Celts lived here around 500 BC, at a spot where the river Meuse was shallow and therefore easy to cross. Of a later date are Palaeolithic remains, between 8,000 and 25,000 years old. Neanderthal remains have been found to the west of Maastricht (Belvédère excavations). The Latin name first appears in medieval documents and it is not known whether * Trajectu(s) was Maastricht's name during Roman times.Ī resident of Maastricht is referred to as Maastrichtenaar whilst in the local dialect it is either Mestreechteneer or, colloquially, Sjeng (derived from the formerly popular French name Jean).Įarly history Roman sanctuary in the basement of Hotel Derlon its Walloon name li trek, from Classical Latin trajectus (' ford, passage, place to cross a river') with the later addition of Maas 'Meuse' to avoid the confusion with the -trecht of Utrecht having exactly the same original form and etymology. The place name Maastricht is an Old Dutch compound Masa- (> Maas 'the Meuse river') + Old Dutch *treiekt, itself borrowed from Gallo-Romance *TRA(I)ECTU cf. 575, Treiectensis in 634, Triecto, Triectu in 7th century, Triiect in 768–781, Traiecto in 945, Masetrieth in 1051. Maastricht is mentioned in ancient documents as Treiectinsem ab. The city is visited by tourists for shopping and recreation, and has a large international student population.įor a chronological guide, see Timeline of Maastricht. Maastricht has 1,677 national heritage buildings ( rijksmonumenten), the second highest number in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam.

It became well known through the Maastricht Treaty and as the birthplace of the euro. Today, the city is a thriving cultural and regional hub. In the 16th century it became a garrison town and in the 19th century an early industrial centre. Maastricht developed from a Roman settlement ( Trajectum ad Mosam) to a medieval river trade and religious centre.

Maastricht is adjacent to the border with Belgium and is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, an international metropolis with a population of about 3.9 million, which includes the nearby German and Belgian cities of Aachen, Liège and Hasselt. Mount Saint Peter ( Sint-Pietersberg) is largely situated within the city's municipal borders. Maastricht is located on both sides of the Meuse ( Dutch: Maas), at the point where the Jeker joins it. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht ( / ˈ m ɑː s t r ɪ x t/ MAH-strikht, US also / m ɑː ˈ s t r ɪ x t/ mah- STRIKHT, Dutch: ⓘ Limburgish: Mestreech French: Maestricht (archaic) Spanish: Mastrique (archaic)) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands.

Outer banks voice drug bust