Vùng trồng dâu da, dâu bòn bon ở huyện Phong Điền, TP Cần Thơ những ngày này đang vào mùa thu hoạch rộ, giá bán cao giúp nhiều nhà vườn thu hàng trăm triệu mỗi ha.
Tháng tư âm lịch, các vườn dâu da ở miền Tây bắt đầu chín rộ. Cây nào cũng sum suê, trái no tròn, có loại màu xanh, có loại màu vàng óng ả... Đặc điểm loài dâu là khi có mưa xuống thì trái bắt đầu ngọt dần cho đến cuối mùa.
Dâu da miền Tây có nhiều giống, mùi vị, độ chua ngọt khác nhau. Loại ngọt và hơi ngọt có dâu xanh, dâu Bà Phước, dâu miền dưới, dâu Hạ Châu, dâu bòn bon. Hiện nay, dâu bòn bon được coi là thế mạnh của một số nhà vườn. Loại này có nhiều ưu thế hơn nhờ trái sai, đều, độ ngọt cao, mọng nước và thích hợp với nhiều loại đất.
Dâu bòn bon có màu sắc rất đẹp, chín rộ từ tháng 3 đến cuối tháng 4 âm lịch. Bình quân mỗi cây cho 200-300 kg trái, cá biệt có cây lên 500 kg.
Riêng dâu Hạ Châu là đặc sản của Phong Điền, thường thu hoạch từ tháng 6 đến tháng 9 âm lịch.
Thương lái vào tận nhà thu mua dâu trái xanh.
Dâu trái xanh có giá trung bình khoảng 15.000-20.000 đồng/kg.
Thị trường của dâu miền Tây là Saigon và nhiều tỉnh thành cả nước.
Dâu được vận chuyển bằng các loại ghe xuồng ra chợ.
Năm nay, dâu được giá, chi phí đầu tư lại thấp giúp nông dân có lợi nhuận cao. Mỗi ha dâu năng suất cao người trồng thu được 90 triệu đến hơn 100 triệu đồng.
Mùa này, ven các đường ở miền Tây, dâu da được bày bán rất nhiều.
Nhiều nhà vườn trồng dâu ở huyện Phong Điền đang kết hợp cho khách du lịch tham quan, khám phá vườn dâu để tăng thu nhập
Nhạn Môn Quan, Nga Mi, Võ Đang vốn rất quen thuộc với tín đồ tiểu thuyết Kim Dung. Ngoài đời thật, đây là những địa danh nổi tiếng và có nhiều phong cảnh đẹp như tranh vẽ.
1. Nga Mi
Núi Nga Mi còn gọi là "Đại quang Minh sơn" nằm ở Trung Nam tỉnh Tứ Xuyên, thuộc miền Tây Trung Quốc. Đỉnh cao nhất của Nga Mi sơn là Vạn Phật, nằm trên ngọn núi chính Kim Đỉnh với độ cao 3.099 m.
Nga Mi cũng là ngọn núi có nhiều chùa miếu và là một trong Tứ đại Phật giáo danh sơn của Trung Hoa, bên cạnh núi Ngũ Đài, núi Cửu Hoa và núi Phổ Đà.
Nhắc đến Nga Mi, bạn sẽ nhớ ngay đến những nhân vật nổi tiếng trongbộ truyện Ỷ thiên Đồ long ký của nhà văn Kim Dung là Chu Chỉ Nhược, Diệt Tuyệt sư thái…Cũng theo bộ tiểu thuyết võ hiệp này, võ lâm Trung Nguyên có ba phái lớn là Thiếu Lâm, Võ Đang và Nga Mi. Sư tổ sáng lập ra võ phái Nga Mi là Quách Tương, con gái của Quách Tĩnh và Hoàng Dung, 2 nhân vật trong bộ Anh hùng xạ điêu đã được ông sáng tác trước đó khá lâu.
Chùa Vạn Niên trên núi Nga Mi có kiến trúc mang đậm dấu ấn của Đạo giáo
Trong chùa có bức tượng Phổ Hiền Bồ Tát cao 7,35 m, nặng 62 tấn, được xem là bức tượng Phật cao nhất thế giới, được đúc bằng đồng mạ 20 kg vàng bên ngoài và là điểm tham quan không thể bỏ qua khi đến Nga Mi.
Kim Đính hay còn gọi là Vạn Phật Đính, một trong những ngọn núi nổi tiếng của Nga Mi. Điểm độc đáo khi đến đây là du khách có thể nhìn thấy được 4 kì quan nổi tiếng của Nga Mi Sơn, gồm Nhật xuất (mặt trời mọc), Vân hải (biển mây), Phật quang (hào quang của Phật) và Thánh đăng (đèn Thánh).
Trong đó Thánh đăng, hay còn gọi là Phật đăng, là hiện tượng kì bí nhất: vào mỗi đêm tối không trăng, dưới địa danh “Xã thân nhai” thường xuất hiện hàng vạn chấm tròn sáng màu xanh lục nhấp nháy như những chòm sao dày đặc. Có nhiều lời giải thích khác nhau cho nguyên nhân dẫn đến hiện tượng này: do lửa lân tinh, hoặc do một loại nấm phát sáng mọc dày đặc trên các thân cây …
Núi Nga Mi còn là nơi tập trung nhiều chủng loại sinh vật phong phú cùng hệ thảm thực vật Á nhiệt đới.
