Barb & Ron Kroll publish the trip-planning website www.KrollTravel.com Walking is also the best way to explore the 2,000-year-old Roman city of Maastricht, three hours southeast of Amsterdam. (The city of 277,700 people is just one hour from Brussels, Belgium’s cosmopolitan capital.) Following cobblestone streets through medieval city gates, you encounter numerous fortifications, ranging from 13th- and 14th-century walls and towers to well-preserved bastions. They surround historic streets, lined with budget-conscious shops and upscale designer boutiques. Stop for a quick snack at a waffle stand or rest your feet during lunch at one of the city’s diverse restaurants. Café Sjiek – Maastricht’s first licensed diner (since 1982) – for example, serves delicious regional cuisine, ranging from local pâtés and cheeses to asparagus croquettes and sauerbraten. In addition to reasonably priced European wines, the restaurant serves Apostelhoeve wine, made from grapes grown in vineyards south of the city. The most atmospheric place to sample these wines is in the Marl Caves of Château Neercanne, four kilometres south of Maastricht. The château’s wine cellar is part of a network of ancient passageways running through the Marl Caves. Chiselled out of limestone left after mining blocks to build fortifications, the cellar offers ideal wine storage conditions. Visitors can sample wines and view historic carved signatures and inscriptions on the walls. Just eight kilometres northeast of Maastricht, Château St. Gerlach is surrounded by Baroque gardens and a nature reserve. The estate’s historic buildings – including the red brick farmhouse (dating from 1759), the convent and grain lofts – have been magnificently converted into 114 guest rooms, two restaurants and a spa. It’s a memorable place to stay when you visit Maastricht. www.visitmaastricht.com Maastricht, the Netherlands We hope that these examples motivate you to add some less-popular small cities to your next European travel agenda. You’ll be happy that you did. CSANews | SPRING 2024 | 19 Travel
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