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98-451: The Juliana Canal was constructed in the 1920s and 1930s, and opened in 1935. It was important for the development of coal mining in southern Limburg (terminated in the 1970s), since it is suited for larger ships than the older Zuid-Willemsvaart , which runs from 's-Hertogenbosch to Maastricht , partly through Belgium. The Juliana Canal runs parallel to the Meuse, at maximum 3 km east of

196-500: A city council , a mayor and a number of aldermen . The city council, a 39-member legislative body directly elected every four years, appoints the aldermen on the basis of a coalition agreement between two or more parties after each election. The mayor and aldermen make up the executive branch of the municipal government. The mayor from 2002, Gerd Leers ( CDA ), resigned in January 2010 following allegations of irregularities in

294-401: A canal became available. The Zuid-Willemsvaart was planned as a shortcut of the river Meuse between the cities of Maastricht and 's-Hertogenbosch . It shortened the distance of shipping traffic from 233 km to 122 km, but that was not a primary goal of constructing the canal. The canal was dug with little regard for connecting local communities. The problem of the Meuse river was

392-464: A cargo capacity of 600 tons, of which only 450 tons could be used due to the depth restrictions of the canal. The size limits of the canal only became problematic after World War II. In 1960 the average cargo capacity of ships on the canal was 190 ton. By 1974 this average was 325 tons. Details at Sluis 0 showed that by this time vessels of up to 200 tons were becoming obsolete. From 1968 to 1975 their number at Sluis 0 decreased by two-thirds. In 1982

490-459: A double-decked tunnel. Before 2016, the A2 motorway ran through the city; heavily congested, it caused air pollution in the urban area. Construction of a two-level tunnel designed to solve these problems started in 2011 and was opened (in stages) by December 2016. In spite of several large underground car parks, parking in the city centre forms a major problem during weekends and bank holidays because of

588-415: A far more reliable waterway. It would always have enough water and would allow easy transport upstream. On 23 February 1818 Inspector General A.F. Goudriaan got orders to design the canal from Maastricht to 's-Hertogenbosch. On 15 May 1819 he presented his design. It called for a canal of 2.1 m deep, 10 m wide at the floor and 18 m wide on the water level. Practical draught for ships would be 188 cm. On

686-411: A flood lock. It was also a double flood lock, and therefore it could be used to lift ships, which came in handy if it caused or maintained a flood. However, in normal circumstances the flood lock would be open, and therefore it was not in the numbered list of locks. When it later began to permanently function as a lock, it was named Sluis 0 , or Lock 0, because it was just downstream of Lock 1. The canal

784-477: A holiday villa project in Bulgaria owned by Leers. He was replaced by Onno Hoes , a Liberal ( VVD ), the only male mayor in the country officially married to a man. In 2013 Hoes was subject to controversy after disclosures of intimate affairs with several other men, although he remained mayor. After a new affair in 2014, Hoes eventually stepped down. From July 2015, Annemarie Penn-te Strake became mayor. She

882-451: A legend of Saint Servatius, one of the earliest works in Dutch literature . The two main churches acquired a wealth of relics and the septennial Maastricht Pilgrimage became a major event that drew up to 100,000 pilgrims. Unlike most Dutch towns, Maastricht did not receive city rights at a certain date. These gradually developed during its long history. In 1204 the city's dual authority

980-514: A major river crossing necessitated the construction of an array of fortifications around the city during this period. The Spanish and Dutch garrisons became an important factor in the city's economy. In 1579 the city was sacked by the Spanish army led by the Duke of Parma ( Siege of Maastricht, 1579 ). For over fifty years the Spanish crown took over the role previously held by the dukes of Brabant in

1078-682: A month. Since the 1980s, a number of European and international institutions have made Maastricht their base. They provide an increasing number of employment opportunities for expats living in the Maastricht area. Maastricht is known in the Netherlands and beyond for its lively squares, narrow streets, and historic buildings. The city has 1,677 national heritage buildings ( rijksmonumenten ), more than any Dutch city outside Amsterdam. In addition to that there are 3,500 locally listed buildings ( gemeentelijke monumenten ). The entire city centre

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1176-399: A river") with the later addition of Maas "Meuse" to avoid the confusion with the -trecht of Utrecht having exactly the same original form and etymology. The Latin name first appears in medieval documents and it is not known whether * Trajectu(s) was Maastricht's name during Roman times. A resident of Maastricht is referred to as Maastrichtenaar whilst in the local dialect it

1274-585: A single lock, Sluis Helmond (Lock Helmond). Also the many crossings over the new section could be constructed so high that they would not have to be opened to allow ships to pass. All this would save much time for ships, and make transport over water more competitive. Work on the Helmond detour started on 11 December 1981. By 1986 the overall project to upgrade the Zuid-Willemsvaart was delayed by financial difficulties, and budget overruns on e.g.

