Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht

Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht tickets: which one to buy

The Basilica of Our Lady stands on the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, a pleasant square with cafés in the old town of Maastricht, Netherlands, and entry to the basilica is free, while the treasury is ticketed. It is one of the oldest churches in the Netherlands and a place of pilgrimage dedicated to the Star of the Sea, a statue of the Virgin venerated in a chapel beside the entrance.

Walking tours of Maastricht combine the basilica with the Basilica of Saint Servatius on the Vrijthof square, the Saint John's Church with its red tower, the Helpoort city gate, the Dominican church turned bookshop, the Boekhandel Dominicanen, and the underground tunnels of Mount Saint Peter. Maastricht is close to Belgium and Germany, and it is reached by train from Amsterdam in about two and a half hours. The basilica is active, and visiting pauses during masses. The treasury ticket is sold at the entrance near the cloister.

Visiting Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht: what to see

A church has stood on the site since the early Middle Ages, possibly on a Roman temple, and the present Romanesque church was built mainly in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Its massive westwork, with two round towers, looks like a fortress, and it was part of the city's defences. The choir, with its apse and towers, is decorated with Romanesque carvings. Inside, the church has a tall nave, Romanesque capitals carved with biblical scenes and monsters, and a crypt beneath the choir. The Chapel of the Star of the Sea, beside the entrance, holds a fifteenth-century wooden statue of the Virgin and Child, dressed in rich robes, surrounded by candles lit by pilgrims. The cloister, from the fifteenth century, is peaceful.

The treasury displays reliquaries, textiles and liturgical objects, including a Byzantine silk from the eleventh century. The church was given the status of a minor basilica in 1933. The crypt beneath the choir is one of the oldest parts of the church, with low vaults and columns. The capitals in the choir show scenes from the Old Testament and fantastic animals. The church's organ is used for concerts. The treasury's collection includes a reliquary cross and Romanesque sculptures. The Star of the Sea statue is carried in procession on its feast day. The church's westwork has small windows and thick walls. The square in front of the basilica has cafés under trees. The cloister's garden is peaceful.

Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht opening hours and the best time to go

The basilica is open daily, and the treasury is open from spring to autumn. The Star of the Sea chapel is open from early morning until evening and is visited by many pilgrims. Maastricht is busy during Carnival in February, one of the most famous in the Netherlands, and during the Christmas market on the Vrijthof. The TEFAF art fair in March attracts collectors. The Heiligdomsvaart, a pilgrimage with the display of relics, takes place every seven years. Allow about half an hour for the basilica, and have a coffee on the square outside. The Boekhandel Dominicanen, a bookshop in a thirteenth-century Gothic church, is about ten minutes' walk away.