Platform voor Architectuur & Design

Open Monuments' Days

Go take a hike with your guides

9 till 10 September 2023

On Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September 2023, thousands of monuments in the Netherlands will reopen their doors to the general public for free. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which we are celebrating by linking the theme 'Living heritage' to Open Monuments Day. In no city is heritage so alive as it is in Maastricht. Bureau Europa presents its arsenal of city tours complete with guide, also in English options!

The weekend of 9 and 10 September will have a full programme for you. Bureau Europa organizes five city walks, including the brand new En Plein Public walk guided by its two authors. Are you walking along? Register via info@bureau-europa.nl and don't forget to state clearly for which walk you are registering and with how many people.

Programme Bureau Europa

Saturday 9 September:
11.00 h. | En Plein Public | Remco Beckers and Joes Minis (Dutch). The monuments are on the street! From the well-trodden paths to the unknown squares, the courtyards behind the houses and the bridges over the Maas, from unused space to heritage with potential. After a successful first edition of En Plein Public, there is now part two, about the new additions to the old urban fabric. Not spreading out, but filling in the city.
Start at Bureau Europa | 5 km | 2 hours

13.00 h. | In the footsteps of Jo Coenen | Olga Puts (Dutch). Learn how the master architect left his mark on Maastricht's ancient skyline – or is that a recent invention? Jo Coenen is inspired by the history of the place and weaves it into his architecture like an artist. From completely new parts of the city such as Céramique to small interventions at the Servaas Bridge.
Start at Bureau Europa | 3,5 km | 1,5 hours

15.30 h. | In Case of Emergency! | Oscar Salcedo Castañeda (English). There are kilometers of corridors and air raid shelters under Maastricht. The largest bunker was located under the Vrijthof, when the threat of 'the Bomb' was still real. But the history of hiding, concealing and ensconcing is centuries old in Maastricht and can also be read in the streetscape. Learn all there is with this walking tour.
Start at Bureau Europa | 5km | 2 hours

Sunday 10 September:
11.00 h. | The Zinc Identity of Maastricht | Andrew Oringer (English). One of the most important but least conspicuous building materials of the 19th century is zinc. Mined in the mines of Moresnet, a lot of zinc ended up on the roofs in Maastricht, just like in Paris. And on the facades. But zinc also lives on immaterially: the largest strike in Maastricht was the zinc white strike of 1929! There are lots of stories to tell.
Start at Bureau Europa | 6,5km | 2,5 hours

14.00 h. | The Women of Maastricht | Jojet Lysen (Dutch). One of the most important women's strikes in the Netherlands took place in Maastricht. Also in Maastricht, a woman was also elected to political office for the very first time. Are those two things related? And what other fascinating women, ladies on the barricades, princesses and scholars did wander the streets, squares, and halls of Maastricht?
Start at Bureau Europa | 3,5 km | 1,5 hours

But wait, there's more...
Of course there is much more to experience and explore during the Open Monuments' Weekend. Interested? Then keep an eye on the website for more information and to sign up for the many activities.