1372-657: Is a canal in the south of the Netherlands and the east of Belgium . The Zuid-Willemsvaart is a canal in the provinces Limburg (Netherlands) , Limburg (Belgium) , and North Brabant . Several important canals are connected to it, e.g. the Campine Canals and the Wilhelmina Canal . On its 122 km route it passes cities like Maastricht , Maasmechelen , Bree , Weert , Helmond , and 's-Hertogenbosch . Nowadays most commercial shipping activity on

1470-517: Is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands . It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg . Maastricht is located on both sides of the Meuse ( Dutch : Maas ), at the point where the river is joined by the Jeker . Mount Saint Peter ( Sint-Pietersberg ) is largely situated within the city's municipal borders. Maastricht is adjacent to the border with Belgium and

1568-485: Is a city of linguistic diversity, partly as a result of its location at the crossroads of multiple language areas and its international student population. Religions in Maastricht (2013) In 2010–2014, 69.8% of the population of Maastricht regarded themselves as religious. 60.4% of the total population stated an affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. 13.9% attended a religious ceremony at least once

1666-608: Is a conservation area ( beschermd stadsgezicht ) and largely traffic-free. The tourist information office ( VVV ) is located in the basement of Dinghuis, a late-medieval courthouse overlooking Grote Staat. Maastricht's main sights include: Furthermore, the Maastricht Exposition and Congress Centre (MECC) hosts many events throughout the year. There are several city parks and recreational areas in Maastricht: The municipal government of Maastricht consists of

1764-551: Is considered the heartland of the Carolingian dynasty . At this time, the town was an important centre for river trade and manufacturing. Merovingian coins minted in Maastricht have been found throughout Europe. In 881 the town was plundered by the Vikings . In the 10th century it briefly became the capital of the duchy of Lower Lorraine . During the 11th and 12th centuries the town flourished culturally. Several provosts of

1862-414: Is either Mestreechteneer or, colloquially, Sjeng (derived from the formerly popular French name Jean ). Neanderthal remains have been found to the west of Maastricht (Belvédère excavations). Of a later date are Palaeolithic remains, between 8,000 and 25,000 years old. Celts lived here around 500 BC, at a spot where the river Meuse was shallow and therefore easy to cross. It is not known when

1960-471: Is mentioned in ancient documents as [Ad] Treiectinsem [urbem] ab. 575, Treiectensis in 634, Triecto , Triectu in 7th century, Triiect in 768–781, Traiecto in 945, Masetrieth in 1051. The place name Maastricht is an Old Dutch compound Masa- (> Maas "the Meuse river") + Old Dutch *treiekt , itself borrowed from Gallo-Romance *TRA(I)ECTU cf. its Walloon name li trek , from Classical Latin trajectus (" ford , passage, place to cross

2058-834: Is operated by Arriva . The National Railway Company of Belgium runs south to Liège in Belgium . The westbound railway to Hasselt (Belgium) closed in 1954. The former railway to Aachen was closed down in the 1980s. However, Aachen can still be reached via Heerlen. Regular bus lines connect the city centre, outer areas, business districts and railway stations. The regional Arriva bus network extends to most parts of South Limburg and Aachen (Germany). Regional buses by De Lijn connect Maastricht with Hasselt , Tongeren and Maasmechelen , and one bus connects Maastricht with Liège , operated by TEC . Various bus companies such as Flixbus and Eurolines provide intercity bus services from Maastricht to many European destinations. Maastricht

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2156-497: Is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion , an international metropolis with a population of about 3.9 million, which includes the nearby German and Belgian cities of Aachen , Liège , and Hasselt . Maastricht developed from a Roman settlement ( Trajectum ad Mosam ) to a medieval river trade and religious centre. In the 16th century it became a garrison town and in the 19th century an early industrial centre. Today,

2254-675: Is served by the nearby Maastricht Aachen Airport ( IATA : MST , ICAO : EHBK ), in nearby Beek , and it is informally referred to by that name. The airport is located about 10 kilometres (6 miles) north of the city centre. The airport is served by Corendon Dutch Airlines and Ryanair which operate scheduled flights to destinations around the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, North-Africa and also London Stansted Airport from March 2022. There are also charter flights to Lourdes which are operated by Enter Air . Maastricht has

2352-407: The Dutch soft drug policy , individuals may buy cannabis from 'coffeeshops' under certain conditions. From the 1980s, Maastricht saw a growing influx of ' drug tourists ', mainly from neighbouring Belgium, France and Germany. The city government attempted to reduce negative side effects, including illegal sale of hard drugs in the city centre and anti-social behaviour. A 2008 proposal to relocate

