different areas of Maastricht: Map
Jeanne Wotrin-May 2022
Even though Maastricht is a relatively small city (it will take you around 30 minutes to go from one side to another by bike), Maastricht is divided into different districts and neighborhoods, each with its own characteristics. While some of you might be intensively looking for accommodation, I’ll explain what the main neighborhoods of Maastricht are and what they represent!
In the Maastricht Centrum district
Binnenstad
Until 2007, this neighborhood was called ‘City’ and as its name suggests, it is the most centrally located area of Maastricht. There, you’ll find plenty of shops, from international brands to little local (cute) shops. However, the shops are not only restricted to clothing but there are also outlets, sports & outdoor, shoes, antique and art gallery, interior & design, culinary, or jewellery and warehouses shops. There are also small shopping centers such as Mosae Forum and Entre Deux. What is nice about the city center is that most of it is a pedestrian zone, but notice that on weekends, it tends to be overcrowded as Maastricht lies at the borders with Belgium (and is not so far away from Germany — so a lot of tourists come). Maastricht center is also home to many restaurants and bars for all price ranges!
Of course, if you wish to live in the city center, it is probably going to be more expensive than living on the outskirts of the city but you will enjoy being directly in the heart of Maastricht once you pass your front doorstep. It is also relatively close to the UM facilities (SBE, ICL, SSC). For example, from Vrijthof to SBE (650m), it would take you less than 10 minutes on foot (around 7–8 to be more precise), and only a few if you use the bike (3–4 minutes)!
Kommelwartier/Statenwartier/Boschstraatwartier
Kommelwartier and Statenwartier are other neighbourhoods close to the city center. In the Kommelwartier, there are a lot of accommodations and the neighbourhood is rather quiet since it’s mainly a residential area (not a lot of shops, if any). A positive thing is that you can find more affordable rooms there since it is not right in the center of the city (but still relatively close — more than feasible to do everything on foot).
On the other hand, Boschstraatwartier (which is still close to the city center) is a bit more active since it hosts the Pathé cinema, Loods5 (a big home goods store) but also a harbour and a few restaurants. A famous student residence in the Boschstraatwartier is The Student Hotel (TSH). It takes you 20 minutes on foot to go from TSH to SBE, but only 5 by bike (and it is mostly flat).
Jekerwartier
If you wish to live closer to UM facilities (and still close to the center), the area ‘Jekerwartier’ is the right fit for you because the neighbourhood is home to the School of Business and Economics (SBE), Inner City Library (ICL), Student Service Center (SSC), Tapijnkazerne. Jekerwartier was named ‘Jeker’ after the Jeker river that flows through the neighbourhood into the Meuse (international students usually call it the ‘Maas’ like in Dutch), but because it is the old city center of Maastricht, housing there is rather expensive (though it is always possible to find fairly affordable housing) but at least you will be surrounded by a lot of cute little old houses and streets. To give you an idea of how close you are to all main UM facilities (SBE, ICL, SSC, Tapijnkazerne) if you live in this area, to go from one side to the other of the neighborhood, it takes you 15 minutes on foot.
Sint Martenspoort
On the other side of the river, at the level of the Markt, you can find the neighborhood ‘Sint Martenspoort’. There, you can enjoy a relatively quiet residential area (a lot of studios/shared houses), with still a few points of interest such as Complex (THE (techno) club of Maastricht), a gym (Fits for Free), and some shops (Jumbo, Action, MediaMartkt), as well as a skatepark and a park (Griendpark).
Wyck
This neighborhood can be subdivided into three distinct areas:
1. Oud-Wyck (“Old Wyck”), which is comprised of the oldest built-up area (until 1867), giving it its charismatic aspect. You have a lot of rooms and flats available there (not so far away from SBE — around 15minutes on foot, and only a few by bike), but also restaurants and a few shops.
2. Stationsbuurt (“Station Neighbourhood”), the area on the west of the railway and Maastricht station.
3. Céramique, which was redeveloped during the 1990s/2000s, making it the ‘modern’ part of Maastricht. The area consists mostly of new-built apartment blocks, designed by international architects, and some restored factory buildings. Even though living in those new apartments is expensive, you can also find affordable housing in shared (student) housing. The Bonnefantenmuseum is also a major landmark and lies along the Maas. Notice that a lot of people regard Céramique as a neighborhood itself, it is officially part of Wyck.
In the South-West district
Villapark, Jekerdal, Biesland
In the South-West district of Maastricht, there are many residential neighborhoods. The main interesting ones for students are Villapark (right across Tapijnkazerne) and Jekerdal — in between those two, a bit more south in the ‘Sint Pieter’ neighborhood, you can find Sint Pietersberg, the hill on top of which you can enjoy a sunset over the entire city). There is also the neighborhood ‘Biesland’ where there are two famous Xior student residences: the Xior Carré building (closer to SBE (10 minutes on foot), located in the same building as Action and Jan Linders, a supermarket), and the Xior Bonnefanten (a bit further away (15 minutes on foot), often referred to as the Hogwarts of Maastricht given how the building gives Hogwarts vibes).
In the South-East district
Randwyck
Some students might also opt to live on the other side of the river, in the Randwyck neighborhood (near the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences (FHML)) because rent is usually a bit cheaper, they can enjoy the FHML facilities (library and study areas), and they are still relatively close to SBE and the city center (around 15 minutes by bike from the FHML). They are also close to the MECC (which is next to the FHML), where most exams (if not Online or at SBE) take place.
In the North-West district
Mariaberg, Brusselsepoort, Belfort
Even though the North-West district is composed of many different neighborhoods, the most known ones by students are Mariaberg (where you find a lot of shared houses), and Brusselsepoort and Belfort (where you can find a lot of flats for more affordable prices). These are the most praised ones by the students as rent over there is often a bit cheaper than in the city center and are still relatively close to it (and to UM buildings) — Mariarbeg to SBE: 5 minutes by bike (or 15 on foot), Brusselsepoort/Belfort to SBE: around 10 minutes by bike.
Of course, there are other areas in the South-East district of Maastricht where you can look for housing but those are the most famous ones among students (closest to the SBE/ICL/Tapijnkerne and to the city center), but if you are looking for the cheapest option, then the further away from the city center, the better! You can also check out the following blog <blog on how and where to look for housing in maastricht> to help you look, and don’t forget that there are also other expenses to take into account when moving to a new place. Here is the link: https://sbegotheextramile.medium.com/how-and-where-to-look-for-housing-in-maastricht-320d1782873e
