Tuesday 12 June 2007

Mooie Maastricht



We brought oma and opa to Maastricht last week, 20 mins drive from our home. Maastricht is the capital of province of Limburg. the city is situated on both sides of the famous River Maas, in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands between Belgium and Germany. Maastricht is probably the oldest city in the Netherlands with historical streets and places to visit. the main shopping stretches between the Vrijthof Square and the railway station. you will be able to find charming shops as well as departmental stores, where one could not resist the temptation to shop!





I'm not going to write on the historical buildings and places in maastricht, my husband knows it by hard now, therefore he's the best person to tell you on the historical side of the said place. i'm just going to touch briefly on the shopping we did last week.



The well conserved and excellently maintained centrum of Maastricht offers an attractive shopping culture, with its renowned and long-established stores
specialized in art, antiques, design, home furnishings, accessories and fashion, and its delicatessens, not to mention cafes and popular high street brands. The best thing is, in spring and summer, you'll get to enjoy the cafes, bars and restaurants outside, overlooking the river or the square. watch out for cyclists when you're walking tho!



The shops in Maastricht are open on Monday from 1pm to 6pm, Tuesday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturdays from 9am to 5pm. Thursday evenings, shops open until 9pm, we call it Koopavond. Sundays shops are often gesloten (closed), but there are certain days where they open, most cases every first Sunday of the month. Please note that, if you're travelling to the Netherlands, and carrying traveller's cheques, it is not possible to change them at the banks. unlike in the UK where you can change them at the banks and any travel agents, Thomas Cook etc, over here, you can change them at the Schipol Airport, or an exchange office on most big cities, called GWK, most of them situated just accross or near the railway stations. in Maastricht, it's at stationsplein 27.



We went shopping, had lunch at the cafe, stopped for waffels and ice creams, continued shopping whilst admiring the 18th, 19th centuary buildings, cobbled stones, figures and enjoying the atmosphere. we were there from morning, till the shops shut their doors and count their earnings of the day!! and it really didnt feel that long!

There's so much to explore and see in Maastricht. a day is simply not enough! i've found my gems in maastricht, a couple of shops on Sporenstraat, where i know i'd be visiting again, and again and again...

Maastricht is definitely a place to visit when you're in the Netherlands. Mooie Maastricht.. such beauty, such character, such charm.

Z

7 comments:

Ajzie said...

Sama mcm Germany juga.. Sunday semua kedai geschlossen(closed) Kedai pun buka dari 8am sampai 6pm. Mula2 disini rasa sungguh boring.. dah 2 tahun nih ok aje ..hihi, dah boleh terima kenyataan kedai tutup Ahad..hihi

Ann always said...

how far is maastricht from Brussel? I heard you can do a daytrip? we're hoping to go to Brussel next, and visit a few cities while we're at it.

Anonymous said...

thks za for sharing ur experience in netherlands.mcm k.ct yg mati idup smula pun mgkn tak dpt jejakkan kaki kat negara org lain selain dr m'sia nii..(abis2 pun balik2 spore..spore..spore..boring dah!)..gud enuff la to know abt the place u went n the journey exp.thats y i like to drop by ur blog!esp part masak-masak...ishishish...bleh tahan.

Anonymous said...

Hi zaza, Mum n dad must be enjoying Holland. Miss both of them here in JB. Lots of luv from me and fmly.

Anonymous said...

Nice. Would love to visit one day.

ZazaHardy said...

k.azi: yep, it was surprised to know that they dont open on sundays. unlike uk where you can go to tesco anytime as they open 24 hours! in that sense, i miss uk.

ann: maastricht and brussels is 1 hr 15 mins appx. there's a train service too! you need more than a day in maastricht my dear, so please do not make a day trip to maastricht as you wouldnt be able to singgah at our place!

k.ct: well, some of us are lucky in that sense, but god is fair! there are a few things that you have that we dont! it's nice to share too! :) thanks for visiting us!

uda: so sorry we havent been online lately. we were in zurich and went to few other places and just got back yesterday! mum and dad are fine and enjoying themselves, they miss all of you guys back home too! hope the renovation's coming along fine! we'll be online from now! talk to you guys soon! lots of love!

Z

ZazaHardy said...

adam: yep, it is beautiful! we hope you guys can come and visit beautiful maastricht and its surroundings too!

Z