Maastricht

Saint Servatius, the Helpoort and the marl caves over a weekend

Give Maastricht a weekend. Spend the first morning on the Vrijthof at the Basilica of Saint Servatius and its treasury, take lunch on the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, and walk to the Helpoort, the old city gate. On day two, book a guided tour of the Sint-Pietersberg caves or Fort Sint Pieter.

Enter the Basilica of Saint Servatius from the Keizer Karelplein side and see the treasury, with its reliquaries and the gilded shrine of the saint, then walk through the cloister. Next door, St John's red tower can be climbed for a view over the square. Cut through the lanes to the Dominicanen bookshop, where the shelves rise on a steel structure under painted Gothic vaults, and on to the Markt with its town hall.

Take lunch under the trees on the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein and look into the basilica's side chapel, where candles burn in front of the Star of the Sea statue. In the afternoon, wander the Jekerkwartier to the Helpoort and along the old city walls, where the little Jeker river runs past former mills. Cross the Sint Servaasbrug for dinner in Wyck, around Wycker Brugstraat and Rechtstraat.

The cave tours lead through tunnels quarried over centuries, with charcoal drawings left by quarrymen and wartime refugees, and the temperature stays cool all year. Walk back along the river through the city park to the JFK bridge, then cross to the Bonnefanten, its rocket-shaped dome visible from afar. End the day with a local beer on a Vrijthof terrace as the light goes.

Zuurvlees, Limburg vlaai and long Burgundian meals

Maastricht eats the Burgundian way: long meals, good wine and no hurry. Order zuurvlees, beef stewed slowly with vinegar, onions and gingerbread or apple syrup, follow it with a slice of Limburg vlaai, and drink local lagers or abbey beers. Eating out costs more here than elsewhere in the Netherlands.

The dish to try is zuurvlees, beef stewed slowly with vinegar, onions and gingerbread or apple syrup until it turns sweet and sour, served with fries and mayonnaise. Bakeries and cafes sell vlaai, the Limburg tart with a yeast-dough base and fillings of cherry, apricot, plum or rice pudding, eaten by the slice with coffee. In spring, menus fill with white asparagus from Limburg's sandy soils, served with ham, egg and melted butter.

Limburg brews its own beer; look for local lagers and abbey styles on the terraces of the Vrijthof and the Markt. The slopes of Sint-Pietersberg also carry vineyards, a rare sight in this country, and some restaurants pour their wines.

Eating out here tends to be more expensive than elsewhere in the country, with many restaurants aimed at an older, well-off crowd. The Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, the Vrijthof, the Maaspromenade and Wycker Brugstraat are the main streets to browse. For a cheaper lunch, the sandwich bars around Tongersestraat, near the university faculties, are the student option. On Fridays a big market fills the Markt with cheese, fish, flowers and food stalls, a good place to graze. Late August brings the Preuvenemint, a tasting festival on the Vrijthof where the city's restaurants serve small plates from stands.

Vastelaovend carnival, TEFAF in March and summer concerts

Maastricht runs a degree or two warmer than the coast, with highs of about 24°C in July and August and 6°C in January. The great event of the year is carnival, Vastelaovend, in the days before Lent, while March brings the TEFAF art and antiques fair and summer brings concerts on the Vrijthof.

April is the driest month at about 41 mm and September is fairly dry too, while August is the wettest at about 83 mm, often in thunderstorms. Spring and early autumn are the best times for walking in the hills of South Limburg.

The year's great event is carnival, called Vastelaovend locally, in the days before Lent in February or early March. The mayor hands the city key to Prince Carnival, the whole town dresses up in elaborate costumes, brass bands play in the streets from late morning until the early hours, and many shops and museums close for the duration. Visitors are welcome, but come in costume or you will stand out, and book rooms months ahead.

March brings TEFAF, one of the world's leading art and antiques fairs, which fills every hotel for a week and a half. In July, the violinist André Rieu plays a run of open-air concerts on the Vrijthof, with tickets selling out long in advance. Late August has the Preuvenemint food festival on the same square. December closes the year with Magisch Maastricht, a Christmas market with a skating rink and a Ferris wheel on the Vrijthof.