Hiện nay Núi Nga Mi có 242 loài thực vật cấp cao, 3.200 loài cây, trong đó có hơn 100 loài đặc thù chỉ có ở núi Nga Mi và hơn 2.300 loài động vật quý hiếm.
Chùa Báo Quốc nằm ở chân núi Nga Mi, trên lối vào Nga Mi sơn, đồng thời cũng là nơi diễn ra các hoạt động Phật giáo chính. Chùa này được xây dựng vào thời nhà Minh (cuối thế kỷ 16, đầu thế kỷ 17) còn có tên gọi là "Hội Tông đường". Đến thời vua Khang Hi nhà Thanh đổi tên thành"chùa Báo quốc". Chùa tọa trên diện tích 40.00 m2, bao gồm Sơn môn, điện thờ Di Lặc, điện Đại Hùng, điện thờ Thất Phật, điện thờ Phổ Hiền và lầu chứa kinh văn nhà Phật.
Ngoài ra, khi đến thăm Nga Mi, du khách cũng nên đến tham quan Bức tượng Đại Phật Lạc Sơn tạc trên vách núi lớn nhất thế giới, nằm ở ngọn Thế Loan, đối mặt với Nga Mi sơn. Đại Phật Lạc Sơn cao 71m và được chế tác trong 90 năm, kéo dài gần cả thế kỷ. Thân tượng Phật cao 59,98m, đầu cao 14,6m. Đỉnh đầu có 1.021 búi tóc và độc đáo nhất là phần móng tay của bức tượng, dù là bộ phận nhỏ nhất cũng đủ cho một người ngồi. Đại Phật Lạc Sơn cùng với Nga Mi Sơn đã được UNESCO công nhận là Di sản thế giới năm 1996.
2. Nhạn môn quan
Dưới ngòi bút của Kim Dung, Nhạn Môn quan trong bộ tiểu thuyết kiếm hiệp Thiên Long Bát Bộ đã trở thành vùng đất huyền thoại. Đây chính là nơi nhân vật Kiều Phong, một đại anh hùng võ công trác tuyệt, dùng chính sinh mạng của mình để đổi lấy sự bình yên cho nhân dân 2 nước Tống - Liêu.
Đây cũng là nơi mà độc giả Thiên long Bát bộ đã phải nức nở trước tình yêu trắc trở của Kiều Phong, cũng như ám ảnh với cái kết buồn cho số phận của A Tử, một trong những nhân vật nữ được Kim Dung xây dựng rất thành công trong bộ tiểu thuyết này.
Nhạn Môn Quan nằm trên một thung lũng ở huyện Đại, cách thành phố Hân Châu, tỉnh Sơn Tây 20 km về phía Bắc và là cửa ải trọng yếu của Trường thành thời xưa.
Do nằm lọt thỏm giữa hai bờ vách núi dựng đứng với địa thế cực kỳ hiểm trở, mà vùng đất này được đặt tên là Nhạn Môn Quan, hàm ý chỉ có những con chim nhạn, chim én mới bay vượt qua được cửa ải hùng vĩ này.
Vào thời xưa, có rất nhiều cuộc chiến khốc liệt đã diễn ra ở Nhạn Môn Quan. Vì vậy, ngày nay khi đến với điểm du lịch này, du khách không chỉ thăm thú các danh lam thắng cảnh trong khu vực, mà còn được dịp tìm hiểu về lịch sử thăng trầm rất thú vị của vùng biên ải.
Hiện tại, cả 3 cửa ải của Nhạn Môn Quan vẫn được bảo tồn tốt và địa danh này đã trở thành một di tích quân sự cổ quan trọng của tỉnh Sơn Tây.
Đồng thời, Nhạn Môn Quan cũng là một phần quan trọng của di sản văn hóa thế giới và còn được biết đến với tên gọi “Trung Hoa đệ nhất quan”.
3. Võ Đang
Trong Ỷ Thiên Đồ Long Ký, sư tổ sáng lập ra phái võ Đang nằm trên ngọn núi cùng tên, là Trương Tam Phong hay còn gọi là Trương Quân Bảo. Nhân vật này cũng là người sáng tạo Thái Cực quyền và Thái Cực kiếm.
Tại đây, giữa vòng vây của các cao thủ võ lâm, Trương Tam Phong đã truyền thụ bí quyết Thái Cực quyền và Thái Cực kiếm cho Trương Vô Kỵ.
Ngoài ra, tín đồ tiểu thuyết kiếm hiệp Kim Dung cũng đã rất quen thuộc với phái Võ Đang, vì đây là 1 trong 3 môn phái lớn rất hay xuất hiện trong tiểu thuyết của ông, ngay từ bộ Anh hùng xạ điêu và Thần điêu hiệp lữ. Ngôi Cổ mộ của Tiểu Long Nữ cũng được Kim Dung mô tả có vị trí gần sát núi Võ Đang.
