It is mid-November and Maastricht already is in Christmas mood. The purpose of visiting this Dutch city was seeing my Erasmus ‘son’, Leif, again.
After his gap year Leif, a tall german twenty-year-old, started studying European Studies in Maastricht. I met him last year in my apartment in Valencia and soon he became my Erasmus ‘son’ as I had to help him with his laundry and make him go out to see the city. He was my neighbor and one of my best friends, he saw me laugh, cry and everything in between.
He has been living in Maastricht for two months now, so it’s the perfect moment for a visit! As Maastricht is located near Belgium boyfriend and I decided to make a round trip to this city in one day (think: eating too much chocolate and singing Stan Van Samang while getting awkward looks of other car drivers). We parked at Vrijthof, and we could immediately visit the beautiful square and the buildings around it.
Maastricht, already in Christmas decoration, is cosy and beautiful. We wandered around in the city, through the shopping streets towards the Sint Servaasbrug, which we crossed. The view from the bridge is stunning and it leads you to the most cosy part of the city: Wyck. With its Christmas decoration, this neighborhood is even more cosy than normal. Wyck is the place-to-be for all fashionistas and hipsters. Here, you will definitely find that one piece that completes your wardrobe. A lot of unique shops are located in Wyck as well as coffee bars and restaurants. Zondag is Leif’s favorite place to get a cup of coffee, and yes, I can believe that he loves this place! It’s in the middle of Wyck and the view from the coffee bar looks like ‘the perfect neighborhood as captured in an Instagram picture and where you can only dream of living in’. Well, this is the area where one of my best friends is living now and I’m totally jealous!
After walking around in Wyck, we strolled back to the other side of the Meuse. Leif showed us his university and the beautiful hidden spots of Maastricht. Lunch we had at an amazing restaurant called De Brandweerkantine. My mushroom soup was delicious and vegan! And even the boys were quietly enjoying their food.
As Maastricht is such a cosy city it is a perfect day trip or weekend trip to do in winter time. It is mostly famous for its shopping streets where you can find all kinds of stores, from unique stores in Wyck to the regular chains in the major shopping streets at the other side of the Meuse. There are a lot of coffee bars, good restaurants and waffles stalls, where you can warm up and recharge. So let’s go! I’m definitely going back soon.
Explore more!
L.
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