Week Three in Amsterdam has finally arrived, and my first weekend trip has come to an end. IES Abroad took us on a trip to Maastricht, which was a great way to start our first couple of weeks in the Netherlands! Let's recap my weekend!
On Thursday, June 12th, we boarded the train after class at 6:34 P.M. and arrived in Maastricht around 9:00 P.M. We checked into our hotel (which was on a boat), and had a free evening to explore anywhere in the city. Here are some of my most memorable moments from our weekend to help you plan a future trip to Maastricht!
Touring the Grotten Noord Caves
If I had to choose, touring the Grotten Noord Caves has to be my favorite moment of the entire trip. Truly, no words can describe the intricacies of the cave. You have to see it for yourself to understand. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, which allowed us to learn so much about the stories that lie within the caves. We went deep underground (bring a jacket; it's cold in there) for about an hour.
The walls feature a variety of charcoal drawings that carry lots of history, and it's amazing to hear about how the tunnels were constructed while also seeing them in real time. We were able to see where people slept, where they kept their animals, and even where they grew mushrooms! At one point, the tour guide instructed us to turn off all of our flashlights so that we could comprehend just how dark it was there. It was a fascinating experience that I would recommend over and over again!
Eating!!!
I am a huge foodie and always ready to try different restaurants. After arriving in Maastricht, the first thing we did after checking into the boat hotel was find a restaurant for some food and drinks! Throughout the entire trip, we had a variety of different dishes. My favorite was the sticky short ribs I had as an appetizer at Restaurant Petit Bonheur. An honorary mention was the Gelato Olivia from Bar Olivia, which consisted of vanilla ice cream with olive oil and black volcanic salt.
Sightseeing
We also had the opportunity to go on a guided tour of Maastricht on Friday. The tour guide was engaging and informative, and I loved seeing all of the beautiful architecture of the city. We finished our tour in a stunning bookstore that was originally a church. Once you visit this bookstore, you’ll understand why it's labelled as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world!
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. On Saturday, June 12th, we took a train to Valkenburg to visit castle ruins and have a Dutch pancake lunch (which had both sweet and savory options!). After our lunch, we hopped on a train and arrived back in Amsterdam at 7:15 P.M.
Thinking back to my weekend, I really enjoyed stepping away from Amsterdam and seeing the Netherlands from a different perspective. I would highly recommend taking a trip to Maastricht if you have the opportunity because you’ll get the chance to experience a different city in the Netherlands while also building stronger connections with your study abroad friends.
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Brigette Zamor
Hi! I'm Brigette, and I am at the University of Michigan majoring in Public Health and minoring in Business. In my free time I like to read, bake, and watch some of my favorite TV shows like Stranger Things and Pretty Little Liars!