2450-630: The Great Powers allocated the city to the Netherlands. However, neither the Dutch nor the Belgians agreed to this and the arrangement was not implemented until the 1839 Treaty of London . During this period of isolation Maastricht developed into an early industrial town. Because of its eccentric location in the southeastern Netherlands, as well as its geographical and cultural proximity to Belgium and Germany, integration of Maastricht and Limburg into

2548-571: The Oosterscheldekering . However, the detour was still planned to be finished in 1993. By 1988, while about 100 of the 160 million guilder cost had already been spent, the government wanted to delay the opening until 1995. In 1990 construction of the Helmond Lock started. In the end, the detour was opened on 11 December 1993. By 1988 the overall maintenance situation of the canal was problematic. Locks 2 until 13 still dated from

2646-588: The Sint Servaasbrug . Throughout the Middle Ages, the city remained a centre for trade and manufacturing principally of wool and leather but gradually economic decline set in. After a brief period of economic prosperity around 1500, the city's economy suffered during the wars of religion of the 16th and 17th centuries, and recovery did not happen until the industrial revolution in the early 19th century. The strategic location of Maastricht at

2744-535: The United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. It was made the capital of the newly formed Province of Limburg (1815–1839) . When the southern provinces of the newly formed kingdom seceded in 1830 , the Dutch garrison in Maastricht remained loyal to the Dutch king, William I , even when most of the inhabitants of the town and the surrounding area sided with the Belgian revolutionaries. In 1831, arbitration by

2842-719: The comte d'Artagnan , was killed by a musket shot outside the Tongerse Poort. This event was embellished in Alexandre Dumas' novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne , part of the D'Artagnan Romances . French troops occupied Maastricht from 1673 to 1678. In 1748 the French again conquered the city at what is known as the Second French Siege of Maastricht , during the War of Austrian Succession . After each siege

2940-415: The 1970s) that has no arch. On January 27, 2004, the canal became an international news item. During the night, one of the dikes was washed away. When a man walking on the dike suddenly saw that the path in front of him had just disappeared, he called the firefighters. In the evening, the old centre of Stein was evacuated, while massive amounts of water were only held back by sandbags. After an investigation,

3038-470: The 4th-century castrum walls and gates, have been excavated. Fragments of provincial Roman sculptures, as well as coins, jewelry, glass, pottery and other objects from Roman Maastricht are on display in the exhibition space of the city's public library ( Centre Céramique ). According to legend, the Armenian -born Saint Servatius , Bishop of Tongeren , died in Maastricht in 384 where he was interred along

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3136-518: The Grand Canal du Nord on the stretch that was part of the Zuid-Willemsvaart, and the construction or completion of some of its infrastructure. Building six locks, 10 drawbridges and a number of culverts. On 16 March 1824 a sixth part was tendered. It consisted of: Digging the basin, or city harbor in Maastricht, with a lock on the Meuse. Executing a lot of works to lead the canal through the fortification of Maastricht, including three tunnels through

3234-454: The Helmond detour, locks 10 - 13 were replaced earlier. The replacement of Lock 11 and Lock 13 by longer locks was finished in 2003. Locks 10 and 12 were replaced in 2007. The section of the canal which ran through the city center of 's-Hertogenbosch posed a serious problem for the plans to upgrade the canal. It was situated in an area with very much street traffic, and was surrounded by buildings on both sides. There were three options: Widening

3332-479: The House of Representatives this was unacceptable. Local companies had already invested about 10 million guilders to improve their facilities in anticipation of the widening, and 30 million had already been granted for Schijndel Lock from an environmental budget. Their actions proved effective. In the second half of 1990 construction of Schijndel Lock was underway. Schijndel Lock was taken into use in 1995. Even while

3430-413: The Meuse were given by the manager of the mines of SA John Cockerill . He gave an example of shipping between Liège and Venlo over the Meuse. A Meuse ship Maasschip had an empty draught of 23 cm, and had a cargo space of about 150-160 ton ( tonnage ). This meant that it could load about 100 wagonloads of coal. With 100 wagonloads of coal on board, the Meuse ship had a draught of 110–120 cm. If

3528-409: The Meuse. In Helmond the canal had been dug just west of the town's center. In 1957 20,000 vessels passed Sluis 7 (Lock 7) and the center of Helmond. By 1960, motorized road traffic had quadrupled in ten years. It caused chaos near the bridges over the canal. These had to be opened often, and were anyhow unsuitable for the increased traffic. Rijkswaterstaat then made a plan to create a new course for

3626-474: The Netherlands did not come about easily. Maastricht retained a distinctly non-Dutch appearance during much of the 19th century and it was not until the First World War that the city was forced to look northwards. Like the rest of the Netherlands, Maastricht remained neutral during World War I. However, being wedged between Germany and Belgium, it received large numbers of refugees, putting a strain on

