on foot. It will help you explore narrow alleys and old town centers, where vehicles aren't allowed.
- Bicycle enthusiasts can rent bicycles on hourly or daily bases to get around in Maastricht.
- Public transport (buses) are available, but arguably, the frequency in which they run is not adequate to keep up with the demands of the city.