Roman settlement

Maastricht’s first bridge over the Meuse was built around the middle of the first century A.D.. It was located slightly more to the south than the medieval St Servatius Bridge, which has since been joined by ‘Hoeg Brögk’ bridge as the symbols of the city.

The Roman bridge attracted the first real urbanites, as soldiers built a fortress between Vrijthof square and the Meuse. Safely within the walls of the fortress, they lived in wooden houses between the stone temples and bathhouses. Much of this Roman past is hidden underground. But there are lots of places in Maastricht where you can catch a glimpse of it.

Official Maastricht Guide Egbert takes us on a tour of the past in the 'Hat Time Stories' section. In his own unique and informal way, he will share stories about Maastricht’s amazing history. Click on the button below to view this video. 

Via Belgica is the name, given in the twentieth century, of a 400-kilometre long former Roman road. The Via Belgica stretched from Boulogne-sur-Mer via Arras, Bavay, Tongeren, Heerlen, and Maastricht among others to Jülich and Cologne. In the context of national borders as they stand today, the Via Belgica crossed the border of Dutch Limburg near Maastricht and then continued past Meerssen, Valkenburg, and Voerendaal. It stretched beyond those cities and crossed the German border at Rimburg via Heerlen and Landgraaf.