3724-495: The Roman road, outside the castrum. According to Gregory of Tours it was bishop Monulph who around 570 built the first stone church on the grave of Servatius, a precursor of the present-day Basilica of Saint Servatius . The city remained an early Christian diocese until it lost the distinction to nearby Liège in the 8th or 9th century. In the early Middle Ages Maastricht, along with Aachen and Liège , formed part of what

3822-463: The Romans arrived in Maastricht, nor whether the settlement was founded by them. The Romans built a bridge across the Meuse in the 1st century AD, during the reign of Augustus Caesar . The bridge was an important link in the main road between Bavay and Cologne . Roman Maastricht was relatively small. Remains of the Roman road, the bridge, a religious shrine, a Roman bath , a granary , some houses and

3920-481: The Wilhelmina Canal, and then returned. Furthermore, not much cargo was loaded along the Zuid-Willemsvaart. As regards the future of transport on the canal, the conclusion was that Water transport had successfully maintained its position against increased competition by road transport . This had been done by increasing productivity, i.e. ship size and engine power. A clear limit to a further increase were

4018-449: The Zuid-Willemsvaart, but the relation is only in the suitability of the drainage basin of the Aa for digging most of the Zuid-Willemsvaart. When the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was founded in 1815, its commercial center was formed by the harbors in the west, but its industrial center was near Liège . Communication between the two over the Meuse was difficult until the funds to create

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4116-484: The allied forces where chasing after the retreating Germans, they were also stopped by the canal, as the Germans blew up all the bridges. After the war, almost all of the old steel arch bridges were repaired. The bridge of Elsloo, standing higher above the canal and being much longer than the other bridges, could not be replaced until the 1960s. Today, it's the only bridge (except the highway bridge to Belgium, built in

4214-464: The canal east of Helmond. The detour was about as long as the previous course, and though it was planned to start north of lock 9, in the end it would start south of it. The Helmond detour would be constructed first. It would lead to the strange situation that for many years the Helmond detour was the widest part of the canal, but was unreachable for larger vessels. The logic was that the existing section through Helmond could not be upgraded, and solving

4312-560: The canal is built between a steep hill on one side, and the river Meuse on the other side, only 50 metres away. Here, archeologists found many teeth, dating back to the Miocene . Unlike a normal canal, the Juliana Canal was not completely dug. Because of the difference in height, the canal couldn't be built in the ground, so the constructors made huge dikes . The height of the dike can vary from none to almost 50 metres. The bottom of

4410-461: The canal is local. Previous to the construction of the Zuid-Willemsvaart, there were many plans for making a canal from 's-Hertogenbosch towards the Belgian border. Most of these centered on canalizing the Aa , the stream bed of which is closely followed by the Zuid-Willemsvaart for most of its route. The geographical proximity to the Aa indicates a relation between these older plans and the construction of

4508-404: The canal up to Veghel. In 2014 the situation south of Veghel was that Lock 4, 5 and 6 were suitable for CEMT class IV, but the canal itself was not. Now a different solution came up, which consisted of up to 110 m long combinations. One was the pusher (boat) with two inline barges before it. The other the koppelverband of two class II ships, which could transport 900 tons, instead of

4606-463: The canal was then covered with a thick layer of rocks, coming from the river Meuse . In World War II , the canal had an important strategic role. In 1940, it stopped the German troops invading Flanders. This gave the Belgians more time to mobilize their army and strengthen their defence lines. When the Netherlands surrendered, the Germans built a lot of bunkers on both sides of the canal. In 1944, when

4704-495: The canal, but could not sail the Meuse upwards of Venlo. However, it is reasonable to suppose that in time, shipping lines designed ships that could take maximum advantage of the canal. In 1858 a statement about shipping on the canal said that two-thirds of the ships on the canal were smaller than 130-150 ton, and were drawn by one horse. One third was larger than 150 ton, and was mostly drawn by two horses. Finally, there were 5 or 6 ships of 300-400 ton, drawn by three horses. Perhaps

4802-496: The canal. A passing ship was reported to have lost an hour using the lock, because its skipper had to be so careful. In October 1982 the government decided to widen the Zuid-Willemsvaart up to NederWeert, the Wessem Nederweert Canal, and the Wilhelmina Canal between Son and Tilburg to CEMT class IV. A 1985 plan to realize this gave priority to the replacement of Locks 2 and 3 by a new lock near Schijndel. This

4900-462: The cargo capacity of the Meuse ship of the example at about 80,000 kg, or 80 tonnes (100*800). The example ship is in line with the statement that ships on the Meuse measured 40-200 ton with a draught of 94–188 cm, with the biggest rarely sailing further upstream than Venlo. An example that shows the importance of transport cost for coal, dates from 1862. In Gent 1,000 kg of Belgian coal then cost 24 francs including transport. Ruhr coal

