The best time to visit Maastricht

Pick the month by what is happening on the Vrijthof, because the weather will not decide for you. Maastricht is mild and damp all year, with between 10 and 16 rainy days in every month. The real difference between February and June is the street, which is either full of carnival or a quiet Dutch town. Three stretches change it: carnival in February, the Preuvenemint at the end of August and Magisch Maastricht before Christmas.

December is the easy sell, though it is also one of the wettest months, with 16 rainy days. Magisch Maastricht fills the Vrijthof for about 30 days, from the end of November to 27 December, with an enclosed ice rink and a panoramic wheel 45 m high with glass cabins. January is the coldest month, at a mean daily 3.6 °C, so dress for damp cold. Pack a hood.

Carnival is the reason to come in February, and it is run like a small change of government. The season opens on 11 November, and on the Saturday before the three days the mayor hands the prince the key to the city at 15.11, which gives him symbolic power until Tuesday. It runs from Sunday to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, in February. The Boonte Störrem parade goes on Sunday, and most of the music is played in the street. The caves under the city stay at about 10 °C all year, so bring a jacket in August too.

Story from the roadMagisch Maastricht on the Vrijthof, from the ice rink to the Ferris wheel:Maastricht Christmas market: Magisch Maastricht on the Vrijthof →

Getting aroundCarnival and Christmas both pack the centre, so the page on getting around explains why the train and the P+R at Noord make more sense than a car.Getting around Maastricht →

March belongs to TEFAF, the art and antiques fair held in the MECC. It opens to the public for about six days in mid-March, with two earlier days by invitation only. The dates move from year to year, so look up yours before booking a bed.

April and May bring 13 and 14 rainy days, which sounds like a lot until June arrives with 10, the fewest of any month. June wins for a first visit, at a mean daily 18.2 °C, and it is the month the table above is built around, so use it as the baseline when you compare the other months.

In July André Rieu plays on the Vrijthof, and the square that is a terrace the rest of the year becomes a concert hall without a roof. Tickets are the part to sort out early.

August is the warmest month, at a mean daily 18.9 °C, but it is also one of the wettest, with 16 rainy days. On the last weekend of the month, from Thursday to Sunday, the 't Preuvenemint takes over the Vrijthof with more than 30 stalls, and entry is free. You pay with the PreuveneCard, bought online or at the cash desk, so loading it is the first job before you eat.

FoodThe page on food explains what to order at the stalls and which bakeries sell the local pie.What to eat in Maastricht →

Autumn is the wet one. September has 12 rainy days, October 14 and November 16, and its best day is a small one. The Day of the Vlaai falls on 25 October, a date set in 2017, and the bakeries are where it happens, so a slice of Limburg pie is the whole programme. The calendar closes where it began.

Getting aroundGetting into town in the busy weeks is easiest by train, and the page on getting around shows the routes.Getting around Maastricht →

FoodWhatever the month, the page on food covers the vlaai and the fries that go with it.What to eat in Maastricht →

Where to stayWhere to sleep during carnival and TEFAF is on the page about where to stay.Where to stay in Maastricht →

Day tripsWhat to do beyond the city, from Valkenburg to Liège, is on the day trips page.Day trips from Maastricht →