At the heart of Maastricht lies the Markt Square, the city’s lively central marketplace. Presiding over it is the Town Hall, a distinguished 17th-century work by Pieter Post, one of the foremost architects of the Dutch Baroque. Completed in 1664, the building is admired for its harmonious proportions, with a central tower crowned by a lantern that has long served as a familiar landmark above the square. On one corner stands the statue of Johannes Petrus Minckelers, a Maastricht-born scientist and lecturer celebrated for his groundbreaking discovery of illuminating gas in the late 18th century, a development that transformed urban life across Europe. The bronze monument shows him in academic robes, holding a torch aloft to symbolise his invention. At its base, an unusual feature draws the curious: the so-called eternal flame, a gas light that can be kindled with the drop of a coin, making the monument both commemorative and interactive. Maastricht itself lies in the southernmost part of the Netherlands, in the province of Limburg. Unlike the flat landscapes that characterise much of the country, this region is gently rolling, dotted with hills, vineyards, and villages that lend it a charm more reminiscent of Belgium or northern France. The city is set along the banks of the River Meuse, in Dutch called Maas, which has long served as both a lifeline for trade and a natural frontier. It is also one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with origins stretching back over two thousand years. The Romans founded a settlement here around the 1st century BCE, constructing a bridge across the Meuse—hence the name Maastricht, from Mosae Trajectum, meaning ‘Crossing the Meuse’. Its strategic position made it a meeting point for cultures, armies, and commerce throughout the centuries. Romans, Spaniards, French, and Belgians all left their mark before the city was firmly integrated into the Netherlands. This layered past remains visible today in Maastricht’s medieval churches, cobbled streets, and defensive walls. Spanning the River Meuse, the Saint Servatius Bridge is one of Maastricht’s defining landmarks. Named after Saint Servatius, it symbolically connects the city’s sacred and civic heritage with its geographical role as a crossing point between northern and southern Europe. The etymology traces back to the Latin pontem Sancti Servatii, which evolved through medieval Dutch into its present form. The original Roman bridge collapsed in the 13th century, and the current stone structure was completed around 1280. With its elegant arches and sturdy piers, the bridge has withstood the test of centuries, while modern adaptations such as pedestrian walkways have allowed it to remain part of daily life without losing its medieval character. Nearby stands the Basilica of Saint Servatius, one of the city’s most iconic monuments and among the oldest surviving churches in the Netherlands. Built on the grave of Saint Servatius, Maastricht’s patron and first bishop, it became a major centre of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. The present Romanesque church, dating largely from the 11th and 12th centuries, dominates the Vrijthof square with its imposing westwork towers. Inside, the basilica holds a remarkable treasury of reliquaries, manuscripts, and liturgical objects, reflecting its long spiritual significance. Its architecture, blending Romanesque solidity with later Gothic embellishments, mirrors the city’s layered religious and cultural history. 回