4998-451: The cause was found. An 80-year-old water supply line , which had not been in use anymore and was forgotten, but which was still under pressure, started to leak, causing the dike to erode from the inside out. 51°0′51″N 5°47′1″E  /  51.01417°N 5.78361°E  / 51.01417; 5.78361 Zuid-Willemsvaart The Zuid-Willemsvaart ( Dutch: [zœytˈʋɪləmsfaːrt] ; translated: South William's Canal )

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5096-476: The chapter of Saint Servatius held important positions in the Holy Roman Empire . The two collegiate churches were largely rebuilt and redecorated during this era. Maastricht Romanesque stone sculpture and silversmithing are regarded as highlights of Mosan art . Maastricht painters were praised by Wolfram von Eschenbach in his Parzival . Around the same time, the poet Henric van Veldeke wrote

5194-440: The city because French supply lines were being threatened. During this siege, Vauban , the famous French military engineer, developed a new tactic in order to break down the strong fortifications surrounding Maastricht. His systematic approach remained the standard method of attacking fortresses until the 20th century. On 25 June 1673, while preparing to storm the city, captain-lieutenant Charles de Batz de Castelmore , also known as

5292-468: The city is a thriving cultural and regional hub. It became well known through the Maastricht Treaty and as the birthplace of the euro . Maastricht has 1,677 national heritage buildings ( rijksmonumenten ), the second highest number in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam . The city is visited by tourists for shopping and recreation, and has a large international student population. Maastricht

5390-613: The city of Maastricht in the course of the 20th century. The outlying areas of the following municipalities are bordering the municipality of Maastricht directly. Clockwise from north-east to north-west: (B = Situated in Belgium) Maastricht's city limits has an international border with Belgium. Most of it borders Belgium's Flemish region, but a small part to the south also has a border with Wallonia . Both countries are part of Europe's Schengen Area and, thus, are open without border controls. Maastricht features

5488-643: The city's fortifications were restored and expanded. The French revolutionary army failed to take the city in 1793 but a year later they succeeded. The condominium was dissolved and Maastricht was annexed to the French First Republic , later the First French Empire . For almost twenty years (1795–1814/15) Maastricht was the capital of the French département of Meuse-Inférieure . After the Napoleonic era , Maastricht became part of

5586-746: The city's resources. Early in World War II , the city was taken by the Germans by surprise during the Battle of Maastricht of May 1940. On 13 and 14 September 1944 it was the first Dutch city to be liberated by Allied forces of the US Old Hickory Division . The three Meuse bridges were destroyed or severely damaged during the war. As elsewhere in the Netherlands, the majority of Maastricht Jews died in Nazi concentration camps . During

5684-654: The coffeeshops to the outskirts of the city was opposed by neighbouring municipalities (some in Belgium) and by the Dutch and Belgian parliaments. In December 2010, a Maastricht law to restrict entry to coffeeshops to local residents was upheld by the Court of Justice of the European Union , with the Dutch government introducing a similar national law in 2012. The new system led to a reduction in drug tourism in Maastricht's cannabis shops, but an increase in drug dealing on

5782-436: The construction time of the canal, and looked extremely bad. Most of the lock chambers were kept together by metal sheeting to diminish the risk of collapse. A risk analysis showed increased wear and tear of the locks, and more collisions, because ships had become so much larger and used ever stronger engines. The situation was most serious at Lock 3, just east of where the current road between Schijndel and Heeswijk crosses

5880-616: The creation of the European Union and the euro . Since 1988, The European Fine Art Fair , regarded as the world's leading art fair, annually draws in some of the wealthiest art collectors. Since the 1990s, large parts of the city have been refurbished, including the areas around the main railway station and the Maasboulevard promenade along the Meuse, the Entre Deux and Mosae Forum shopping centres, as well as some of

5978-409: The early 1960s there were plans to upgrade the canal. There was no intention to execute these plans on short notice, but some aspects were determined in order to ease later implementation. In 1974 an overview of traffic on the canal was made by collecting shipping data of Sluis 0 in 's-Hertogenbosch, and of Sluis 13, somewhat south of Someren , near Limburg. Overall, it showed that from 1960 to 1974

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6076-559: The early 2000s, Maastricht launched several campaigns against drug-dealing in an attempt to stop foreign buyers taking advantage of the liberal Dutch legislation and causing trouble in the downtown area. Maastricht consists of seven areas ( wijken ) and 44 neighbourhoods ( buurten ). Each area and neighbourhood has a number which corresponds to its CBS code. Itteren, Borgharen, Limmel, Amby, Heer, Heugem, Scharn, Oud-Caberg, Sint Pieter and Wolder are neighbourhoods that used to be separate municipalities or villages until they were annexed by

