I came here for a wedding reception, and this was a quaint and romantic venue. There's even a small…read moremoat around the castle and a bridge crossing it. The courtyard was made of cobblestone and the green meadow in the background made for a very picturesque scene. One of the large rooms was reserved for dinner and dancing. The room was a pretty decent size holding at least 15 large round tables. There were convenient restrooms and a makeshift coat room. There were actually two wedding receptions happening on the same night, so it's good to know they can accommodate multiple parties. They had a good sound system as the music was blasting! There was also a relatively large parking lot with free parking! They conduct tours (with or without guides) until 5:30pm, but the ticket office closes at 4:30pm. Unfortunately, we arrived after the ticket office had closed. The castle looks like it would be interesting inside, and it would be a quick stopover on the way to somewhere else. Thanks for making the night a charming and memorable wedding reception!

This was a great find. I was looking for things to do in the area and came across this castle…read moreonline and so glad I did. It was wonderful because there was only a few people there and you can basically wander around the castle wherever you want with a book to kind of guide you. There were a couple cool audio rooms that explained more about the castle and lots of fun and games for kids. The castle is very well preserved and I can imagine being even more beautiful in the spring or summer with the mote around it. I had a great stroll around.

A very heartfelt thank you to the men and women who maintain these cemeteries and to the Dutch…read morepeople who adopt individual graves of our fallen heroes. On another cold, very wet day I once again visited. I'll probably have visited 4 to 5 times over the last 15 years on the way or leaving Maastricht where I was attending meetings. Each time I go I see new things and learn new things of the men buried there and the men and women who take care of the Cemetry. It's a beautiful place. If you can watch a uTube video on the history and the symbolism of the monuments and statues prior to going. There's free parking and restrooms available and I recommended you take the time to visit the visitor center and chat with the staff and sign the visitor's log.

An amazing 65 acre WWII American Cemetery. Its a peaceful lovely tribute to those who lost their…read morelife. My husband was in the Army and is a war vet from Saudi but he was stationed in Germany when he was young and came here years ago .. it was on his short list of to do when we were in the Netherlands. So we rented a car and spent the day getting here and back. He'd remembered it as being bigger but when each of those crosses is a life lost .. I thought it was very humbling. We went in late May one of the first warm days of the year. It's a beautifully kept and we learned that each grave is adopted by a dutch family and theirs a huge waiting list to have that honor .. that is just beautiful. It was a long drive from Amsterdam to get here but glad we came. It's very moving to walk there and see all those white crosses ... heart breaking. Visiting Hours The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except December 25 and January 1. It is open on host country holidays.

What an excellent tour in the quaint city of Maastricht. This hour long tour takes you through old…read moremines that span hundreds of kilometers long. Our guide was so knowledgeable & funny with our group. I highly recommend to do this if you find yourself in this lovely city. It is cheap too, maybe 6 euros. There's also a cute restaurant next to the caves, we didn't go there, but if we planned better, we would have. It is a nice view of the city.

The lion mill. A beautiful watermill named after the small lion in the gable. To get there, walk…read morethrough the gate.

I went to the velvet cave Christmas Market for a USO trip some time back. It was one of my first…read moreUSO trips and one of my only times in the Netherlands. The town was adorable. Small and quaint with cobble stone streets. But what towns aren't in Europe? The caves were decorated both inside and out. I think that was the coolest part. The market was small, so really the main attraction is the cave.

The Valkenburg Christmas market is held in a labyrinth of caves under the town which sounds unusual…read more& picturesque but it is not that exciting and a little disappointing. There are rather amateurish Christmas scenes of Christmas trees, Santas, elves,etc. with no flair. The theme changes every year. The stalls are unimaginative & some poorly lit. There are some Christmassy bits & pieces and traditional toys but strangely also some household goods. There is no thrill, no magic & little atmosphere. The Gemeentegrot (Municiple cave) was the original market but because of the success has now been extended to the Fluweelengrot (velvet cave) across the road. The caves were made when quarrying for the soft stone over hundreds of years. They also carve the stone into candle holders etc for souvenirs. There is an entrance fee of around £3 for these markets and the queues can be long & disorganised. The caves can get uncomfortably busy, when it isn't a case of stopping to look but to go with the flow. If you really want to shop try to visit when it is a little quieter or at least when all the coaches have gone. Tourist Board is in main square & helpful about parking. Now the town itself is sheer delight. There are masses of wonderful, picturesque restaurants, coffee shops & bars all twinkling with lights & candles. Many have tables & chairs outside, with some kind of heating, and it is lovely to sit people watching, snuggled up with hats & scarves, drinking Glühwein or hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. The food is good and the welcome warm & friendly. There are normally some animated Christmas decorations around the town.