Ngoài đời thật, núi Võ Đang hay còn gọi là núi Thái Hòa, là một dãy núi nằm ở phía Nam thành phố Thập Yển, Tây Bắc của tỉnh Hồ Bắc với ngọn núi chính là Hải Bạt cao 1612 m.
Phong cảnh nơi đây rất hùng vĩ nên thơ, là đất thánh của võ thuật Đạo giáo với phái Thái Cực quyền và Bát Quái chưởng được phát triển từ thế kỷ 13.
Đoạn đường dài 70 km từ chân núi đến đỉnh núi Võ Đang có đến 32 đền thờ Đạo Giáo chủ yếu được xây dựng theo lối kiến trúc thời nhà Nguyên, Minh, Thanh. Đạo Giáo ở Võ Đang thịnh vượng nhất vào thời Minh. Ngọn núi xinh đẹp này cũng được công nhận là Di sản thế giới vào năm 1994.
Một kiến trúc độc đáo không thể bỏ qua khi đến thăm núi Võ Đang, đó là tòa Trúc Kim Điện làm bằng đồng mạ vàng nặng đến 405 tấn, được xây dựng từ năm 1416 trên đỉnh núi.
Với không gian hùng vĩ, u tịnh, Võ Đang thu hút du khách gần xa đến để không chỉ thưởng ngoạn mà còn là được đắm mình vào thiên nhiên trong lành, không gợn chút bụi trần
Với những ai say mê thế giới thần tiên của tiểu thuyết kiếm hiệp Kim Dung, tìm về Võ Đang là cuộc hành trình trải nghiệm lại thế giới nhân vật mà mình yêu thích qua hàng loạt bộ tiểu thuyết nổi tiếng có đề cập đến địa danh này như Ỷ thiên Đồ long ký, Anh hùng xạ điêu, Thần điêu hiệp lữ…
View of Maastricht from the church tower of Saint John's
Maastricht (Dutch: [maːˈstrɪxt] (listen);[7]Limburgish (incl. Maastrichtian): Mestreech[məˈstʁeːç]; French: Maestricht (archaic); Spanish: Mastrique (archaic)) is a town and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is the capital city in the province of Limburg.
Maastricht is located on both sides of the Meuse river (Dutch: Maas), at the point where the Jeker River (French: Geer) joins it.
In history Maastricht developed from a Belgic settlement, that in the Gallic Wars was conquered by the Romans and thus became a Roman settlement, to a religious centre, a garrison city and an early industrial city.[8] Nowadays, it is known as an especially cultured city (including local folklore) and education.[9] Maastricht's rich history shows from the fact that in this town no fewer than 1677 national heritage sites (Rijksmonumenten) are located, which is the second highest number in a Dutch town, after Amsterdam. Furthermore, it has become known, by way of the Maastricht Treaty, as the birthplace of the European Union, European citizenship, and the single European currency, the euro.[10][11]
The town is popular with tourists for shopping and recreation, and has a
large growing international student population. Maastricht is a member
of the Most Ancient European Towns Network[12] and is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, which includes nearby cities Aachen, Eupen, Hasselt, Liège and Tongeren.
Etymology and 'oldest city in the Netherlands' dispute
The name Maastricht is derived from LatinTrajectum ad Mosam (or Mosae Trajectum), meaning 'crossing at the Meuse', and referring to the bridge built by the Romans. The Latin name first appears in medieval documents[13] and it is not known whether this was Maastricht's official name during Roman times.
There is some debate as to whether Maastricht is the oldest city in the Netherlands. Some people consider Nijmegen the oldest, mainly because it was the first settlement in the Netherlands to receive Roman city rights.
Maastricht never did, but it may be considerably older as a settlement.
In addition, Maastricht can claim uninterrupted habitation since Roman
times. A large number of archeological finds confirms this. Nijmegen has
a gap in its history: there is practically no evidence of habitation in
the early Middle Ages.
A 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).
Remains of Roman baths at Onze Lieve Vrouweplein
View of Maastricht, coloured engraving by Philippo Bellomonte, 1580/82
Neanderthal remains have been found to the west of Maastricht (Belvédère excavations). Of a later date are Palaeolithic remains, between 8,000 and 25,000 years old. Celts lived here around 500 BC, at a spot where the river Meuse was shallow and therefore easy to cross.
It is not known exactly when the Romans arrived in Maastricht, or
whether the settlement was founded by them. It is known, though, that
the Romans built a bridge over the Meuse in the 1st century AD, during
the reign of Augustus Caesar. The bridge was an important link in the main road between Bavay and Cologne. Roman Maastricht was probably relatively small. Remains of the Roman road, the bridge, a religious shrine, a Roman bath, a granary, some houses and the 4th-century castrum
walls and gates, have been excavated. Fragments of provincial Roman
sculptures, as well as coins, jewelry, glass, pottery and other objects
from Roman Maastricht are on display in the exhibition space of the
city's public library (Centre Céramique).
According to legend, the Armenian-born Saint Servatius, bishop of Tongeren, died in Maastricht in 384 and was buried there along the Roman road, outside the castrum. According to Gregory of Tours it was bishop Monulph who, around 570, built the first stone church on the grave of Servatius, the present-day Basilica of Saint Servatius. The city remained an early Christiandiocese until it lost this position to nearby Liège in the early 8th century.
