Occasionally we are in Maastricht on business and have an occasional day for sightseeing. We have done brief trips to Koln, Amsterdam, Bruges, Aachen, Luxemburg City. I would like some more NEW ideas. It must be easy to get to on weekend trains, with certainty of return. Also, since these mentioned trips were quick and often only hitting the highlights, I would welcome additionasl comments about even the same cities, perhaps things that would not be the prime sights that we would have missed,
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Hasselt is a pleasent city not too far away. There are only a few minor tourist attractions, but the compact city center is a delight to stroll through... actually, similar to Maastricht, but with better beer. Hasselt is known also for its high-end fashion boutiques. Note, however, that many stores in Belgium close on Sundays.
The next two ideas aren't necessarily easy to reach by public transportation, but I'll mention them anyway. Near the city of Genk, you can visit an open-air folk museum at Domein Bokrijk:
http://www1.limburg.be/bokrijk/index.html
Finally, for a gastronomic experience par excellence in an ideal setting:
It sits just north of Maastricht, over the border near the town of Lanaken. Their Sunday brunch makes the typical American version look like a barnyard trough feeding by comparison. I'm pretty certain, however, that you can't get here by public transportation.
Posted by
Moose Jaw, SK, Canada
149 posts
Rent bikes and cycle up the the long-distance cycling route from Maastricht to Thorn. The village of is a charming place for a stroll and you'll arrive by lunchtime. The pannekoeken at the restaurant on the corner across from the church is delicious.
Or if train connections allow, I would suggest Trier, Germany with its Roman sites.
If you have a weekend for an overnight trip, take the train to Koblenz, then a Rhine cruise south to see some of the castles, or head up the Mosel. Return to Maastricht the next day.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Forgot to mention these. Genk has an old coal mine you can tour. And the biggest attraction in Hasselt (besides Plopsaland, which is an indoor theme park based on a popular Belgian TV show for kids) is the National Jenever Museum, in case you are a fan of Belgium's 2nd most famous beverage (I'm not... instant headache...).