The Iraqi National Museum is dedicated to the rich history of Iraq and its ancient civilisations, including the Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. Its collections feature artefacts that span over 7,000 years of history. Unfortunately, many of these invaluable pieces were lost during the looting that occurred in the early days of the Iraq War in 2003. Since then, efforts have been underway to recover and restore these artefacts, and the museum continues to play a vital role in preserving and showcasing Iraq’s cultural heritage.

The Château d'Eau, a 19th-century brick water tower located on the banks of the Garonne river was once used to supply 90 fountains. It has been repurposed as a photography gallery hosting exhibitions and a library selling books on photography.

You would almost miss them. Almost. Because as soon as you pass the entryway to the St. Servaas Basilica, you’ll figure out that it’s worth walking on. You’ll see for yourself that Maastricht doesn’t end at the Vrijthof. Sometimes you just have to take those few extra steps. That’s when Maastricht will surprise you with just how surprising the city centre really is. The Vrijthof has a number of little streets leading into it from all directions. They include Brusselsestraat, Grote Gracht, and De Kommel. Unlike the more idyllic boulevards in most of the rest of the city, these streets evoke a feeling of the urban, the artistic, the unknown. Here, students and locals come and go: artists, designers, professionals. It’s an area that’s moving fast: new shops, start-ups, young businesses, surprising concepts. Yet at the same time, it’s bursting with historic buildings, and is still very much a place where locals want to live. In truth, you can’t really describe the streets around the Vrijthof in a few words. It’s where local, university, business, authentic, forward-looking, and surprising Maastricht all come together.