Middle Ages
In the early Middle Ages Maastricht was, along with Aachen and the area around Liège, part of the heartland of the Carolingian Empire. The town was an important centre for trade and manufacturing. Merovingian
coins minted in Maastricht have been found in many places throughout
Europe. In the 10th century Maastricht briefly became the capital of the
duchy of Lower Lorraine.
During the 12th century the town flourished culturally. The provosts of the church of Saint Servatius held important positions in the Holy Roman Empire during this era. The city's two main churches were largely rebuilt and redecorated. Maastricht Romanesque stone sculpture is regarded as one of the highlights of Mosan art. Maastricht painters were praised by Wolfram von Eschenbach in his Parzival. Around the same time, the poet Henric van Veldeke wrote a legend of Saint Servatius, one of the earliest works in Dutch literature.
Shortly after 1200 the city received dual authority, with the prince-bishops of Liège and the dukes of Brabant holding joint sovereignty over the city. Maastricht received city rights
in 1204. Soon afterwards the first ring of medieval walls were built.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the city remained a centre for trade and
manufacturing of wool and leather
but gradually economic decline set in. After a brief period of economic
prosperity in the 15th century, the city's economy suffered during the wars of religion of the 16th and 17th centuries, and recovery did not happen until the industrial revolution in the early 19th century.
16th to 19th centuries
The important strategic location of Maastricht resulted in the
construction of an impressive array of fortifications around the city
during this period. The Spanish and Dutch garrisons became an important factor in the city's economy. In 1579 the city was sacked by the Spanish army under general Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (Siege of Maastricht, 1579).
For over fifty years the Spanish crown took over the role of the dukes
of Brabant in the joint sovereignty over Maastricht. In 1632 the city
was conquered by Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange and the Dutch States General replaced the Spanish crown in the joint government of Maastricht.
Another Siege of Maastricht (1673) took place during the Franco-Dutch War. In June 1673, Louis XIV laid siege to the city because French battle supply lines were being threatened. During this siege, Vauban,
the famous French military engineer, developed a new strategy in order
to break down the strong fortifications surrounding Maastricht. His
systematic approach remained the standard method of attacking fortresses
until the 20th century. On 25 June 1673, while preparing to storm the
city, captain-lieutenant Charles de Batz de Castelmore, also known as the comte d'Artagnan, was killed by a musket shot outside Tongerse Poort. This event was embellished in Alexandre Dumas' novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne, part of the D'Artagnan Romances. French troops occupied Maastricht from 1673 to 1678.
In 1748 the French once again conquered the city at what is known as the Second French Siege of Maastricht, during the War of Austrian Succession. The French took the city one last time in 1794, when the condominium was dissolved and Maastricht was annexed to the First French Empire (1794-1814). For twenty years Maastricht was the capital of the French département of Meuse-Inférieure.
After the Napoleonic era, Maastricht became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. It was made the capital of the newly formed Province of Limburg (1815–1839). When the southern provinces of the newly formed kingdom seceded in 1830 (Belgian Revolution), the Dutch garrison in Maastricht remained loyal to the Dutch king, William I of the Netherlands,
even when most of the inhabitants of the town and the surrounding area
sided with the Belgian revolutionaries. In 1831, arbitration by the Great Powers
allocated the city to the Netherlands. However, neither the Dutch nor
the Belgians agreed to this and it was not until the 1839 Treaty of London
that the arrangement was implemented. It was during this period of
isolation that Maastricht developed into an early industrial town.
Because of its eccentric location in the southeastern Netherlands,
and its geographical and cultural proximity to Belgium and Germany,
integration of Maastricht and Limburg into the Netherlands did not come
about easily. Maastricht retained a distinctly non-Dutch appearance
during much of the 19th century and it was not until the First World War that the city was forced to look northwards.
20th century and onwards
Maastricht did not escape the ravages of World War II. It was quickly taken by the Germans during the Battle of Maastricht in May 1940, but on 14 September 1944 it was also the first Dutch city to be liberated by allied forces. The three Meuse bridges were destroyed or severely damaged during the war. The majority of Maastricht Jews were murdered in Nazi concentration camps.
The latter half of the century saw the decline of traditional industries (such as the famous Maastricht potteries) and a shift to a service economy. Maastricht University was founded in 1976. Several European institutions have found their base in Maastricht. In 1992, the Maastricht Treaty was negotiated and signed here, leading to the creation of the European Union and the euro.[14]
In recent years, under mayorGerd Leers, Maastricht launched a campaign against drug-related problems. Leers instigated a controversial plan to relocate some of the cannabis coffee shops—where
the purchase of soft drugs in limited quantities is tolerated—from the
city centre to the outskirts, in an attempt to stop (foreign) buyers
from causing trouble in the downtown area.[15] Although the so-called "coffee corner plan" has not been entirely abandoned, the new mayor Onno Hoes
has given priority to the Dutch government's approach of limiting
entrance to 'coffee shops' to Dutch adults only, and to tackle the
problem of drug runners in cooperation with the city of Rotterdam (where the majority of drug runners are from).
