Magical Maastricht

About the market

Magisch Maastricht ('Magical Maastricht') is the city's winter programme. The official tourism office describes twinkling lights, atmospheric Christmas markets and festive shopping across the city centre. The main market is on the Vrijthof square, as photos of the event show.

Sources: Official site: visitmaastricht.com.

About Maastricht

Maastricht is the capital and largest city of Limburg, on both banks of the Meuse where the Jeker joins it, right on the Belgian border. It grew from a Roman river crossing (Trajectum ad Mosam) into a medieval trading and religious centre. It later became a garrison town and an early industrial city.

Internationally it is known for the Maastricht Treaty, which laid the groundwork for the euro. It has 1,677 national heritage buildings, second only to Amsterdam, and a large international student population. It is a popular shopping destination, which suits its winter programme. Aachen and Liège are both nearby.

Sources: Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).