When in Maastricht…

Fun things to do that are still possible in the Corona times for first-years students.

Welcome to the corona uni-life! The local bar is the supermarket (before 8pm) and the place to meet people is the city park. I’ve been living for two months in the beautiful Maastricht and finally know exactly where everything is located in my local supermarket … Anyways, there’s more to Maastricht than supermarkets. Here are some things to do in Maastricht as a first-year student, or anyone, that are still possible in corona times.  

Go for a walk on Mount Saint Peter.
A short fifteen-minute bike ride from the centrum will get you to this location. You can take 3 different routes, depending on how much you want to walk. If walking is not for you, there are plenty of cycle routes to follow. You can also see fort Saint Peter and ruins of Castle Caestert. If you’ve never been, I definitely recommend going there.

Books, Churches and Coffee
Hidden in a gothic monastery church is bookshop Dominicanen. If you like books you can easily spend a few hours here. If you’re not that interested in reading, they also have a music department where you can buy LP’s. They also have a coffeelovers where you can get some work done. 

Vlaai
Limburg is known for their Vlaai, as a student in Maastricht, you have to try vlaai. There’s even an official day of the Vlaai on the 25th of October. Hotel Derlon gives free Vlaais on this day, so grab your chance! 

Get completely lost
Granted, with some good old 4G and Google Maps to save you.
When you walk around Maastricht, there are a lot of cute sideroads with cute cafes. The best way to discover Maastricht is just to get lost, you don’t need a plan, you’ll find a nice place eventually.

Time to take a dip…
In the summer, an ideal place to cool off is Fun Valley. You can go for a nice swim or just sunbathe and relax. 

Care for a fancy cocktail?
Well, then Mr. Smith Cocktail bar is just the place for you.
Mr. Smith Cocktail bar is a place that I recently visited with my roommates. From the outside it looks like a normal house, you would never know that there’s a very classy cocktail bar in the basement. The only sign of something being different is the plaque on the door stating the words ‘Press for drinks’ 

Use that Student OV chip card!
I have accidentally ended up in Heerlen a few times and have had to go back to Maastricht with the Arriva stop train. On the way back I went through some really cute villages and that’s when a brilliant idea struck me! I should get on the Arriva stop train, this time on purpose, and get off at random villages and walk around. It’s a fun way to discover Limburg and free of cost if you have an OV chip card.

On Wednesdays we play Tennis
Stennis is a sport and student association all in one. Every Wednesday evening, they have an open tennis/padel night. Grab a friend, a water bottle and leave your Netflix behind. It’s time for some Tennis. 

There’s a lot more things to do in Maastricht but this is just a short list of ideas if you’re ever bored in Maastricht.
Have fun, stay positive and get lost in Maastricht.

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