What to Do in Maastricht During TEFAF?

The fair, day by day

TEFAF Maastricht is the centre of gravity of the stay. The table below sets out its 2027 calendar, published by TEFAF; the city's venues publish their own hours and conditions.

The old town: squares, churches, lanes

The Vrijthof, a great square lined with cafés, is dominated by the Basilica of Saint Servatius, one of the oldest churches in the Netherlands, which drew pilgrims in the Middle Ages. Not far away, a thirteenth-century Gothic Dominican church, now a bookshop, reveals restored wall paintings dating from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century.

The Jekerkwartier, to the south, takes its name from the Jeker, the small river that runs through it: cobbled lanes, remains of the ramparts, old houses. It is the natural walk for a late afternoon, between the fair and dinner.

Museums and places of art

On the other bank of the Maas, the Bonnefanten has occupied since 1995 a building designed by Aldo Rossi, recognisable by its domed tower; its collections range from Old Masters to contemporary art. The city also has an academy for artists in residence, venues devoted to contemporary culture and several university institutions.

Their exhibitions and hours are checked for each edition. Some institutions organise visits or receptions for their guests during the fair; we guide you, without promising anything.

Beneath the city, around the city

To the south, the Sint-Pietersberg, a limestone hill, is hollowed out by old underground passages, visited with a guide. To the east, southern Limburg takes on a rolling character, with its châteaux, estates and villages, some twenty minutes by car.

Maastricht also stands at the crossroads of three countries: Aachen and its cathedral, in Germany, or Liège, in Belgium, are half an hour away by road. A morning away from the fair is enough for one or the other, with a chauffeur.

Dinners and evenings

In the evening, the stay takes on another face: exhibitors' dinners for their collectors, private receptions in town or in the châteaux nearby. These occasions are generally by invitation. We pass on requests where possible, after reviewing the client's profile, without any guarantee.

When no invitation comes, we create the evening: a private salon, an estate rented to entertain, a chef and sommelier, discreet security. And during the fair, the city's fine tables are booked early: often the first thing to go.

A typical stay, day by day

An indicative example, to adapt to your dates and your type of access: arrival on Friday 12 March in the late afternoon, dinner in the old town; first fair day on Saturday 13, lunch booked on site; on Sunday, the old town and the Bonnefanten in the morning, the countryside in the afternoon; second fair day on Monday 15, quieter; departure on Tuesday. If you hold an invitation to the preview, the stay shifts to 11 and 12 March. Each day keeps a quiet moment: at the hotel spa, or simply on foot along the Maas.

Our guide How to Attend TEFAF Maastricht? explains what each type of access allows, and our guide Where to Stay During TEFAF Maastricht? helps you choose the address that makes this stay flow.