Eau Eau Mestreech...

Did you know that water has been crucial to the city, and while the Maastricht expanded, Wyck actually shrank? Did you know there’s an underground aqueduct and that fish can climb stairs? You can even enjoy a ‘Sea View’ here, and water was once used as a strategic tool to breach the city walls.

Discover more on this walk exploring Maastricht’s waterways, a sequel to the ‘En Plein Publique’ walk by heritage conservators Remco Beckers and Joes Minis. This walk was created for Open Monument Day.

Distance 6 km

Duration 1.5 hours

Texts Remco Beckers and Joes Minis | Translation JLC Coburn | Design Dennis van Eikenhorst | Images Jonathan M (Wikimedia) | Brbbl (Wkimedia) | Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed | Tuñón y Albornoz Architects

1. We begin our walk at Bureau Europa, platform for architecture and design, and make our way down Boschstraat to the Noorderbrug. On Frankensingel, a staircase descends to the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal. Here stands one of the last additions to Maastricht’s fortifications: the bastion named after General Bernardus Dibbets. He is recognised for defending the city during the Belgian siege of 1830, although his actions were later condemned by many in Maastricht, who came to view him as a villain. He resided in the Generaalshuis (General’s House), now a theatre on Vrijthof. Dibbets was buried at the bastion in 1839, but his grave was desecrated for years and used as a public urinal due to resentment over his perceived betrayal. Consequently, his gravestone is now near the Tapijnkazerne (Tapijn Barracks). Today, Dibbets is honoured, and his name once again graces the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal.

2. Follow the path with the water starboard on your right. After the brick bridge, you’ll reach the harbour basin and the Lage Fronten (Lower Fronts), part of Maastricht’s ‘wet fortifications’. This area was designed to be flooded during sieges. The Nieuwe Bossche Fronts, constructed between 1816 and 1822, were built in preparation for the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal. After Maastricht lost its fortress status, much of the unwanted fortification infrastructure was demolished. The ceramics and glass company Regout & Co, later known as De Sphinx, repurposed the inundation area, transforming it into a harbour basin where ships could dock and be serviced by hoists from the factories behind. Since 2017, the fronts have been revitalised into a park as part of the Plan Belvédère.

3. Just before the Cabergerweg bridges, we change course. Ascend the stairs, turn left onto Cabergerweg, and turn right at the traffic lights onto Statensingel. Look for number 75 on the left. For decades, puzzled passers-by have wondered, ‘Why is there a Huize Zeezicht (Sea View House) here?’ The current residents considered other names like Huize Weltevree (House of Contentment) but dismissed Huize Kotsbeu (House Sick-to-Death), ultimately settling on Huize Zeezicht, much to many people’s bewilderment. Continue 500 metres to 148b, where herring used to be pickled. Nowadays, chocolates are made here. Before the advent of freezing technology, Maastricht was the last inland location where fresh fish was sold. From Maastricht, sea fish – especially herring – was preserved as pickled herring, or rollmops. Even today, the first fish sold at the Maastricht Friday market is eagerly purchased by restaurateurs from northern France. In a way, the sea is still in sight.

4. Walk to Zakstraat, diagonally across the road from the old herring picklers. Beneath you flows the 17th-century Jeker Canal, the underground aqueduct designed by the French fortification architect Vauban for military purposes. Continue to Brusselsestraat, the only street in Maastricht that has ever burned down. The fire, which occurred in 1612, was ignited when Jasper, an infamous pigeon hater, shot an innocent pigeon from his window. The thatched roofs and half-timbered houses, typical of the Brabant-Liège region to which Maastricht belonged, allowed the fire to spread rapidly. Many houses, from Jekerstraat to Kommel, suffered significant damage. Consequently, the city decreed that all new buildings must have stone facades, though this rule was often ignored. An inventory of fire ladders and buckets indicates that a form of fire brigade existed as early as 1447. Making leather fire buckets was part of the master’s exam for apprentice tanners, and new city residents were required to pay for them.

