6 must-sees in Maastricht according to local Chazia

Maastricht Marketing

Quiet but cosy. Authentic, but with an international feel. Hearty and relaxed, but also luxurious culinary enjoyment. Maastricht's contrasts attract people from all over the country. Presenter, radio producer, and writer Chazia Mourali has recently bought a flat in Maastricht and alternates the hustle and bustle of the Randstad with the tranquillity and countryside of Maastricht. ‘People here are friendlier, more polite, and more open than people in Amsterdam. I’ve been a fan of the city’s motto sjiek en sjoen (fancy and beautiful) all my life, and people in Maastricht know better than anyone how to make this lifestyle work.’ She introduces us to her favourite spots in Maastricht.

Chazia Mourali was born in Paris and moved to the Netherlands when she was 2. She has studied French, worked in television, written columns and a book, and has her own radio programme on NPO Radio 1. In her ‘Goed Ingelichte Kring (Well-Informed Circle)’ programme, she covers topics such as politics, culture and science. She won an award for ‘Het radiomoment van 2022 (The radio highlight of 2022)’. In her spare time, she cooks healthy dishes for her family and enjoys going to the opera. She first fell in love with Maastricht thirty years ago. ‘I’m a 2.5-hour drive away from a piece of France.' Although it was her dream from that point onwards of owning a half-timbered house in the Heuvelland region, she opted for a more budget-friendly alternative in Teuven, Belgium, where she lived for 15 years. ‘While I had a 5-square metre balcony in Amsterdam in those days; I found myself with a whole meadow in Teuven.'

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she bought a cottage in Maastricht, which is easily accessible by public transport from her other hometown of Amsterdam. 'I now have the best of both worlds. Although I love the canals of Amsterdam, I could never let go of Maastricht, as it feels like home.' She loves the elegant restaurants and the streets that exude history and foreign feel. 'I really think Rechtstraat street is the Paris of Maastricht.'

Bold

The view from rooftopbar Bold reminds Chazia of that in New York's Brooklyn. She prefers to visit Bold at lunchtime. Located on the 8th floor of the Sphinx building, you can enjoy breakfast and lunch during the day and cocktails, wines and delicious snacks in the evening. With views over Maastricht at any time of day. Chazia likes to combine a visit with a film at Film Theater Lumière or shopping at Loods5, both of which are also located in the Sphinxkwartier. ‘Although this side of Maastricht has remained relatively undiscovered, the whole neighbourhood is great. There's a trendy, 21st-century vibe, which is very different from the fancy and beautiful in the city centre.'

Bold
Sphinxcour 9A | Sphinxkwartier

Piece of Cake

Chazia's heart yearns not only for her native France, but also for England. She adores London and afternoon tea, for example. In Maastricht, she likes nothing more than enjoying an English afternoon tea with her daughter at Piece of Cake. ‘Although it's fancy here, it’s not pretentious and not too posh. The furnishing is gorgeous, with chandeliers, bric-a-brac chairs, and cakes.' You can also enjoy sitting in the garden on sunny days. The complete afternoon tea with as many different delicacies as possible is her favourite. 'And their own blends are so delicious, especially the “Jardin des Merveilles”.

Piece of Cake
Boschstraat 60 | Binnenstad

Harry's

For a touch of Paris, Chazia goes to Harry's, a brasserie in Wyck that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. It's urban chic and oh so Maastricht. It's sophisticated but without being posh. With a beautiful wooden floor, lovely smells and scents, and birdsong in the restrooms. 'I imagine myself in Paris here,' says Chazia. 'The staff are so sweet' and serve photogenic dishes prepared with fresh seasonal produce. As many ingredients as possible come from the restaurant's own 2000 m2 vegetable garden in the beautiful Jekerdal valley on the southern edge of Maastricht. With new dishes on the menu every week, you never have to order the same thing twice.

Harry's
Wycker Brugstraat 2 | Wyck

Inner garden of St Servatius Basilica

'You don't have to fly to Bali or Thailand to find serenity – you can also just find it in the inner garden of Basilica of St. Servatius,' Chazia explains. The cute little garden is in the grounds of St Servatius Basilica, built on the tomb of the city's patron saint of the same name. The imposing building in the city centre is probably the oldest church in the Netherlands. Stroll past the pink roses growing against the walls, and enjoy the tranquillity from a wooden bench. 'There is a hallowed tranquillity in places like this. For centuries, people have come here to pray and reflect. The way I see it, these kind of places are about love and positivity.'

Inner garden of Basilica of St. Servatius
Keizer Karelplein 3 | Binnenstad

Witloof

Chazia prefers to dine at restaurant Witloof, which she says is located in one of the city's most romantic streets. 'Witloof is run by two nice young people. It is a place with soul and great vibes,’ Chazia says enthusiastically. The restaurant, which serves only typical Belgian dishes, has won the Dutch Design Award and other prizes and scored in the New York Times' top 15 of 'the 100 trendiest restaurant concepts in the world'. All this fame hasn’t gone to their heads, however, as, according to Chazia, the place is still ‘authentic and pure.’ Back home under a Maastricht canopy, in-house gins are distilled and unique beers are poured. 'The dishes are comfort food, and I feel like a child on a sleepover with grandma here. My favourite is chicory and chips'.

Witloof
Sint Bernardusstraat 12 | Jekerkwartier

Het Ezeltje

The odd man out in this list: a donkey (‘ezel’ in Dutch). A statue of a donkey at the Ezelmarkt in the Jekerkwartier. Donkeys were never really sold here, with the name possibly coming from 'eselen', the beating of sheets. The sculpture has been here since 1976. Chazia says of it: 'there’s something very sweet about the donkey, with the surrounding buildings and water behind it. It’s as if time has stood still here and you’re taking a step back into another time. Although people often take selfies on Maastricht's footbridge, this donkey really is another hidden gem.'

Het Ezeltje
Ezelenmarkt | Jekerkwartier

According to Chazia, if you’re after a foreign feel in Maastricht, Château Neercanne is the place to be. 'I come here for the view and the food,' she says of the only terraced castle in the Netherlands. She likes to get some fresh air at Buitengoed Slavante. ‘There are some beautiful hiking trails with the most magnificent views in the Netherlands. They serve delicious soup and salad in the Grand-Café'. Within the city limits, she suggests Le Souk, a hidden gem in the Jekerkwartier. They have the tastiest Tzatziki and olives in Maastricht here. I get snacks from the shop and eat them in the Stadspark or Charles Eyck Park.