Museums, Maastricht

The Spanish Government Museum is located in the 16th century Spanish Government House. The original building used to be a chapter house. The Renaissance arcade in the courtyard has carved medallions with portraits of Charles V, Isabelle of Portugal and young Philip II. All of these dignities stayed in the Spanish Government House from 1520 onwards.

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Unfortunately this wasn't open on the Sunday morning when I found it during my wanders but the doorway certainly looks impressive, if not exactly inviting LOL ;)

According to the website (which has an excellent virtual tour) the museum focuses on the Limburg Province, past (Geology) and present (Biology) with a third set of exhibits entitled "Dynamics".

The geology section covers the region's development from about 350 million years ago through to the arrival of the Romans and exhibits include fossils found in the local clay, coal and chalk workings. The biology section covers the present day range of habitats to be found in the area whilst the dynamics exhibition looks at humankind's impact on the ecosystem from the early hunter-gatherers to the ecological changes caused by modern lifestyles.

Website has all the details of opening times and admission charges.

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They renovated this old watermill and turned it into a museum/shop, you can see the workings of the watermill itself, both inside and outside and you can also purchase products that are made there such as you see on the shelf near the gearing system.

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The Centre Céramique is designed by architect Jo Coenen. The library is housed in this building. The centre is not only a library, but a modern cultural centre and a meeting place.

There are all kind of exhibitions. You can see the collection of local pottery and the provincial archaeological collection, but also the replica of the ‘Parisian’ scale-model of Maastricht (1750) and the scale-model of the Céramique area..

There are also lectures and concerts. Also people come here for a drink, to read a newspaper or to have lunch.

Opening hours:
tuesday, thursday: 10.30 – 20.30
wednesday, friday: 10.30 – 17.00
saturday: 10.00 – 15.00
sunday: 13.00 – 17.00
closed at mondays, in july and august also at sundays

There is no entrance fee.

The "Bisschops mill" is active once every week to keep it operational and in proper function like it was many years ago (constructed in the 12th century.)
A fascinating piece of hard labour - the mill is driven by the river "Jeker" and located at "Stenenbrug" near the monastry

The museum was established in 1912 by the Natural History society of Limburg. Southern Limburg has a rich geological past, and in the Natural History Museum you see the remains of Mosasaurs, giant turtles and fossils. With the help of computers and visual projections, someone can explore the modern-day landscape of South Limburg, and in the botanical garden you meet a huge variety of flowering and lash plants. The Cabinet is a lovely room, which shows the museum 90 years ago.
Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00
Sat-Sun 14:00-17:00
Ticket 3.40 euro

Maastricht has a few interesting musea, vut this one is a favourite one, for it has a collection likely, that you cant find elsewhere in the Netherlands. Because of the fact that in this regio bones of pre-historic animals were found, they are all exposed and reconstructed in this Maastricht meseum. You may find rests of giant Mosa-sauriers and giant turtles, that have lived in the Maastrich area for many miljon years ago. You will find a complete overview of all the fossils representing natural life in that regio of Maastricht. The museum itself is a beatyfull place, it has a pleasant garden, a museum café and an old typical room, the "Kabinet" which gives you an impression of Maastricht during the fin de siecle.

The Natuurhistorisch Museum is a museum about nature in the broadest meaning of the word. It specialises on geology, paleontology and flora & fauna in the area of Maastricht.

The geography / Paleontology section shows a lot of fossils, bones and other remains from the prehistoric age. Like the mosasaurus, a dinosaur that lived in the river Maas. The fauna section shows quite a lot of insects, like butterflies and beatles.

The museum is opened from monday to friday from 10 to 5 and in the weekend from 2 to 5. Admission is 3,40 Euros for adults.

The "Spaans Gouvernment" was built in the 16th century in a renaissance style. It is located on the vrijthof square, in the center of the city. The building used to be visited by the emperor Charles the fifth, but nowadays it serves as a museum. The museum shows you how Maastricht looked in the 17th and 18th century. There are all kinds of antiquities on display such as furniture, silverware and paintings.

You can visit the museum from wednesdays till sundays, from 1pm till 5pm. A ticket costs 2,50 Euros.

In the Jekerkwartier you will find one of the biggest Natuur Historische Museums of the Netherlands. It is very interesting if you want to learn more about the history of nature in the area of Maastricht and southern part of Limburg. On of the top pieces in the collection is the Mosasaur Hoffmanni. In the courtyard of the museum there is also a very big fossil of the head of another Mosasaur called Bér. This fossil is so famous they even made a beer of it, which you can buy in the supermarkets!