6174-515: The existing section; digging a detour around the city; and upgrading the Wilhelmina Canal. The latter runs from the Meuse through Oosterhout and Tilburg to a point just north of Helmond, where it meets the northern end of the Helmond detour. In the end it was decided to dig a detour around 's-Hertogenbosch. Construction of the Máxima Canal started in 2007, and was completed in 2014. In the mid-nineteenth century some calculations for shipping on

6272-561: The first barge with a Belgian flag arrived in Helmond from Liège. It was loaded with iron goods and roof shingles . In 1841 over 4,000 ships and barges passed the canal. In 1846 the Eindhovensch Kanaal was opened. It connected Eindhoven to the canal just below Helmond. In the 1850s irrigation works in the Belgian Campine and surroundings dramatically increased the flow of water to the Zuid-Willemsvaart. This led to

6370-436: The first stretch between Maastricht and the lock at Hocht, this draught would later be only 157 cm in case of draught. The canal would have 19 locks. Each with a passage width of 7 m and a length of at least 50 m. In this perspective, the naming of the canal after King William I of the Netherlands on 11 November 1822 is justified. "South" was added to avoid confusion with two other canals commissioned by and named after

6468-487: The government decided to widen the Zuid-Willemsvaart up to NederWeert, and the connecting Wessem Nederweert Canal to CEMT class IV. Helmond Lock was opened in 1993, and Schijndel Lock was taken into use in 1995. Schijndel Lock has a lock chamber with useful dimensions of 110 * 12.50 m. Normal depth at the lower gate is 3.80 m. These first steps had little effect. Near the Meuse Engelen Lock limited

6566-492: The important section up to Veghel was getting upgraded to Class IV, plans for the central section between Veghel and Nederweert again came under discussion. in 1997 plans were made that would upgrade this section, which included the Helmond detour, to class III instead of class IV. In the end Sluis 4, 5 and 6 would get the same size lock chamber as Schijndel Lock, i.e. 110 * 12.6 m. Normal depth would be 3.5 m. Construction of these three locks started in 2008. Upstream of

6664-556: The joint sovereignty over Maastricht. In 1632 the city was conquered by Prince Frederick Henry of Orange and the Dutch States General replaced the Spanish crown in the joint government of Maastricht. There was an attempt in 1634 of Spanish forces to recapture the city , but to no avail. Another Siege of Maastricht (1673) took place during the Franco-Dutch War . In June 1673, Louis XIV laid siege to

6762-572: The junction, and a lock was built at the western end of the Noordervaart. The new lock 15 bridged a rise of 4.85 m. Lock 16, southwest of Weert was renovated. Both locks got an increased passage width of 7.50 m instead of 7 m. The cill of the locks was laid deeper, at 2.50 m below canal level. In 1964 there was more traffic on the Wessem-Nederweert Canal than on any part of the Zuid-Willemsvaart. Already in

6860-635: The king: the Willemskanaal near Zwolle and the Noord-Willemskanaal in Groningen province. The naming happened on 11 November 1822, when the first stone of the constructions on the canal (locks, bridges etc.) was laid in 's-Hertogenbosch at Lock 1 Sluis 1 . This was done by the governor of Limburg. The first part of the canal that was constructed, was the part from 's-Hertogenbosch to Veghel, and from there to Helmond. This part

6958-682: The large numbers of visitors. Parking fees are deliberately high to encourage visitors to use public transport or park and ride facilities away from the centre. Maastricht is served by three rail operators, all of which call at the main Maastricht railway station near the centre and two of which call at the smaller Maastricht Randwyck , near the business and university district. Only Arriva also calls at Maastricht Noord , which opened in 2013. Intercity trains northwards to Amsterdam , Eindhoven , Den Bosch and Utrecht are operated by Dutch Railways . The line to Heerlen , Valkenburg and Kerkrade

7056-414: The latter half of the century, traditional industries (such as Maastricht's potteries ) declined and the city's economy shifted to a service economy . Maastricht University was founded in 1976. Several European institutions found their base in Maastricht. In 1981 and 1991 European Councils were held in Maastricht, the latter one resulting a year later in the signing of the Maastricht Treaty , leading to

7154-484: The length of ships to 90 m. In 's-Hertogenbosch Sluis 0 , still had the original passage width of only 6.8 m, and a depth of 2.1 m. For the moment, the advantage of these works was therefore limited to a substantial increase in allowed length, and a small increase in the allowed draft, of ships using the canal. The opening of the Máxima Canal in December 2014, actually allowed ships of CEMT class IV to use

