Marres Center, Maastricht
Nestled in a grand 17th-century mansion in the heart of Maastricht, Marres, House for Contemporary Culture is more than just an art center-it’s an immersive cultural experience. Established in 1999, Marres has become a vibrant hub for contemporary art, design, philosophy, and education, offering a dynamic mix of exhibitions, performances, lectures, and workshops.
What sets Marres apart is its approach to art as a sensory journey. Exhibitions don’t simply hang on walls; they spill into stairwells, hallways, and even the lush city garden, transforming the historic house into a landscape of shifting perspectives. Marres' Training The Senses series blurs the boundaries between art and science, while the Currents program gives emerging artists a platform to grow.
Beyond its exhibitions, Marres boasts a specialty bookshop filled with treasures in art, fashion, design, and photography. Meanwhile, Marres Kitchen serves up Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors, offering visitors yet another way to engage the senses.
The mansion itself carries centuries of history, originally built in 1680 for Maastricht’s mayor and later home to the Marres brewing family for three generations. Today, it’s a sanctuary where contemporary culture meets heritage, inviting visitors to slow down, explore, and engage in the unexpected.
What sets Marres apart is its approach to art as a sensory journey. Exhibitions don’t simply hang on walls; they spill into stairwells, hallways, and even the lush city garden, transforming the historic house into a landscape of shifting perspectives. Marres' Training The Senses series blurs the boundaries between art and science, while the Currents program gives emerging artists a platform to grow.
Beyond its exhibitions, Marres boasts a specialty bookshop filled with treasures in art, fashion, design, and photography. Meanwhile, Marres Kitchen serves up Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors, offering visitors yet another way to engage the senses.
The mansion itself carries centuries of history, originally built in 1680 for Maastricht’s mayor and later home to the Marres brewing family for three generations. Today, it’s a sanctuary where contemporary culture meets heritage, inviting visitors to slow down, explore, and engage in the unexpected.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Maastricht. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Marres Center on Map
Sight Name: Marres Center
Sight Location: Maastricht, Netherlands (See walking tours in Maastricht)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Sight Location: Maastricht, Netherlands (See walking tours in Maastricht)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Walking Tours in Maastricht, Netherlands
Create Your Own Walk in Maastricht
Creating your own self-guided walk in Maastricht is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Statues and Monuments Tour
The citizens of Maastricht are reputed to be spiritual and have a good sense of humor. Their attitude towards life, as well as their customs and traditions, are vividly reflected in the numerous statues and monuments scattered throughout the city.
Among these is the Statue of Jan Pieter Minckeleers, commemorating the local inventor of gas lighting. Another notable figure is the Mooswief, also... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Among these is the Statue of Jan Pieter Minckeleers, commemorating the local inventor of gas lighting. Another notable figure is the Mooswief, also... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Maastricht's Historical Buildings Walking Tour
Founded by the Romans some 2,000 years ago, the charming city of Maastricht is one of the oldest in the Netherlands. Its long history is manifested in numerous remnants, including religious and secular buildings of any form. Over the course of the centuries, Maastricht has garnered a wealth of architecture, featuring a variety of styles: Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque and Renaissance.
Cultural... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Cultural... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Maastricht Ancient Fortification Sites
As a key meeting point for European cultures and trading routes, Maastricht for millennia had been the site of many battles. Once known as the "Bulwark of the Netherlands", the city earned its reputation thanks to the impenetrable defenses that lasted through multiple attacks on its strategic position.
The very first fortifications in Maastricht appeared around the 1200s. Some of them... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
The very first fortifications in Maastricht appeared around the 1200s. Some of them... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles
Maastricht Introduction Walking Tour
Maastricht is an ancient city known for its rich history, medieval architecture, and vibrant cultural scene.
In the first century AD, the Romans built a bridge across the Meuse river. A settlement grew near the bridge. Maastricht's name means "a place to cross the Meuse river". Today, a pillar marks this location of the original Roman bridge.
The Roman settlement was small,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
In the first century AD, the Romans built a bridge across the Meuse river. A settlement grew near the bridge. Maastricht's name means "a place to cross the Meuse river". Today, a pillar marks this location of the original Roman bridge.
The Roman settlement was small,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles