Market

The Markt is a square in the city center of Maastricht. The square derives its name from the commodity markets that have been held here for centuries. The Town Hall of Maastricht and a large number of hospitality establishments are also located on the Markt. The Markt is easily accessible by public transport.

Initially, the Markt was a much smaller square located at the northern edge of the city, adjacent to the first medieval wall. The names of a few streets adjoining the Markt, Kleine Gracht and Grote Gracht, remind us of this, as they lie on the site of the moat that ran along the city wall. At the end of the 13th century, a cloth hall with a bell tower was built against the inside of the old city wall. In the cloth hall, the cloths of the Maastricht cloth weavers, who had settled in the Boschstraatkwartier north of the Markt, were traded. With the construction of the second medieval fortification in the 14th century, the square became located more centrally in the city. The Leugenpoort, the original northern city gate, was converted into a prison in 1316 and from that point on was also called the Gevangenenpoort (Prison Gate). The old city wall ran across the square until the middle of the 17th century. South of that wall was the Saturday market, primarily designated for the sale of foodstuffs, although certain locations were reserved for shoemakers, clog makers, fur workers, rope makers, and coopers. The space outside the old city wall was intended for the trade in timber and was therefore called the Houtmarkt (Wood Market).

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