Last year we went on both the boat tour of the Meuse (Maas) and a tour of the famous cave system here in Maastricht. This year we decided to take a running tour through the streets of the city to learn more about the city while getting some exercise. The tour had really good ratings on TripAdvisor and did not disappoint. I would highly recommend taking a running tour the next time you are on vacation.
We started the tour by the JFK bridge which is fitting as we learned that Maastricht exists because of a bridge that was built at this place in Roman times to connect Western towns like Tongogren (of the antiques post) to Cologne (a Roman stronghold) and eventually all the way back to Rome. There are parts of the Roman bridge still underwater today. While we had seen the actual ruins in the basement of the Hotel Derlon last year, he showed us another courtyard with special significance to Roman times. The markings in the picture below demarcate the actual Roman ruins found in this square. The semi-circle on the left was a bath, the rectangular part on the right was a room, etc.
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| Susan and Andy may recognize this space from our outdoor lunch |
Crossing the park, we arrived at the beginning of the Old Town where one of the most charming features of Maastricht is found. There you will find a long stretch of Old City wall dating back to the 13th Century. The row of homes on top were built much later (1700s).
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The older of the two town's walls is still in place
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Here is another section of the Old City wall. This part actual went across the street unto the building below and the architects had a unique way of dealing with it. At different parts of the city you can climb the walls and some have some beautiful gardens and sitting areas. There is even a pub built into the wall called Heaven, as it is just down from Hellport, or Hell's gate.
We headed into the city's streets to learn more about Maastricht's unique history. As you will see, there are lots of cobblestone roads everywhere. It made running especially interesting. The city was especially pretty as it was decked out with decorations for the 7 year Progression. that was happening while we are here.
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| Our fearless leader |
Our guide stopped to show us a Gable Stone, a marker above the door or entryway which helped passerby discern who lived there by a picture representation. Sometimes the picture represented a profession, sometimes a family name. Maastricht is second only to Amsterdam for Gable Stones still present on city streets. Check out the list of them here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Gable_stones_in_Maastricht
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| I wonder what a red door meant? |
Another fascinating detail I would have never noticed on my own, were these markers called stumble stones. They are part of a German artists political/artistic idea to honor victims of the Holocaust. These four stones represent four Jewish people who lived in the building where the stones were placed. All of them were taken to Auschwitz and killed. The stones remind people of that past.
Our guide even found an area I hadn't found in my own travels around town. We got to see another water wheel (functional, but no actual mill inside). If you look close you can see a crane standing in the water looking for dinner. The water isn't always so muddy, but the recent rains have caused the brownish color.
This sign below is in honor of St. Martin, depicted in the Gable Stone, who is known for being extremely generous, thus why he is giving half is coat away. It graces these walls for another Martin, a Maastricht resident, who died and gave all his wealth to his sister. Since she was a nun and had no need for the money, she used it to build a safe place for single mothers. To this day these apartments are lent only to women meeting certain "at risk" criteria.
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| St. Martin |
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| A peek inside |
We had to take a stop at two of the most famous churches in Maastricht, Sint Janskerk and Basillica of Saint Servatus (one of two Bascillica's in Maastricht). Both originally Catholic, one eventually became Protestant (the red one) and the alley between them in known as purgatory. The red paint on the stones actually helps preserve the stones. We then ran over to Market Square where the City Hall Stands. It was created symmetrically to hold the two Mayors of Maastricht, Belgian and the Netherlands, who ruled together for 400 years.
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| Both churches are beautiful |
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| Running through purgatory |
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| They each even had their own staircases |
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| Crossing over the Old Bridge |
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| Crossing back over the new bridge |
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