Maastricht

Maastricht ( (southern Dutch) or (northern); Limburgish (incl. Maastrichtian) Mestreech ; French Maëstricht (archaic); Spanish Mastrique (archaic)) is a city in the Netherlands. It is located in the southern part of the Dutch province of Limburg, of which it is the capital.

Maastricht developed from a Roman settlement to a religious centre, a garrison city and an early industrial city. Nowadays, it is known as a city of history, culture, local folklore and education. Furthermore, it has become known, by way of the Maastricht Treaty, as the birthplace of the European Union, European citizenship, and the single European currency, the euro. The town is popular with tourists for shopping and recreation, and has a large growing international student population. Maastricht is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.