Magical Maastricht

28 November 2025 - 29 December 2025

Plan your visit to Magical Maastricht

From 28 November to 29 December you can enjoy Magical Maastricht. Let yourself be carried away by atmospheric lights that guide you past the most beautiful spots in Maastricht. The vibrant city centre welcomes you with open arms! Make sure to plan your visit well and check our convenient travel and parking tips. This way you travel quickly, affordably and without stress. Less waiting time means more time to fully enjoy the city. Maastricht is waiting for you!

    • Visit Maastricht on a weekday — or even in November, before Magical Maastricht kicks off. Even then, Maastricht is already magical, with beautifully lit streets and shop windows. It’s quieter, and the shop and restaurant owners have even more time to advise you or wrap your Christmas gifts beautifully. You can also start your day earlier with a cup of coffee or breakfast in the city, which allows you to beat the crowds. Another option is to extend your day by enjoying a cultural activity or having dinner in the evening.
      Are you planning to visit on the weekend? Our advice is to come to Maastricht before 10:00 AM or after 3:00 PM when the roads to and within Maastricht are less busy.
    • For your visit to Maastricht, take public transport or ride a bike to ease congestion on the access roads into the city.
    • Do you still prefer to drive? Then choose carefully where and when to park so you’re not unnecessarily searching for a spot.
      • At P+R Maastricht Noord. It’s free, and you can take bus number 3, 10 or 30 to the city centre.
      • Reserve a parking space in one of the Q-Park car parks for extra peace of mind.
      • Consider parking at a Park & Ride (P+R) location outside Maastricht, such as Bunde, Meerssen, or Eijsden, and taking the train for the final leg of your journey.
    • Want to know where there’s traffic? Our Map has a ‘traffic updates’ display option that shows you busy sections of road (orange) as well as very heavy traffic and gridlock (red).

  • Magical Maastricht’s main feature is the Magical Maastricht event on Vrijthof, complete with a covered skating rink, stalls, and a Ferris wheel! But Maastricht has even more to offer you during the winter months. Its vibrant cultural life and local businesses will welcome you with open warms as you walk along the magical light routes and enjoy the illuminations around every corner. See magicalmaastricht.nl for all the best tips for the whole family. Here’s a taster:

    Walk along the three illuminated walking routes and discover the city in a special way.
    Discover Maastricht in a different way by walking through Maastricht’s other neighbourhoods: Wyck, the Sphinxkwartier, Stokstraatkwartier or the Jekerkwartier. The twinkling lights of the light routes take you past the most magical of places. 

    • Christmas Eve, Wednesday 24 December 2025, shops open until 18:00.*
    • Christmas Day, Thursday 25 December 2025, shops closed.
    • Boxing Day, Friday 26 December 2025, shops closed.
    • New Year’s Eve, Wednesday 31 December 2025, shops open until 17:00.*
    • New Year’s Day, Thursday 1 January 2026, shops closed.

    Extra shopping evening in December

    • Friday, 19 December, shops may remain open until 9:00 PM.*
    • On Christmas Eve (24 December) and New Year’s Eve (31 December), shops may stay open until 19:00, but this is not mandatory.*

    *Opening times are subject to change. Please contact the shop directly for more information.

Magical Maastricht 2024 - the Vrijthof with the Christmas market, ice rink, and Ferris wheel. Photo taken from above.

Quickly to the center of Maastricht

Maastricht has good public transport connections, and the sights are within cycling distance. Please consider whether you could visit by taking alternative transport to your car. If you do choose to travel by car, there are low-cost and even free parking spaces at every entry point into the city. Be aware that parking charges are higher the closer you park to the city centre. Thanks to all the twinkling lights hanging in the city centre, walking the route from the parking location is an experience in itself. 

  • If you live within cycling distance, come by bike and park in the city center. Use one of the free bike parking facilities at the Markt, the station (free for the first 24 hours), Kesselskade, or Vrijthof.

    • The supervised bike parking facilities at Markt and Kesselskade are closed on both Christmas Days and New Year's Day.
    • The opening hours of the station’s bike parking depend on the first and last trains of the day. The bike parking opens fifteen minutes before the first train and closes fifteen minutes after the last train.
    • A mobile bike parking facility is available at the Mosae Forum forecourt until New Year's Eve. This facility is unsupervised. Be sure to remove your bike in time before New Year's. On January 2, the mobile bike facility will return to the Mosae Forum forecourt.
    • In Maastricht, you can also easily get from a to b with the shared bicycles of Arriva or OV-fiets. You can then park at a distance or make the first part of your journey by public transport and continue by bike. Want to know where to find these bikes? Check out the map of Maastricht with all the locations and information about the rates.

