Through the lens: Belvédère in Maastricht, an area to be discovered
Belvédère is an area of about 280 hectares to the north-west of Maastricht, still largely unknown but definitely worth discovering!
Over the next 25 to 30 years, the Belvédère area will undergo a major urban makeover, including innovative plans in the fields of housing, work, culture and leisure. One of the housing projects even involves building new houses on a former waste dump ground.
But in the meantime, the city of Maastricht has unveiled a new walking route which will take visitors on a two to three hour tour of the entire area. Starting at the Belvédère information centre at ‘t Bassin, the walk will allow hikers to discover the Boschpoort quarter, the Jo-Jo harbour, a picturesque sluice (Sluis 19), Jaagpad West, a tunnel under the railways, the Belvédèreberg (Mount Belvédère), a monument commemorating the traces of the earliest inhabitants of the Netherlands, the Hoge Fronten ruins, Maagdendries and the Boschstraat before ending back at the initial spot. The walking guide can be found at the Maastricht tourist information office. A bike route is also available!
For a virtual tour of the area, visitors are invited to take a look at the Belvédère website which provides detailed maps, panoramic views, a large selection of photographs as well as a few video clips. All in all, although it is available only in Dutch, the website gives a very interesting overview of the area and future plans.
During the ‘Summer of Belvédère’ programme of activities, Cinema Luna will organise an outdoor film event on 21 July at Jo-Jo Harbour (Jo-Jo Haven), showing ‘C’etait un Rendez-Vous’ by Claude Lelouche and ‘Le Conseguenze Dell’Amore’ by Paolo Sorrentino. On 9 and 11 August, there will be two theatre performances at the Boschpoort, as part of the the Limburg Festival. And on 19 August, ‘t Bassin will host its fifth Belvédère Bassin concert, featuring Emmy Verhey (violin), Gregor Horsch (cello) en Paolo Giacometti (piano) who will play works by Alberto Ginastera, Claude Debussy, Camille Saint Saens and Antonin Dvorak. All events will be free of charge. (More information at Maastricht Uitburo).
Photo-reportage of Sluis 19 and Zuid-Willemsvaart
Just under the Noorderbrug…
… lies the picturesque area around Sluis 19 and Zuid-Willemsvaart:
Photographs by Herman Pijpers
