Road Trippin’ the Low Countries - From Maastricht to Lille and Back
A proper mini grand tour through the Benelux - and, as it turned out, even a bit of France. The trip started with a brief stopover on the way to Maastricht: good coffee, creative street art, and surprisingly green architecture rising from old industrial bones. Then straight into the heart of Maastricht for a guided walking tour full of history and flavour - house marks, the old city wall and Hell’s Gate, a working watermill, and Europe’s most beautiful bookstore set in a former church. Add the best Vlaai in town and a speakeasy cocktail bar, and Maastricht had us hooked from the start. A short drive took us to Valkenburg - small, cute, and definitely on the touristy side. We explored the castle ruins and the velvet caves beneath, strolled through town, and enjoyed a sunny hike along the Geul river - in the rare Dutch “hills” no less. Next stop: the summit of the Netherlands. At a staggering 322.5 metres, Vaalserberg marks the meeting point of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germ...