Around 19 BC. the Romans from Italy, led by Julius Caesar invaded the Euregio Meuse-Rhine and remained until 450 AD.
For almost five centuries, the Euregio Meuse-Rhine was part of the Roman Empire. While the Roman emperors ruled here, cities such as:
- Maastricht (Mosae Trajectum),
- Heerlen (Coriovallum),
- Aachen (Aquis Granni),
- Tongeren (Atuatuca Tungrorum)
- Liège (Leodicum)
flourished into busy trading centers. Also due to an important Roman main road: the Via Belgica, that ran straight through Zuid-Limburg from Boulogne sur Mer (France) to Köln (Germany).

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In the early Middle Ages, Maastricht consisted of a number of residential areas, churches, a toll office and a fortified manor court on the Vrijthof. This palatinate formed the royal estate. It is almost certain that Charlemagne visited this palace when he was on his way to Aachen.
In German: Karl der Grosse;
In French and English: Charlemagne;
In Latin: Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus
He probably lived from April 2, 747 or 748 - Aachen, January 28, 814
He came from the family of the Carolingians,
Was king of the Franks from 9 October 768
And from December 25, 800 Emperor of the Roman Empire.

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The water source of Saint Servatius is in outskirts of the city Maastricht and claims to be the oldest city of the Netherlands. This source is associated and named with a passage in Henric van Veldeke's legend of Saint Servatius. In which the saint creates this medicinal source. It is said that the saint has been tormented by thirst on his return from a pilgrimage to Rome and that he drew a cross on the earth and prayed, then this source sprang up.

The source was consecrated in 1888. The edge bore an inscription: "Honor this holy source pilgrim and whether thirst or fever torments you, drink enough for relief and healing, it helps you H. Servatius" .
Since 1997, this inscription has been carved in stone in the pavement of the entrance gate.(In dutch: "Eer Pelgrim deze heilige bron en hetzij dorst of koorts kwelle drink tot lafenis en genezing zoo helpu de H. Servatius").

On August 4, 1914 Germany invaded neutral Belgium. The First World War had become a fact.
It was unclear at the time if Germany would also invade the Netherlands. Maastricht gave shelter in the caves of the St. Pietersberg, in the factory halls of the Sphinx and in the Augustinian Church to about 15,000 Belgians in the first weeks of the 1st World War.
Almost every week in those days the Dutch Red Cross traversed the Belgium border to pick up all the wounded soldiers .
In January 1915, the German government decided to combat the unwanted border traffic with the Netherlands and an approximately 4 meter high border barrier was built and reinforced by 2,000 volt electrical wires.
From 1916, the shortage of goods became general in the Netherlands as a result of the warfare and the blockades on sea and roads.
There is only one monument in Maastricht that commemorates the 1st World War. That is a French national monument of gratitude for the humanitarian aid that was provided to French refugees. 
After some searching, the monument bears the French text: “Ils s'endormaient de parlent du retour de pays” (They slept while talking about returning to their country).

In 2014 it was already 100 years ago that WW1 started and today everybody is so used to cross the open borders and visit each other countries.

The Battle of Maastricht was one of the first battles that took place during the German Campaign on the Western Front during World War II. Maastricht was a key city in order to capture the Belgian Fort Eben-Emael and split the allied armies in half.

The German goal of the operation was to take the bridges over the river Maas intact, in order to have an easier road to France. Therefore, the Germans sent in teams disguised as civilians whose jobs were to sabotage the bridge charges. However, they were spotted and arrested.

The battle won by the Germans marked the beginning of the occupation of Maastricht, which would last four years, four months and four days.

The myth of the cast iron lockers!

Many an attentive Maastricht residents knows them, the cast-iron lockers that are built in the facades of several gatekeepers houses.

Until a few years ago, it was generally believed that these lockers used to be used to store the keys to the city gates. However, nothing is less true!
Recently, it was discovered that some of the gate keys that have been preserved are far too large for the small alleged key cabinets.
But what were they for?

Some 'Maastricht experts' went to investigate and discovered the following.
A text on one of the lockers refers to a French company that manufactured lockers in the second half of the 19th century, in which a time clock mechanism was built. In all probability, this system also served in Maastricht for the night watchmen, who recorded their control rounds on these time clocks in this way.
And this had nothing to do with the opening and closing of the city gates.
Yet another mystery unraveled!

Nature reserve Borgharen
Strolling over the bottom of the river! This is possible at Borgharen when the river Meuse is low. You can then even cross over to Belgium. If there is more water running through the river Meuse, you look higher up. That's where the walking trails are: well-worn routes of grazers and walkers. If the river Meuse rises even further, it will become swampy. But with good footwear and via the stepping stones that have been laid out here, most of the paths remain passable.
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Take a taste from Maastricht to Meerssen home, click here...