  • Don't get behind the wheel yourself and opt for a driver. Maastricht is easily accessible by train and bus. From the station in Maastricht, you can walk to the city center (and the Vrijthof) within 15 minutes and already enjoy a beautiful city route.

    • From the north Amsterdam/Eindhoven/Roermond/Sittard-Geleen via NS or Arriva trains.
    • From Heerlen/Valkenburg and Aachen by train from Arriva.
      • Please note that from December 11th to January 27th, there will be no express trains running between Heerlen and Maastricht. You can use the local train or express buses instead.
    • From the south Eijsden/Visé/Liège by SNCB stopping train or TEC buses.
    • By bus from Aachen and the route along the N278 with bus line 350.
    • By the buses of De Lijn from Belgium to the station or at the Markt

    With Arriva's Euregioticket you travel easily with one ticket by bus and train through the Maas-Rhine area for € 22.90 per day. There is a weekly or weekend ticket available from the bus driver, vending machines at stations or public transport service points and online.

  • For €19.50, you can park your car and travel by train with up to five people. You are guaranteed a parking spot in Heerlen and can travel the last part comfortably by train to Magical Maastricht.

    Every day, over 700 parking spaces are available in the seven Q-Park garages in Heerlen. The Park & Train ticket is valid for up to five people on Arriva trains and costs €19.50.

    This offer is available from 14 November to 4 January — travel cheaply by train already in November or until the end of the Christmas holidays. You can also combine your visit with Wintertijd Heerlen from 11 December to 4 January.

    From Heerlen by train, you reach Maastricht in 23 minutes (express train) or 30 minutes (local train).

    Buy your tickets via the Glimble by Arriva website (available in Dutch only)

    • Park on the side of the Maas River that you’re coming from. With the tips below, you’ll know which parking garages are the most convenient options along your route to the city.
      • Parking garages in Centrum-West (e.g., P Vrijthof, Sphinx, and Frontenpark) are often the first to fill up.
      • If you’re coming via the A2/A79, follow the parking route for Wyck-Station and Céramique-Wyck; these locations often still have available spots.
      • Maastricht is a compact city. From parking locations on the outskirts, you can reach the city center within 15 minutes at most. Parking there is worthwhile as spots are more readily available and parking fees are lower. Plus, these routes offer pleasant walks where you can discover hidden gems and shops. During Magical Maastricht, walking becomes even more enchanting thanks to the city routes by Maastricht Marketing.
    • Check the map in advance for all parking locations in the city center of Maastricht and see immediately where it is busy on your route or if there are roadworks. When you arrive in the city, check the current parking occupancy on the signs and follow the instructions of the traffic controllers.
    • Via the Q-Park website, you can reserve a parking space in advance, which means you can drive in and out using your license plate. This makes the parking process even faster, as you don't need to press the button for your parking ticket or use (the queue at) the payment machine! This way, you are assured of a parking spot and don't need to search when you arrive in Maastricht.

  • At Q-Park, you can reserve a discounted parking space between 28 November and 4 January at P Frontenpark and Bonnefanten. Two deals are available:

    • Q-Park Frontenpark: online evening rate from 5:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m..: €9.50
    • Q-Park Bonnefantenmuseum: online evening rate from 5:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.: €9.50

    Book your discounted parking space on the Q-Park website

Magical Maastricht 2024 - lights in the Bassin, including boats with illuminated flagpoles

Parking tips and the shortest route to the parking locations

Coming by car? The parking garages in the city center often fill up quickly, especially on weekends. The tips below will help you save travel time looking for a parking space and therefore have more time in the city center. You can also choose to park nearby, but keep in mind that the parking location of your choice might be full and you will have to deal with long(er) queues and extra travel time.

