Maaseik: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 69 - 180 Kasteel Wurfeld
 Kasteel Wurfeld is a castle hotel situated in 2.5 hectares of beautiful gardens just 2 km from Maaseik and its attractive market square.
The buildin… MoreEUR 89 - 165 Hotel Van Eyck
 Hotel Van Eyk is a historic 4-star hotel, situated on the central square of Maaseik. Feel like a V.I.P. in the luxurious rooms and have an extensive b… MoreEUR 75 - 92 Hotel Oud Maaseik
 Hotel Oud Maaseik is just 400 metres away from the lively restaurant and bar area at Maaseik market square. It offers neat rooms with free Wi-Fi and f… MoreEUR 75 - 95 Hostellerie Lux
 Hotellerie Lux offers spacious and comfortable rooms a 10-minute drive from the centre of Maaseik. There is a cosy terrace for summer days.
Lux has a… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maaseik: Guide
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Maaseik is a Municipalities in Belgium|municipality located in the Belgium|Belgian Provinces of Belgium|province of Limburg (Belgium)|Limburg. The city is located on the river Meuse River|Meuse, bordering the Netherlands. The Maaseik municipality includes the town of Maaseik proper and the old communes of Neeroeteren and Opoeteren.
History
Religious origins
The history of Maaseik begins as Aldeneik (“old oak”) around 700, when Adelard, a local Frankish personality, built a Benedictine monastery along the Meuse. His two daughters, Herlindis of Maaseik|Herlindis and Relindis of Maaseik|Relindis, both became abbesses of the monastery and eventually became saints. The religious center of Aldeneik soon became the focal point of a small community. The monastery suffered heavy destruction by the Normans in the 9th century. Around 950, emperor Otto I gave the monastery to the Bishopric of Liège|Bishop of Liège, who delegated the administrative tasks to a local chapter (religion)|chapter of canon (priest)|canons.
Middle Ages
Just a few kilometers south-west of Aldeneik, a new community started to grow, which became a separate parish in 1244. This community was known as Nieuw-Eyck (“new oak”) and eventually Maaseik. As a strategic location for the County of Loon to which it belonged, the city surrounded itself with defensive walls and ditches. These fortifications were dismantled by Charles the Bold in 1467, after an uprising of the city burghers against the Prince-Bishop of Liège.
16th century until now
The walls were built again in the 16th century and strengthened by Vauban in the following century. After the France|French retreat in 1675, however, the military installations were gradually taken down. Today, only the names of the old city gates survive (e.g., Bospoort, Maaspoort). The 16th and beginning of the 17th century were economically profitable to Maaseik thanks to its advantageous location between Liège and the sea. The commercial activity remained strong until the second half of the 17th century, when the regional power of Liège started to fade. The fire that destroyed a third of the city in 1684 accelerated the decline. During all that time, Maaseik was still a dependence of the chapter of canons in Aldeneik. Just before the French Revolution, no less than six religious orders were still present in the city.
The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century seems to have bypassed Maaseik. The city centre still retained its architectural unity until World War I. Today, the city is mostly a regional centre offering shopping, educational, and medical services to the surrounding communities.
Sights
The Sint-Catharinakerk houses the oldest 7th or 8th century.
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Maaseik". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
The main market square features a statue of the city’s most famous sons, Jan van Eyck|Jan and Hubert van Eyck. A permanent exhibition on their work can be seen at the nearby Franciscan cloister, which also houses a scale model of the city as it was in 1672.
The Museactron includes a regional archaeological museum, a pharmacy museum, and a bakery museum.
Twelve of the original sixteen watermills around the city are in very good shape and still make flour or saw wood.Famous inhabitants
Herlindis of Maaseik|Saint Herlindis, abbess and saint (d. 745)
Relindis of Maaseik|Saint Relindis, sister of Herlindis, abbess and saint (d. 750)
Jan van Eyck|Jan and Hubert van Eyck, painters, thought to be born in Maaseik (c. 1385-1441 and c. 1366-1426, respectively)
Vital Borkelmans, football (soccer)|football fullback (b. 1963)
Kristof Vliegen, tennis player (b. 1982)Twin cities
: Wegberg
: Echt-Susteren, across the Meuse RiverSee also
Islamic_dress_controversy_in_Europe#Belgium|Islamic dress controversy in EuropeExternal links
- Only available in Dutch language|Dutch
- Maaseik.com