The City of Maastricht

Maastricht, The Netherlands

This beautiful historic city is situated in the south eastern part of The Netherlands. Maastricht has a long and rich history, which is well reflected in its old city centre with several attractive squares, churches and other medieval buildings.

The Euroregion surrounding Maastricht lies in the centre of north-western Europe and is an area of great scientific, technological and industrial potential, with a modern infrastructure, an internationally oriented multilingual population, a high standard of living and many cultural and recreational facilities.
Together with the outstanding international University, and its relaxed and hospitable culture, Maastricht will provide inspiring surroundings for Measuring Behavior 2008.

Character of the city

Maastricht (Dutch, Limburgish and city dialect: Mestreech) is a municipality, and capital of the province of Limburg. The city is situated on both sides of the Meuse river(Maas in Dutch) in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands between Belgium and Germany. The place-name is derived from its Latin name Trajectum Ad Mosam or Mosae Trajectum (Mosa-crossing), referring to the bridge built by the Romans during the reign of Augustus Caesar.

Maastricht's vibrant history and its situation at a crossroads of European cultures, languages and trade routes lend it a unique charm and international flavour. Dutch visitors to this most ancient, most European and most southerly city of the Netherlands find Maastricht so 'un-Dutch' that they feel as if they are abroad, while foreign visitors tend to feel perfectly at home in its international atmosphere.

The city lies in an attractive river valley surrounded by chalk hills (famous for their caves) and a patchwork of small villages, ancient woodland, and traditional rural landscape.