5. Cross over to Jekerstraat. You might wonder about its connection to the Jeker River. Although the Jeker does not flow here, in the 14th century, Jekerstraat led to a small gate in the city wall and continued towards the river. Further along on the left are some old farmhouses, recognisable by their large gates for carts. These farms within the city walls supplied Maastricht with food daily. Before the 19th century, about 70% of the city’s population were farmers who drew their water from wells. By around 1850, Maastricht had about 3000 houses, 2000 of which had wells. The less fortunate, living in cramped conditions, had to rely on public pumps or polluted sources, such as the Bassin or the Meuse. In 1880, the city council debated whether a waterworks company was necessary and whether the risks justified municipal involvement. The running water we take for granted today was not always so readily available!

6. After Jekerstraat, turn left and then right onto Abtstraat, or Abbot Street. Despite its grand name, Abtstraat is merely a renamed Sapstraat, which originally described the street’s muddy and ‘sappy’ condition after heavy rain. At the end of Abtstraat, turn left and walk to the Y-junction. Next to Maastricht’s oldest mural is a smaller artwork, a copy of Saint Servatius by Charles Vos, created by his student Sjef Eijmael. The original Saint Servatius, the only Maastricht bishop still standing on the Saint Servatius Bridge, blesses the Meuse as it enters the city, gazing towards Tongeren, his point of departure on his journey to Maastricht. Continue down the Kakeberg, turn right at the end, and walk along the route of the Jeker. Further along is the Huys op den Jeker (House on the Jeker), a fine example of the Maasland Renaissance style. This late 17th-century house rests on a barrel vault and combines brickwork with marlstone layers. For a long time, it was the residence of the rector of the Grauwzusters (Grey Sisters).

7. Follow the music from the Conservatorium and head towards the main entrance. Designed by architect Piet Dingemans and completed in 1965, the building is notable for its bold form and use of materials. Although it contrasts with the surrounding architecture, it blends in surprisingly well. Like the Huys op den Jeker, the Conservatorium is built over the river. Its brick facade and rectangular hardstone frames evoke both the Maasland Renaissance and half-timbered styles, while the slate roof and asymmetrical ground plan add a touch of organic architecture. This design is intentional, as the site once hosted the Molen van Dolk (Dolk’s Mill), a 19th-century water-powered textile mill owned by Jan Pieter Hanckar. Opposite the entrance, the Jeker flows out of the Reek water gate. The white building alongside is also an old watermill. Notably, the large windows reflect the needs of its former resident, the artist and stained-glass maker Charles Eyck, who required abundant natural light.

8. The Jeker flows beneath the Conservatory. Follow the alley to the tree-lined De Bosquetplein and pause at the Zwingelput on your right. During the ancien régime, Grote Looiersstraat was home to Maastricht’s tanneries, with the Jeker running through the middle of the street, effectively serving as a channel. The tanners settled here in the late Middle Ages because they could dispose of their waste directly into the river, which acted as an open sewer. Since the prevailing wind in the city usually comes from the northwest, much of the eastern bank was left undeveloped in the past to avoid the stench. The Jeker was a reason the Grauwzusters established their convent here. The building that now houses the Natural History Museum was originally built as the Grauwzusters’ convent in 1673. Its location near the Jeker facilitated the disposal of excrement. It later became Charles Vos’s studio. Maastricht’s plague house and military hospital were further downstream.

9. Follow Zwingelput to reach Sint-Pieterstraat, where you’ll find a small building on your right with an underpass. This passageway, near the Leeuwenmolen (Lion Mill), leads to an interesting piece of infrastructure. As of 2024, the Jeker is the Netherlands’ most polluted river. Several initiatives have been implemented to improve its water quality, including this 120-metre-long fish ladder that helps aquatic species navigate the sluice and continue their journey towards Belgium. This location is also one of the city’s early-morning beaver-watching spots. Although Maastricht’s beavers stay hidden during the day, gnawed trees along the Jeker, Meuse, and Zuid-Willemsvaart canal indicate their presence. In the summer, you might also spot a stray rubber duck or two.

