I'm going to start with a little bit of history about Maastricht. Maastricht is unique in that it is the birthplace of the European Union, which means there are a lot of different cultural influences that make up this city. In essence, Maastricht is a cultural mashup of European and Asian influences.
Maastricht is defined by its river, called "the Maas" in Dutch, but the river Meuse in English. Since the establishment of the city, the river has been a central spot because, at the time, it was very shallow so it was easy to cross. Going over the river is the Sint Servaasbrug Bridge, which serves as the connection between the two parts of the river. Maastricht is so special because it is a small urban city, but if you travel 15 to 20 minutes outside the city, you are surrounded by farmland.
The biggest part of this environment that helps people to live here is the location of the Maastricht borders. Maastricht borders Belgium on the west side and is less than a 30-minute drive from the German border as well.