7252-581: The main shopping streets. A prestigious quarter designed by international architects and including the new Bonnefanten Museum , a public library, and a theatre was built on the grounds of the former Société Céramique factory near the town centre. Further large-scale projects, such as the redevelopment of the area around the A2 motorway , the Sphinx Quarter and the Belvédère area are under construction. In

7350-406: The number and size of the original locks, and the small width (profile) of the canal. In 1975 the idea was that after modernization, the average size of vessels would double in twenty years. Transport speed would be increased by replacing the many old locks with a limited number of large modern locks. All this would lower transport cost, and again make the Zuid-Willemsvaart suitable as a shortcut of

7448-417: The number of ships had decreased, while the total amount of cargo had remained the same. At Sluis 0, almost all upstream vessels were loaded. By 1974 the vast majority unloaded at Veghel, some continued to Helmond, and only a tiny fraction continued further upstream with cargo. At Sluis 0 downstream cargo had decreased from about 5,000 vessels in 1960 to only a few hundred loaded vessels in 1974. At Sluis 13

7546-579: The population had taken place. At 10 o'clock in the evening the ball for the upper class started. It featured loaded tables, and continued until the early morning. The canal created new possibilities for development of the poor towns on the sandy grounds of North Brabant. In Helmond a textile manufacturing industry was developed. In Veghel the harbor attracted several industries. In Weert many fir were planted after transport to Maastricht and Liège became feasible. In many villages of North-Brabant it also became profitable to rear cattle for customers outside

7644-838: The previous 450 tons maximum. With only a few changes the canal up to the crossing with the Wilhelmina Canal was made suitable for these kind of ships. The same changes were applied westward to the Wilhelmina canal up to the Beatrix Canal, and to the Beatrix Canal itself. 50°52′N 5°41′E  /  50.867°N 5.683°E  / 50.867; 5.683 Maastricht Maastricht ( / ˈ m ɑː s t r ɪ x t / MAH -strikht , US also / m ɑː ˈ s t r ɪ x t / mah- STRIKHT , Dutch: [maːˈstrɪxt] ; Limburgish : Mestreech [məˈstʀeːx] ; French : Maestricht (archaic) ; Spanish : Mastrique (archaic) )

7742-453: The province. One of the first activities on the canal was a regular service for passengers and freight between 's-Hertogenbosch and Maastricht. The journey took two days, with an overnight stay in Weert. The secession of the southern portion of the country in 1830 created an unexpected situation: the canal was closed for cross-border traffic. It led to a prolonged closure, but on 22 June 1839

7840-477: The relatively big height difference upwards of Venlo. This was 34 cm/km, or three times that of the Rhine near Emmerich. It caused that in summer there was often too little water in the Meuse for shipping. And in the winter there was often so much water that navigation became dangerous. Towing ships or barges upriver was difficult in all seasons. A canal that cut corners and went through a more flat terrain would be

7938-464: The reverse was true. Here almost all vessels heading north were loaded. Most went to the Wilhelmina Canal and only some to Veghel. At Sluis 13 most of the upstream vessels were empty. The overview showed that not many ships travelled the entire canal. Most of them went from the Meuse near 's-Hertogenbosch to Veghel or Helmond and then returned. A smaller amount came from the Meuse in Limburg, sailed to

8036-417: The river. Between Maasbracht and Maastricht, the canal gains approximately 25 m of elevation. There are locks at Limmel (near Maastricht), Born , and Maasbracht. Until 1965, there used to be another lock near Roosteren . When the locks of Born and Maasbracht were modernized, these became unnecessary and were destroyed. There are ports at Maastricht, Stein , Born and Maasbracht. The port at Stein used to be

8134-438: The road between Someren and Asten to the provincial boundary between North Brabant and Limburg. It was tendered on 25 February 1824, together with 6 locks between Helmond and the provincial boundary as well as a drawbridge and culverts. On 2 March 1824 the fifth part was tendered. This consisted of: Digging the canal from the provincial boundary to its junction with the former Noorderkanaal, or Grand Canal du Nord. The renovation of

8232-420: The road traffic problem in Helmond could not be postponed as long as the general upgrade of the canal. Therefore, the decision about the Helmond detour was taken while the options for other parts of the canal remained open In May 1971 the route of the detour was determined. Other considerations to construct the detour were that it would bypass Locks 7, 8 and 9. Technological advances allowed their replacement by

8330-463: The same climate as most of the Netherlands ( Cfb , Oceanic climate ), however, due to its more inland location in between hills, summers tend to be warmer (especially in the Meuse valley, which lies 70 m [230 ft] lower than the meteorological station) and winters a bit colder, although the difference is only noticeable on just a few days a year. The highest temperature recorded was on 25 July 2019 at 39.6 °C (103.3 °F). Maastricht