On a positive note, large parts of the city centre were thoroughly
refurbished in recent years, including the area around the main railway
station, the main shopping streets, the Entre Deux and Mosae Forum
shopping centres, and the Maasboulevard promenade along the Meuse. Also, a new quarter, including the new Bonnefanten Museum,
a public library, a theater and several housing blocks designed by
international architects, was built on the grounds of the former
Céramique potteries near the town centre. As a result, Maastricht looks
notably smarter. Further large-scale projects, such as the redevelopment
of the Sphinx and Belvédère areas, are underway.
Geography
Neighbourhoods
Typical street in the Jekerkwartier, part of the ancient Maastricht city centre.
Dutch Topographic map of Maastricht, March 2014
Maastricht consists of five districts and over 40 neighbourhoods. Each neighbourhood has a number which corresponds to its postal code.
South-East (Randwyck, Heugem, Heugemerveld, Scharn, Heer, De Heeg, Vroendaal)
The neighbourhoods of Itteren, Borgharen, Limmel, Amby, Heer, Heugem, Scharn, Oud-Caberg, Sint Pieter
and Wolder all used to be separate municipalities or villages until
they were annexed by the city of Maastricht in the course of 20th
Century.
Neighbouring villages
The (outlying areas of the) following villages are bordering the
municipality of Maastricht directly, which means among others that in
many a case a considerable number of their inhabitants is originating
from Maastricht. Clockwise from north to northwest:
Maastricht features the same climate as most of the Netherlands (Cfb,
Oceanic climate), however, due to its more inland location in between
hills, summers tend to be warmer (especially in the Meuse valley, which
lies 70 meters lower than the meteorological station) and winters a bit
colder, although the difference is only remarkable at a few days a year.
Notable is the second highest temperature recorded in the Netherlands,
and the highest temperature of a still existing station on June 27, 1947
at 38.4 °C (101.1 °F).[16]
Maastricht is a city of linguistic diversity, partly as a result of
its location at the crossroads of multiple language areas and its
international student population.
Dutch
is the national language and the language of elementary and secondary
education (excluding international institutions) as well as
administration. Dutch in Maastricht is often spoken with a distinctive
Limburgish accent, which should not be confused with the Limburgish language.
Limburgish (or Limburgian), is the overlapping term of the tonal dialects spoken in the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg. The Maastrichtian dialect (Mestreechs) is only one of many variants of Limburgish. It is characterised by stretched vowels and some French influence on its vocabulary. In recent years the Maastricht dialect has been in decline (see dialect levelling) and a language switch to Standard Dutch has been noted.[24]
French
formerly was the language of education in Maastricht. As of the 18th
century the language occupied a powerful position as judicial and
cultural language, with it being used and throughout the following
century by the upper classes.[25] Between 1851 and 1892 a Francophone newspaper (Le Courrier de la Meuse)
was published in Maastricht. Currently, the language is often part of
secondary school curricula. Many proper names and some street names are
French and the language has left many traces in the local dialect.
German,
like French, is often part of secondary school curricula. Due to
Maastricht's geographic proximity to Germany and the great number of
German students in the city, German is widely spoken.
English has become an important language in education. At Maastricht University and Hogeschool Zuyd it is the language of instruction for many courses. Many foreign students and expatriates use English as a lingua franca. English is also a mandatory subject in Dutch elementary and secondary schools.
BioPartner Centre Maastricht – life sciences spin-off companies
Public institutions
Since the 1980s a number of European and international institutions
have made Maastricht their base. They provide an increasing number of
employment opportunities for expats living in the Maastricht area.
Maastricht is known in the Netherlands and beyond for its lively
squares, narrow streets, and historical buildings. The city has 1677 rijksmonumenten
(national heritage sites), more than any Dutch city outside Amsterdam.
The entire city centre is a protected cityscape ("beschermd
stadsgezicht"). The tourist information office (VVV) is located in the Dinghuis, a medieval building overlooking Grote Staat. Maastricht's main sights include:
Meuse river, with several parks and promenades along the river, and some interesting bridges:
Sint Servaasbrug, partly from the 13th century; the oldest bridge in the Netherlands;
Hoge Brug ("High Bridge"), a modern pedestrian bridge designed by René Greisch;
City fortifications, including:
Remnants of the first and second medieval city wall and several towers (13th and 14th centuries);
Helpoort ("Hell's Gate"), an imposing gate with two towers, built shortly after 1230, the oldest city gate in the Netherlands;
Waterpoortje ("Little Water Gate"), a medieval gate in Wyck, used
for accessing the city from the Meuse, demolished in the 19th century
but rebuilt shortly afterwards;
Hoge Fronten (or: Linie van Du Moulin), remnants of 17th- and 18th-century fortifications with a number of well-preserved bastions and a nearby early 19th-century fortress, Fort Willem I;
Fort Sint-Pieter ("Fortress Saint Peter"), early 17th-century fortress on the flanks of Mount Saint Peter;
Casemates,
an underground network of tunnels, built as sheltered emplacements for
guns and cannons. These tunnels run for several miles underneath the
city's fortifications, some isolated, others connected to each other.