10. Walk into the park and along the ponds until you reach Begijnenstraat. On your left is the Poort Waerachtig (Waerachtig Gate). Across the street is a large pond you can walk around, leading towards the Hoge Brug (High Bridge). The ponds are part of the romantic city park designed in the 19th century in the English landscape style. The park was therefore initially called d’n Ingelsen Hoof, meaning The English Head. The pond in front of De Vief Köp (The Five Heads) roundel is the last remnant of the 19th-century Maastricht-Liège Canal. Walking to the Hoge Bridge, we cross a small footbridge where the Jeker flows into the Meuse. When the Maastricht-Liège Canal still ran here, the Jeker had to flow beneath it via a siphon. In the 19th and 20th centuries, slaughterhouses discharged blood into the Jeker, which accumulated in the siphon while the water flowed onward. Though now a pleasant park, this area was once a macabre part of Maastricht, plagued by stench and maggots.

11. Continue past the Hoge Brug on your right and stroll along the river towards Het Bat. We have finally reached the Meuse River. The name Maastricht originates from the Latin name Mosae Trajectum, which means ‘crossing of the Meuse’. The precise history of the bridges in Maastricht is still debated. It is possible that for a long time, there was a ferry that moored at the Waterpoortje (Water Gate) in Wyck. The canalisation of the Meuse in the 1960s confirmed the existence of the Roman bridge when several stones were discovered. The bridge’s landing is now marked by the sculpture Pons Mosae by Jo Schoenmakers and Arno Meijs. Although the duration of the Roman bridge’s use remains unclear, the idea that it collapsed in the 13th century is a myth. In Roman times, the Meuse flowed about 50 metres further west through what is now the Stokstraatkwartier.

12. From Pons Mosae, we walk to the Saint Servatius Bridge. Surprisingly, Maastricht’s Aw Brögk, which means Old Bridge in the local dialect, is only 90 years old and actually younger than the Nuij Brögk (New Bridge), which is officially known as the Wilhelminabrug. The 13th-century bridge that was originally on this site belonged to the Saint Servatius Chapter and underwent significant renovations over the centuries before it had to be replaced in the 1930s due to the threat of collapsing under increasing traffic. However, Maastricht’s people were in uproar and demanded that the new bridge be built further downstream. When the renovations were complete, the old bridge was so radically redesigned – with concrete supports resting on the riverbed and nearly twice as wide as the original bridge – that it could be considered a completely new structure.

13. From the Aw Brögk, it’s just a short distance to the Nuij Brögk with its distinctive Y-shaped intersection. We continue along the Maasboulevard, which Jo Coenen redesigned. Here, we see a double quay that adds a unique charm to the city. Coenen’s 1992 urban plan introduced an innovative double landing for the Wilhelmina Bridge. Originally completed in 1932 in an impressive Art Deco style, the bridge initially ran in a straight line to the Markt. The historical fourth market wall had to be removed to construct new city offices, which were only built much later. When the Mosae Forum was built in the 1990s, traffic was redirected around the complex, resulting in the bridge’s current Y-shape. This major infrastructure project aimed to improve accessibility to the city from Wyck and enhance the connection with the Meuse River. Historically, Maastricht’s residents had limited contact with the river because a high wall obscured it for many years.

14. At the Y-junction, climb the stairs, turn right, and follow Van Hasseltkade. This area was once the route of the Maastricht-Liège Canal, which was filled in during the 1960s to make way for a major thoroughfare that was later modified in the 1980s and 1990s. The extension of Maasboulevard across the Bassin was controversial at the time but is now entrenched in the cityscape. The sale of the Sappi paper factory site, the rerouting of Maasboulevard along the river, and the planned demolition of part of the Landbouwbelang site will enable the creation of new Bassin walls, enhancing this waterfront area. The construction of three striking residential towers by Madrid-based architecture firm Tuñon y Albornoz will drastically change the Landbouwbelang site, the Bassin, and Maastricht’s skyline. By 2027, the quays of the Landbouwbelang, with its monumental cranes, are expected to become a prominent focal point in the city.

From Landbouwbelang, you can return to Bureau Europa to explore its vibrant exhibition programme or learn about our other themed walks. For more information, visit the Bureau Europa reception desk.