8428-635: The second large inland port in Europe, after Duisburg in Germany . This was because of the Dutch State Mines (DSM). All the coal mines the Netherlands had were in this area. Today, DSM still owns a part of the port. During the construction of the canal, several challenges had to be overcome. Near Elsloo, the builders had to dig deep into a steep hill, called the Scharberg. At this section,

8526-409: The streets. A 2018 Maastricht University study showed a substantial decline in drug nuisance since 2012, although criminal drug networks had grown due to police budget cuts. Maastricht is served by the A2 and A79 motorways. The city can be reached from Brussels and Cologne in approximately one hour and from Amsterdam in about two and a half hours. The A2 motorway runs through Maastricht in

8624-434: The up to 150 ton ships were built to the old model, while the over 150 and over 300 ton ships had been built for use on the canal. Nothing much was done to modernize the canal after it had been constructed. Some changes were made to the locks, but their maximum passage width remained the same. In 1975 the canal was suitable for ships of CEMT class II, but with a maximum draft of only 1.90 m. This translated to ships with

8722-410: The walls, and towards the basin. On 14 September 1825 the construction of the canal through 's-Hertogenbosch was tendered. This also included the construction of three bridges inside the city. A flood lock was planned on the eastern city walls. It had the peculiar characteristic of being mainly planned to cause or maintain a flood, instead of preventing it. However, the technique was the same as that of

8820-485: The water actually flowing over the lock doors of the canal. In the 1920s the Wessem-Nederweert Canal was constructed. It starts at the Meuse near Wessem, and connects to the Zuid-Willemsvaart just south of Nederweert, where the Zuid-Willemsvaart makes a 90 degree turn to the southwest. During construction, lock 14 and lock 15, north of the junction were demolished. A new Lock 15 was built just west of

8918-465: The water was only three feet deep, the ship could only carry 75 wagonloads. With 20 inch (57.5 cm) of water the ship could carry only 45 wagonloads. Therefore, a lower water level could raise the cargo price from 7.30 to 16.30 Belgian francs per wagonload. A wagonload of coal might be estimated at 800 kg. One wagonload contained 10-12 muds of coal. A mud of coal was 100 liter, weighing about 72 kg, so 11*72~800. This also allows to compute

9016-512: Was an independent serving no political party, although her husband was a former chairman of the Maastricht Seniorenpartij. She had served in the Dutch judicial system for many years, and during her tenure as mayor she still served as attorney general. In July 2023 Wim Hillenaar (CDA) took over as mayor. One controversial issue which dominated Maastricht politics for many years was the city's approach to soft drugs. Under

9114-534: Was cheaper at 20 francs. It was bought for 6 francs at the Ruhr, and transported to Gent via the Rhine, Dordrecht and the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal for 13-14 francs. The maximum size of ships that could navigate the Zuid-Willemsvaart was said to be bigger than that of a Meuse ship. For some time this was probably a general statement, indicating that in normal circumstances, ships of 188 cm draught could use

9212-405: Was formalised in a treaty, with the prince-bishop of Liège and the duke of Brabant holding joint sovereignty over the city. Soon afterwards the first ring of medieval walls were built. In 1275, the old Roman bridge collapsed under the weight of a procession, allegedly killing 400 people. A replacement bridge, funded by church indulgences , was built slightly to the north and survives until today,

9310-464: Was motivated by the bad condition of all the old locks, and the severe damage that would result if the busy section between 's-Hertogenbosch and Veghel would be blocked by a failure of these locks. In 1986 the plan was postponed. In February 1990 minister Hanja Maij-Weggen planned to use the funding allotted for the canal to build the Maeslantkering instead. For North-Brabant province and

9408-514: Was offered in two lots, and was tendered together with three locks on the already dug out stretch between Veghel and Helmond, and the drawbridges and culverts on that stretch. Also in 1823, a third part was tendered on 25 March. It was tendered in two lots and consisted of the already present waterway below Smeermaas , through the Caberg to the fortress of Maastricht. In 1824 a fourth, fifth and sixth part were tendered. The fourth part stretched from

9506-407: Was opened in Maastricht on 24 August 1826. The opening was done by the governor of Limburg. After a speech, the dignitaries sailed down the canal to Smeermaas and disembarked near Hocht. They then continued to Pietersheim Manor ( Kasteel Pietersheim ) by carriage. After a splendid dinner the company arrived back in the basin of Maastricht near 8 o'clock in the evening. Meanwhile, many festivities for

9604-400: Was tendered on 10 April 1822. The digging was offered in six lots. Between 's-Hertogenbosch and Veghel it was to have three or four locks and a number of drawbridges and culverts . In November 1822 the construction of Lock 1 in 's-Hertogenbosch was started (cf. above). The second part ran from Helmond to a point on the road between Someren and Asten . On 19 March 1823 digging this stretch

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