Guided tours are available.
Binnenstad: inner-city district with pedestrianized shopping
streets including Grote and Kleine Staat, and high-end shopping streets
Stokstraat and Maastrichter Smedenstraat. The main sights in Maastricht
as well as a large number of cafés, pubs and restaurants are centred
around the three main squares in Binnenstad:
Vrijthof, the largest and best-known square in Maastricht, with many
well-known pubs and restaurants (including two - one former - gentlemen's clubs). Other sights include:
Basilica of Saint Servatius, a predominantly Romanesque church with important medieval sculptures (most notably the westwork and east choir sculpted capitals, corbels and reliefs, and the sculpted South Portal or Bergportaal). The tomb of Saint Servatius in the crypt is a favoured place of pilgrimage. The church has an important church treasury;
Sint-Janskerk, a Gothic church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist,
the city's main Protestant church since 1632, adjacent to the Basilica
of Saint Servatius, with a distinctive red, limestone tower;
Spaans Gouvernement ("Spanish Government Building"), a 16th-century former canon's house, also used by the Brabant and Habsburg rulers, now housing the Museum aan het Vrijthof;
Hoofdwacht ("Main Watch"), a 17th-century military guard house, used for exhibitions;
Generaalshuis ("General's House"), a Neoclassical mansion, now the city's main theater (Theater aan het Vrijthof).
Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, a picturesque tree-lined square with an abundance of pavement cafes. Main sights:
Derlon Museumkelder, a small museum with Roman and earlier remains in the basement of Hotel Derlon.
Markt, the town's market square, completely refurbished in 2006-07 and now virtually traffic free. Sights include:
The Town Hall, built in the 17th century by Pieter Post and considered one of the highlights of Dutch Baroque architecture. Nearby is Dinghuis, the medieval town hall and courthouse with an early Renaissance façade;
Mosae Forum, a new shopping center and civic building designed by Jo Coenen and Bruno Albert. Inside the Mosae Forum parking garage is a small exhibition of Citroën miniature cars;
Entre Deux, a recently rebuilt shopping centre in Postmodern style, which has won several international awards.[26] It includes a bookstore located inside a former 13th-century Dominican church. In 2008, British newspaper The Guardian proclaimed this the world's most beautiful bookshop.[27]
Jekerkwartier, a picturesque neighbourhood named after the small river Jeker, which pops up between old houses and remnants of city walls. The western part of the neighbourhood (also called the Latin Quarter of Maastricht, is dominated by university buildings and art schools. Sights include:
a number of churches and monasteries, some from the Gothic period
(the Old Franciscan Church), some from the Renaissance
(Faliezustersklooster), some from the Baroque period (Bonnefanten
Monastery; Walloon Church, Lutheran Church);
Grote Looiersstraat ("Great Tanners' Street"), a former canal that
was filled in during the 19th century, lined with elegant houses, the
city's poorhouse (now part of the university library) and Sint-Maartenshofje, a typically Dutch hofje.
Boschstraatkwartier, an upcoming neighbourhood and cultural
hotspot in the north of the city centre. Several of the former
industrial buildings are being transformed for new uses.
Sint-Matthiaskerk, a 14th-century parish church dedicated to Saint Matthew;
Bassin, a restored early 19th-century inner harbor with restaurants
and cafés on one side and interesting industrial architecture on the
other side.
Wyck, the old quarter on the right bank of the river Meuse.
Rechtstraat is perhaps the most picturesque street in Wyck, with
many historic buildings and a mix of specialty shops, art galleries and
restaurants;
Stationsstraat and Wycker Brugstraat are elegant shopping streets
with the majority of the buildings dating from the late 19th century. At
the end of Stationsstraat stands the Maastricht railway station from 1913.
Céramique, a modern neighbourhood on the site of the former
Céramique potteries with a park along the river Meuse (Charles
Eyckpark). Now a showcase of architectural highlights:
Wiebengahal, one of the few remaining industrial monuments in the
neighbourhood and an early example of modern architecture in the
Netherlands, dating from 1912;
Sint-Pietersberg ("Mount Saint Peter"): modest hill and nature reserve south of the city, peaking at 171 metres (561 ft) above sea level. It serves as Maastricht's main recreation area and a viewing point. The main sights include:
Fort Sint-Pieter, an early 18th-century military fortress fully restored in recent years;
Grotten Sint-Pietersberg, an underground network of man-made tunnels ("caves") in limestone quarries. Guided tours are available;
Slavante, a country pavilion and restaurant on the site of a Franciscan monastery of which parts remain;
Lichtenberg, a ruined medieval castle keep and a small museum in an adjacent farmstead;
D'n Observant ("The Observer"), an artificial hilltop, made with the spoils of a nearby quarry, now a nature reserve.
Bonnefanten Museum
is the foremost museum for old masters and contemporary fine art in the
province of Limburg. The collection features medieval sculpture, early
Italian painting, Southern Netherlandish painting, and contemporary art.
Museum aan het Vrijthof
is a local history museum in the 16th-century Spanish Government
building, featuring period rooms with 17th- and 18th-century
furnishings, Maastricht silver, porcelain, glassware, Maastricht pistols, and a collection of 17th- and 18th-century Dutch paintings and 20th-century paintings from local artists.
