Maastricht's origins date back to the days of the Roman empire, which makes it one of the country's oldest cities. At a fordable place of the river Maas they built a bridge and a settlement named Trajectum ad Mosam, which from the third century on was protected by a wall. Bishop Servatius, the bishop of the nearby, now Belgian, Tongeren, is buried on the location of the current church of St. Servaas, which is named after him. With this Servatius started Maastricht's history as a bishop's town which would last until the 8th century, when the bishop moved his court to Luik (Liège in Belgium), although the bishops kept their claims on the city.
In 1204 the king of Germany handed Maastricht over to the possession of the duke of Brabant. After numerous conflicts in 1284 it was settled that the city in the future was to be ruled in unison by both the duke and the bishop. Maastricht changed owners many times since. It was besieged and attacked a few times, but despite its turbulent history many historical buildings have survived. Maastricht is second on the list of cities in the Netherlands with the biggest number of monumental buildings. More completely than any other city in the Netherlands, Maastricht' churches illustrate the development in church architecture in the past 1000 years.

A very unusual building, and an intriguing example of Romanesque architecture, is the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady), which has a so-called westwork which obviously once served defencive purposes as well. Parts of it were build using stones from the former Roman castellum. This is the oldest church in Maastricht.

Location: O.L. Vrouweplein 9

Just like the Church of Our lady the St. Servatius, also often called St. Servaas, is essentially a church built in a Romanesque style. The St. Servatius however has seen significant changes in Gothic style, like the side-aisles and transept. The church is especially notable for its big westwork.

Location: Keizer Karelplein 6

The former Dominicans church is one of the oldest Gothic churches in The Netherlands. It dates from the 13th century.

Location: Dominikanerkerkstraat 1

 

Standing next to the St. Servatius is the St. Jan, a Gothic church which was originally built as a baptistry of its neighbour. It became a protestant church in 1632, when the city's four parish-churches were equally divided between the tiny Calvinist minority and the vast Catholic majority, under pressure of a military occupation by troops of the protestant Republic. The church is in Mosan Gothic style, but the tower was greatly influenced by that of the cathedral in Utrecht.

Location: Vrijthof 24

The St. Matthias originates from the 14th century, with several parts added in the following centuries. As is very usual in this part of the country, most of the church is is constructed using marl from one of the nearby marl pits. This is one of two parish-churches handed over to the protestants in 1632, but it has returned in catholic hands long ago.

Location: Boschstraat 99

This former church is called the Eerste Minderbroederskerk, which in English roughly translates to 'First Franciscan friars church'. In appearance this church is very similar to the Dominicans church, and dates from the same period. The order of the Franciscan friars was expelled from the city twice, and this building has been used as a barracks for a long time. In 1880 monastery and church were given their current function of provincial archive. A second Minderbroederskerk was built in the 17th century elsewhere in the city.

Location: Sint Pieterstraat 5

This white-painted apse belongs to a chapel which was built in the 15th century as part of a new beguinage called the Nieuwenhof, which was situated just within the city-walls. The previous beguinage lay outside the walls, where it was often plagued by floods.

Location: Zwingelput 4

A rare example of a medieval monastery is the former Kruisherenklooster which has survived many centuries and is in a remarkably complete state. The complex forms a square around a courtyard, with the actual monastery forming three of its sides, and the monastery-church at the fourth side. The complex was recently rebuilt into a hotel.

Location: Kruisherengang 21

One of only a very few churches in The Netherlands that were built in the Baroque style is the Augustijnenkerk (Church of the Augustinians) from 1661. It is no longer in use as a church, and now serves a famous local choir as a rehearsal-room.

Location: Kesselskade 43

The Walloon church dates from 1732-1733. It consists of a centralized space of twelve sides and a simple tower of about the same height as the church itself. It was designed by Thomas Comhaire, an architect from Luik/Liège, and replaced a medieval chapel which had stood on this location and had been used as a Walloon church previously. But as the Walloon community grew, this chapel became too small, especially when in 1685 many French Huguenots fled to Maastricht. Although the descendants of the Wallonians and French refugees have integrated in the local society long since, in this church there are still regularly services in the French language.

Location: Sint Pieterstraat 6

This St. Martinus is one of architect P.J.H. Cuypers' earlier works and dates from 1858, a replacement for an older church. The church is similar to many of Cuypers' earliest churches, being a cruciform basilica with a tower, all in a neo-Gothic style inspired by early French Gothicism.

Location: Rechtstraat 2

The St. Johannes de Doper is the church of the former village of Limmel. This neo-Gothic church was designed by C. Weber and built in 1863-1864 incorprating an older tower. The current tower dates from 1867, the choir was replaced in 1913.

Location: Dolmanstraat 2, Limmel

The neo-Gothic St. Pieter op de Berg, since 1954 officially named Allerheiligste verlosser en St. Petrus, in the former village of St. Pieter, is the first church by architect J. Kayser and was built in 1874-1875.

Location: Ursulinenweg 2, St. Pieter

 
In 1876-1877 the H. Hart van Jezus was built in Oud-Caberg, which was then still a village.The small one-aisled, neo-Gothic church had been designed by J. Kayser. Of Kayser's design only the nave remains; in ca. 1900 W. Sprenger added a tower to replace the steeple on the roof, while in 1936-1937 the short choir was replaced by a big eastern part designed by A.J.N. Boosten.

Location: Van Akenweg 63, Oud-Caberg

The chapel of the Ursuline convent was designed by J. Kayser in a neo-Gothic style that is typical for much of his work, being influwnced by Gothic brick architecture of Northern Germany. The chapel was built in 1890.

Location: Capucijnenstraat 122

The St. Lambertuskerk was the first church that was built outside the 14th-century city-walls. This impressive church in neo-Romanesque style was designed by architect J.H.H. van Groenendael and built during the First World War.

Location: Koningin Emmaplein 7

The Heilig-Hartkerk was designed by A.J.N. Boosten and J. Ritzen. Construction started in 1920. Unusual for that time, it's mostly built out of concrete, and was the subject of much criticism. Two towers that were in the original plan were never built.

Location: Heerderweg 1

The St. Hubertus is a remarkable building in Expressionistic style, designed by J.H.J. Kayser (son of J. Kayser) and built in 1924-1925.

Location: Bosscherweg 161, Boschpoort

The O.L. Vrouw van Lourdes was built in 1936-1938 and was designed by F.P.J. Peutz,  who used the early christian basilicas as an example. The church is built of natural stone found in the region; marl on a bottom layer of kunrader stone. The narthex and tower were added in 1941.

Location: Pres. Rooseveltlaan 215

Peutz als designed the St. Pieter beneden de Berg, although this time in conjunction with W. Sprenger. The church was built in 1938-1939, also using marl and kunrader stone.

Location: Sint Willibrordusstraat 12, St. Pieter

The Onbevlekt Hart van Maria dates from 1951-1952 and is one of several churches designed by architect A.J.N. Boosten that were built after his death. Unusual is the tower-shaped choir, which was never completed.

Location: Fatimaplein