Just before the borders to the rest of Europe opened for us, we did a little bit of exploring our own country. Maastricht had been on my list for a while. I had been there once before and remembered the gorgeous bookstore that I really wanted to pay a visit to another time. And so we did!

We drove towards the city and when we arrived, it was time for lunch. We decided to set out to the bookstore and found a little restaurant just next to the store. When I saw they had Sangria on the menu, the choice to have lunch here was easily made. We had tomatosoup, waffles and bitterballen and it was a perfect lunch. A perfect spot if you want to have a bit of Dutch cuisine (and sangria!).

Next stop was the bookstore. Dominicanen is located in an old church and it gives the whole bookstore a classic vibe. It’s one of the Netherlands’ most gorgeous bookstores, along with Waanders in de Broeren in Zwolle. I believe the new location of Broese in Utrecht (my favourite bookstore) could be another addition to this list, but I haven’t been there yet to check it out for myself.

Besides the gorgeous location, this bookstore has everything a booklover could want. There are four floors that are stacked with books in every category you could want. We browsed the children’s section for a bit and then went up for the English department, where I found this gorgeous copy of Watership Down that I had been looking for for ages! Mission accomplished!

After some quality book-buying, we went shopping and wandered the city, looking for new clothes for our Italy trip. Meanwhile, I kept my camera close to me to take some shots of this beautiful city.

Maastricht reminded me a bit of Brugge, with it’s cobblestone, narrow street, but it’s a bit more modern and it has some great shopping areas. Another highlight of Maastricht is the helpoort, which translates to hell’s gate. I didn’t see any traces of hell (or maybe Maastricht is the inferno, who knows?) but the gates were beautiful. It was built in the 13th century and it’s the oldest remaining city gate in the Netherlands.

Maastricht is a beautiful city that iswell worth visiting, especially if you’re into bookstores, then you can browse Dominicanen for hours. The city is also great for shopping and has great food. Perfect for a daytrip!