The Treasury of the Basilica of Our Lady contains religious art, textiles, reliquaries, liturgical vessels and other artifacts from the Middle Ages and later periods.
Derlon Museumkelder is a preserved archeological site in the basement of a hotel with Roman and pre-Roman remains.
Magisch Maastricht/Magic Maastricht, a winter-themed funfair and
Christmas market held on Vrijthof square and other locations throughout
the city (December/January).
Carnival (Dutch: Carnaval, Limburgish and Maastrichtian: Vastelaovend) - a traditional three-day festival in the southern part of the Netherlands; in Maastricht mainly outdoors (February/March).
There are several city parks and recreational areas in Maastricht:[28]
Stadspark, the main public park in Maastricht, partly 19th century, with remnants of the medieval city walls, a branch of the Jeker river, a mini-zoo and several public sculptures (e.g. the statue of d'Artagnan
in Aldenhofpark, a 20th-century extension of Stadspark). Other
extensions of the park are called Kempland, Henri Hermanspark,
Monseigneur Nolenspark and Waldeckpark. From 2014 onwards, the grounds
of the former Tapijn military barracks will be gradually added to the
park;
Jekerpark, a new park along the river Jeker, separated from Stadspark by a busy road;
Frontenpark, a new park west of the city centre, incorporating parts of the fortifications of Maastricht from the 17th to 19th centuries;
Charles Eykpark, a modern park between the public library and Bonnefanten Museum on the east bank of the Meuse river, designed in the late 1990s by Swedish landscape architect Gunnar Martinsson.
Griendpark, a modern park on the east bank of the river with an inline-skating and skateboarding course.
Geusseltpark in eastern Maastricht and J.J. van de Vennepark in western Maastricht, both with elaborate sports facilities.
Natural areas
The Meuse river and its green banks in outlying areas. In the northern areas around Itteren and Borgharen 'new nature' is being created in combination with river protection measures and gravel mining.[29]
Pietersplas, an artificial lake between Maastricht and Gronsveld that was the result of gravel pits on the banks of the Meuse river. There is a beach on the northern slope of the lake and a marina
near Castle Hoogenweerth. The eastern riverbed between Pietersplas and
the provincial government building is a nature reserve (Kleine Weerd).
The Jeker Valley, along the river Jeker,
starts near the city centre in Stadspark and leads via Jekerpark to an
area with green meadows, fertile fields, some vinyards on the slopes of
Cannerberg, several water mills and Château Neercanne, and continues further south into Belgium.
Dousberg and Zouwdal, a modest hill and valley surrounded by urban
development on the western edge of the city, partly in Belgium. A large
part of the hill is now in use as an international golf course (Golfclub
Maastricht).[31]
Landgoederenzone, an extended area in the northeast of Maastricht (partly in Meerssen)
consisting of around fifteen country estates, such as Severen,
Geusselt, Bethlehem, Mariënwaard, Kruisdonk, Vaeshartelt, Meerssenhoven,
Borgharen and Hartelstein. Some of the castles, villas and stately homes are surrounded by industrial areas or quarries.
Picturesque bike paths through agricultural areas in several outlying quarters (like "Biesland" amd "Wolder").
Sports
In football, Maastricht is represented by MVV Maastricht (Dutch: Maatschappelijke Voetbal Vereniging Maastricht), currently playing in the Dutch first division of the national competition (which is actually the second league after the Eredivisie league). MVV's home is the Geusselt stadium near the A2 motorway.
Since 1998, Maastricht has been the traditional starting place of the annual Amstel Gold Race,
the only Dutch cycling classic. For several years the race also
finished in Maastricht, but since 2002 the finale has been on the Cauberg hill in nearby Valkenburg.
The municipal government of Maastricht consists of a city council, a mayor and a number of aldermen.
The city council, a 39-member legislative body directly elected for
four years, appoints the aldermen on the basis of a coalition agreement
between two or more parties after each election. The 2006 municipal elections
in the Netherlands were, as often, dominated by national politics and
led to a shift from right to left throughout the country. In Maastricht,
the traditional broad governing coalition of Christian Democrats (CDA), Labour (PvdA), Greens (GreenLeft) and Liberals (VVD)
was replaced by a centre-left coalition of Labour, Christian Democrats
and Greens. Two Labour aldermen were appointed, along with one Christian
Democrat and one Green alderman. Due to internal disagreements, one of
the VVD council members left the party in 2005 and formed a new liberal
group in 2006 (Liberalen Maastricht). The other opposition parties in
the current city council are the Socialist Party (SP), the Democrats (D66) and two local parties (Stadsbelangen Mestreech (SBM) and the Seniorenpartij).
