Find the perfect get-away and swim in the azure waters of the Blue Lagoon. Relax in the lagoon surrounded by a natural environment you won't find anywhere else. It is a fun experience for the whole family, and undoubtedly a great place to provide you with some gorgeous holiday photos.

‘This is where the cultural, creative, and enterprising urban district Sphinx will arise.’ So reads the ambition behind the plans for the development of the Sphinx area. Plans focus on the place where Maastricht’s industrial revolution began. It was here that Petrus Regout built his ‘Sphinx Factory,’ the start of what grew into an enormous industry, producing bathroom fixtures, tiles, and the products that made Maastricht great. The factory operated until 2006, and since then efforts have been under way to redevelop this area as a district that fits in with the city, but as something Maastricht does not already have. That’s why this district is being designed to attract creative types, young residents, national and international students, and expatriates. It will be internationally oriented, with room for flexible space and temporary functions. Where this area is going is becoming clearer and clearer, in things like the arrival of the pop music stage in a former sawmill, and the newly opened Brandweer(kantine), with workspaces and meeting places for creative entrepreneurs. But not everything in this part of the city is new and different. The historic and picturesque river harbour ‘t Bassin, adjacent to the Sphinx area, makes a perfect buffer for the transition from the more familiar and better known Maastricht to this new part of town.

The Nîmes Arena was inspired by the Coliseum in Rome, built under Emperor Augustus, and is the best preserved amphitheatre of the Roman era in the world. It has seating capacity for an amazing 20,000 people over 34 tiers and is used for bull fights, pop concerts and sporting fixtures. There is also audio guided tours where you can relive the Roman gladiator games.