    • Park easily on the outskirts of the city at P+R Maastricht Noord. Parking is free, and you can continue your journey comfortably by bus lines 3, 10 or 30 to the city centre.
    • Prefer to park closer to the centre? Keep in mind that parking rates are higher. The further from the centre, the cheaper it gets. Within just a 10–15 minute walk, you can save up to €18 per hour – money you can better spend on a terrace, some shopping or a visit to a museum!
    • Tip: You can also park smart just outside Maastricht at P+R locations in Bunde, Meerssen or Eijsden. Parking there is free, and you can take the train directly to the city centre.
    • Want to be sure of a spot in the city? Book your parking space in advance via the Q-Park website for extra peace of mind.
    • Check the traffic situation before you travel. On our live map, you can see where it’s busy (orange) or where traffic is at a standstill (red).
    • Planning to visit on a busy day like a weekend or public holiday? Then we recommend arriving before 10:00 or after 15:00, when it’s usually quieter on the roads and in the city.
    • From the A2 or A79: park for free at P+R Maastricht Noord. You can get to the city centre on bus number 10 for €2.55 (day return), or take bus number 30 to the main railway station/Wyck. Bus line 3 runs via Nazareth, Groene Loper, city centre to Wolder. A group ticket for groups of three to five people costs €6.40. Up to two children between the ages of four and eleven can travel for free with a paying adult.
    • It’s cheaper to pay for parking on a P+W site on the outskirts of Maastricht – Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away. If you’re coming from the north, park at P Bonnefanten. At the weekend, you can also park at the Gouvernement car park for €14 (all-day parking) if P Bonnefanten is full.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: De Griend, P+R Station, De Colonel, Plein 1992. To access these parking locations, follow the parking routes ‘Wyck-Station’ and ‘Céramique-Wyck’.
    • Park for free at P+R Maastricht Noord. You can get to the city centre on bus number 10 for €2.55 (day return), or take bus number 30 to the main railway station/Wyck. Bus line 3 runs via Nazareth, Groene Loper, city centre to Wolder. A group ticket for groups of three to five people costs €6.40. Up to two children between the ages of four and eleven can travel for free with a paying adult.
      Take the N2 tunnel northbound from Akersteenweg/John F. Kennedybrug and then take exit 1 Bunde onto Nieuwe Limmelderweg.
    • It’s cheaper to pay for parking on a P+W site on the outskirts of Maastricht – Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away. If you’re coming from the north, park at P Bonnefanten. At the weekend, you can also park at the Gouvernement car park for €14 (all-day parking) if P Bonnefanten is full.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: Plein 1992 or De Colonel. To access these parking locations, follow the parking routes ‘Wyck-Station’ and ‘Céramique-Wyck’.
    • Follow the A2 tunnel to the north and park for free at P+R Maastricht Noord. You can get to the city centre on bus number 10 for €2.55 (day return), or take bus number 30 to the main railway station/Wyck. Bus line 3 runs via Nazareth, Groene Loper, city centre to Wolder. A group ticket for groups of three to five people costs €6.40. Up to two children between the ages of four and eleven can travel for free with a paying adult.
      Take exit 1 Bunde northbound and turn left onto Nieuwe Limmelderweg.
    • It’s cheaper to pay for parking on a P+W site on the outskirts of Maastricht – Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away. If you’re coming from the north, park at P Bonnefanten. At the weekend, you can also park at the Gouvernement car park for €14 (all-day parking) if P Bonnefanten is full.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: Plein 1992 or De Colonel. To access these parking locations, follow the parking routes ‘Wyck-Station’ and ‘Céramique-Wyck’.
    • It’s cheaper to park at Stadspark (fixed, all-day parking rate: €14)  or Frontenpark (fixed, all-day parking rate: €18) Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: Onze Lieve Vrouwe, Mosae Forum, or Sphinx.
      • If these car parks are full, check out the car park at Bonnefanten – it costs €14 a day at the weekend and €21.00 a day on weekdays.
    • If you’re coming from Belgium, follow Brusselseweg in Smeermaas and enter Maastricht via Belvédèrelaan. You’ll get to Maastricht faster, and you won’t have to wait at the ramp meter on Bosscherweg. Take the same road on your way back – it’s just as quick.
    • Fort Willem and Frontenpark offers low-cost parking (fixed, all-day parking rate: €8,30 at Fort Willem and €18 at Frontenpark). Vrijthof square or Markt square are just fifteen minutes’ walk away.
    • Choose a parking location on your route: Sphinx, Mosae Forum, or Onze Lieve Vrouwe.
      • You could also park on the outskirts at P+R Maastricht Noord, or park on the east side of Maastricht at P de Griend, P+R Station, Colonel, or Plein 1992. 
  • Check the Smart Map for all parking locations in Maastricht city centre.
  • If you’re coming by motorcycle or are driving a long-distance coach, please check our website for parking information.
  • Important: Lock your car and take all valuable items with you. Do not just hide them out of sight. A few extra seconds of vigilance can prevent a lot of trouble.

Relevant information:

Mother and daughter walking across the Markt in Maastricht during Magisch Maastricht, with decorative lights in the trees. In the background, the city hall is visible.

Stay up-to-date on the latest traffic situation

Use the map of Maastricht for information on traffic congestion, bicycle parking, and road and rail work.
Visit the map of Maastricht