Aldermen and mayors
The aldermen and the mayor make up the executive branch of the municipal government. After the popular previous mayor, Gerd Leers (CDA),
decided to step down in January 2010 following the 'Bulgarian Villa'
affair, an affair concerning a holiday villa project in Byala, Bulgaria,
in which the mayor was alleged to have been involved in shady deals to
raise the value of villas he had ownership of. Up until July 1st 2015
the mayor of Maastricht was Onno Hoes, a Liberal (VVD),
the only male mayor in the country, who officially is married to a male
person. In 2013 Hoes was the subject of some political commotion, after
facts had been disclosed about intimate affairs with several other male
persons. The affair had no consequences for his political career.[32]
Since July 1st 2015 the current mayor of Maastricht is Annemarie Penn-te Strake.[33] Penn is independent and serves no political party, although her husband is chairman of the Maastricht Seniorenpartij.[34]
She has served for the Dutch judicial system for many years in many
different positions. During her tenure as mayor she still serves as
attorney general.[35]
Cannabis
One controversial issue which has dominated Maastricht politics for
many years and which has also affected national and international
politics, is the city's approach to soft drugs. Under the pragmatic Dutch soft drug policy, a policy of non-enforcement, individuals may buy and use cannabis from 'coffeeshops' (cannabis bars) under certain conditions. Maastricht, like many other border towns, has seen a growing influx of 'drug tourists',
mainly young people from Belgium, France and Germany, who provide a
large amount of revenue for the coffeeshops (around 13) in the city
centre. The city government, most notably ex-mayor Leers, have been
actively promoting drug policy reform in order to deal with its negative side effects.
One of the proposals, known as the 'Coffee Corner Plan', proposed by
then-mayor Leers and supported unanimously by the city council in 2008,
was to relocate the coffeeshops from the city centre to the outskirts of
the town (in some cases near the national Dutch-Belgian border).[36]
The purpose of this plan was to reduce the impact of drug tourism on
the city centre, such as parking problems and the illegal sale of hard
drugs in the vicinity of the coffeeshops, and to monitor the sale and
use of cannabis more closely in areas away from the crowded city centre.
The Coffee Corner Plan, however, has met with fierce opposition from
neighbouring municipalities (some in Belgium) and from members of the
Dutch and Belgian parliament. The plan has been the subject of various
legal challenges and has not been carried out up to this date (2014).
On 16 December 2010, the Court of Justice of the European Union upheld a local Maastricht ban on the sale of cannabis to foreign tourists, restricting entrance to coffee shops to residents of Maastricht.[37] The ban did not affect scientific or medical usage. In 2011, the Dutch government introduced a similar national system, the wietpas
("cannabis pass"), restricting access to Dutch coffeeshops to residents
of the Netherlands. After protests from local mayors about the
difficulty of implementing the issuing of wietpasses, Dutch parliament
in 2012 agreed to replace the pass by any proof of residency.[38]
The new system has led to a slight reduction in drug tourism to
cannabis shops in Maastricht but at the same time to an increase of drug
dealing on the street.
Maastricht is served by the A2 and A79 motorways. The city can be reached from Brussels and Cologne in approximately one hour and from Amsterdam in about two and a half hours.
The A2 motorway that runs through Maastricht is heavily congested and
causes air pollution in the urban area. Construction of a two-level
tunnel designed to solve these problems is scheduled to start in 2011
and last until 2016.[39]
In spite of several large underground car parks, parking in the city
centre forms a major problem during weekends and bank holidays due to
the large numbers of visitors. Parking fees are high in order to incite
visitors to use public transport or park and ride facilities away from the centre.
The Dutch and Flanders
governments have reached an agreement in 2014 to build a new tram route
called Spartacus. It is scheduled to take three years, from 2015 to
2018, and cost €283 million. When it is completed, Spartacus will carry
passengers from Maastricht city centre to Hasselt city centre, the capital of Flanders’ Limburg province, in 30 minutes. It will be operated by the transport company De Lijn, with 3 scheduled stops in Maastricht and further 10 in Flanders.[42]
By bus
Regular bus lines connect the city centre, outer areas, business districts and railway stations. The regional Veolia bus network extends to most parts of South Limburg as well as to Hasselt, Tongeren, Maasmechelen and Liège in Belgium, and Aachen in Germany.
Maastricht is served by the nearby Maastricht Aachen Airport (IATA: MST, ICAO: EHBK) – located in nearby Beek and informally referred to by that name – with regularly scheduled flights to Alicante (on Ryanair) and Katowice (on Wizz Air),
and seasonal and charter flights to other destinations. The airport is
located about 10 kilometres (6 miles) north of Maastricht's centre.
By boat
Maastricht has a river port (Beatrixhaven) and is connected by water with Belgium and the rest of the Netherlands through the river Meuse, the Juliana Canal, the Albert Canal and the Zuid-Willemsvaart.
Although there are no regular boat connections to other cities, various
organized boat trips for tourists connect Maastricht with Belgium
cities such as Liège.
Distances to other cities
These distances are as the crow flies and therefore not represent actual overland distances.
In 2002 the municipal government officially adopted a local anthem (Limburgish (Maastrichtian variant): Mestreechs Volksleed, Dutch: Maastrichts Volkslied) composed of lyrics in Maastrichtian. The theme was originally written by Alfons Olterdissen (1865–1923) as finishing stanza of the Maastrichtian opera "Trijn de Begijn" of 1910.[43]
[show]Maastrichtian municipal anthem(Mestreechs Volksleed) (adopted 2002, written 1910)