A panoramic view of the entire Vrijthof Square =)
Its one of biggest and busiest squares in maastricht and
its lined with rows of bars and restaurants. The Saint
Servatius Basilica and the St Jans church can be found here
too and they're one of the main tourist spots in maastricht.
Based on some info i found on google, Vrijthof was a military
parade ground back in the 18th century - which explains the
wide open area you can see in this shot. Now, except for the
carousel, its just an empty patch of ground for tourists and
locals to walk about & enjoy the breeze
Just one of the rows of bars and eateries which line the borders
of the square, its relaxing to just sit down and enjoy the fresh
outdoor air while chatting with friends.
This military guardhouse was built in 1738. It was
one of the central buildings and part of the fortifications
in Maastricht, where the important military stuff were guarded.
Not many people pay attention to this though cos its just beside the
main attraction - the St Servatius Basilica.
Built in 1000 AD, the St. Servatius Basilica still looks
as imposing as it did so many years ago. Its dedicated to, and
build on top of the grave of the first bishop of the Netherlands,
but no prizes for guessing who..
On the left of St Servatius Basilica is another building,
St. John's church or St. Janskerk's church - dedicated to
St. John the baptist. Its famous for its collection of 16th
century stained glass windows and its the longest church in
the netherlands (how's that for an accolade?)
Amazingly, St. John's church is protestant and St. Servatius is
catholic... i wonder why they're built so close to each other
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