The Meet Maastricht Podcast

In this episode, Tania and Lucy talk about Saint Servaas, a saint in the Catholic Church who has been a saint since the high Middle Ages. Servaas happens to be the patron saint of Maastricht. And because of that, the city celebrates his name day, the 13th of May with a city procession, and a carnival on the Vrijthof.

Easter being around the corner, Lucy, Steven, and Tania compare Easter traditions in this short episode from the Maastricht, Caribbean, and US perspectives.

In this episode, we explore the beloved holiday tradition of Sinterklaas in the Netherlands. We discuss the controversy surrounding the portrayal of Zwarte Piet, the festivities surrounding Sinterklaas, and the significance of Sinterklaas goodies. We also touch on the association between Sinterklaas and Santa Claus. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of this intriguing tradition.

You may have walked along the Boschstraat but do you know the history behind some of it's beautiful buildings? Today we're chatting about the Boschstraat and some of the stories it has to tell! For some great archival photographs watch this space for the YouTube video and webpage for this episode!  As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to a...

You cannot miss the large market square (the Markt) in Maastricht and this week we're talking all about it! From the bankgebouwen (bank buildings) to the square itself, this is not one to miss. Amendment: In this episode Lucy referred to the Stadhuis (city hall) as a renaissance style building but it is actually in the Holland Baroque style. For some great archival photographs find the YouTube vid...

TW: This podcast contains discussions of fertility and abortion. This week we are joined by Bureau Europa director Floor van Spaendonck to chat about their new exhibition Love in a Mist - the architecture of fertility. The exhibition will run until 15 August - hopefully we'll all be able to visit it in person before then! Tune in as we discuss fertility, architecture, some of Limburg's wonderful w...

This week we're back with part two of our Maastricht FAQs with special guest Joes Minis. This time we cover the Helpoort, that crumbling medieval wall, university buildings and more! As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us through social media or our website and we will do our best to answer your questions in futu...

Ever wonder about the history of Fort Sint Pieter? Or perhaps the history of the Vrijthof square? This week we're joined by special guest Joes Minis to answer some FAQs about Maastricht! This is only part one of our discussion so make sure to tune in next week for part two. As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us...

Ever wondered where the 19th and 20th century tradesmen of Maastricht learned their trades? This week we're talking about the old Ambachtsschool where boys would be trained in mechanics, woodwork and other valuable skills! As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us through social media or our website and we will do o...

Welcome back to the Meet Maastricht podcast! For our first pod of 2021 we thought we would stick with another beautiful church - the Koepelkerk (or dome church), also known as the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. Join Lucy and Katrina as they discuss this church's place in Maastricht's colourful history. As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask...

We all know the Sint Servaaskerk is a beautiful structure but have you ever wondered about the stories behind the architecture? This episode is part two of our Sint Servaaskerk discussion (make sure to check out part one here ) and we're talking about the church itself! As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us thro...

This week we are finally tackling one of the biggest and most iconic historical buildings in Maastricht - The Sint Servaaskerk (the church of Saint Servatius)! Since this is a big one, this is only part one where we will be talking about the people surrounding the church including (of course) the Saint himself. As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wan...

In part two of our Borders and Belonging discussion, we are joined again by special guest Joes Minis as we discuss all things cultural identity and Maastricht after the Belgian Revolution. Tune in to find out more! A special thanks to Joes for joining us on this podcast, as well as his girlfriend Nina who makes an appearance (or two)! As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know...

This week we are back with special guest Joes Minis to talk about borders and belonging! How were the borders around Maastricht - and the Netherlands - decided? How have they changed over the years? What do they mean for local people? Find out this week on the Meet Maastricht podcast! A special thanks to Joes for joining us on this podcast, as well as his girlfriend Nina who makes an appearance (o...

The windmill is an icon of the Netherlands and we have a special episode to honour Maastricht’s own Torenmolen van Gronsveld (Gronsveld Tower Mill)! This episode is brought to you by Matthew Stefanski, a fan of the podcast. While studying in Maastricht, Matthew recorded his visit to the windmill and was kind enough to share it with us. You can follow Matthew on Twitter at @MStefanski1 As always, i...

Did you know there are several scale models of Maastricht hidden throughout the city? This week we talk about three tiny versions of Maastricht and the who, where and why of how they came to be! As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us through social media or our website and we will do our best to answer your quest...

While we wait for our local cafes and restaurants to re-open, here's a podcast on a Maastricht favourite - the Vogelstruys! Tune in as we learn about this famous café and the many stories (and drinks) it has provided over the centuries. As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us through social media or our website an...

Our focus this week is a building that has been used continuously for centuries, first for the religious Beguines, then for poor orphaned children and now by the Maastricht University College! Yes, this week we're talking about the Nieuwenhof or 'New Court', tune in to find out more. As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please c...

Music has always been a big part of Maastricht life and this week we are talking about two contributors to the Maastricht sound! You guessed it, for this episode we're talking about both the men's choir The Mastreechter Staar and their old digs, the Staargebouw. As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us through soci...

One of only a few parish churches in Maastricht, this week we're talking about Sint Matthiaskerk (also known as St Matthijskerk or St Matthew's)! Tune in as we discuss this beautiful church and its role in the local community throughout history. As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us through social media or our w...

Chances are if you've visited the Vrijthof, you've seen the Museum aan het Vrijthof (AKA the Spaans Gouvernement)! This week we're talking about a building which used to accommodate visiting royalty and now houses a brand new photography museum. Tune in to find out more! As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us thr...

Part two of our Mestreechs discussion is here. In this episode Lucy, Katrina and special guest Joes Minis chat about Mestreechs literature, music and, of course, Carnaval! Join us as we laugh and learn about local language and culture. As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us through social media or our website and...

Ever wondered about the meaning behind the ubiquitous ‘Haw Pin’? Or why some Maastricht street signs are in two languages? Well, this week we’re diving deep and discussing Mestreechs – the Maastricht dialect! Join Lucy, Katrina and special guest Joes Minis as we talk about all things dialect. This is only part one of our dialect discussion, make sure to tune in next week for part two! As always, i...

This week we're talking about a sweet (now) hidden gem not far from the city centre - the Sint-Martinushofje! Tune in as we talk through over 300 years of this little housing community. As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us through social media or our website and we will do our best to answer your questions in f...

Did you know that Maastricht has an incredibly decorated mine system? Or that these decorations were done by the Jesuits studying and living here? In this episode we’re talking about the Jesuits Mountain (Jezuietenberg) and some of the amazing stories it has to share! As always, if you have something you have always wanted to know about Maastricht or wanted to ask a local, please contact us throug...