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St John's Church, Maastricht

St John's Church, Maastricht

Highlight • Religious Site

St John's Church, Maastricht

Recommended by 73 hikers out of 78

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Location: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands

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Best Hikes to St John's Church, Maastricht

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1. House on the Jeker – Vrijthof Square loop from Mariaberg

5.65km

01:28

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Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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4.5

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2. Sint Servaas Bridge – St John's Church, Maastricht loop from Maastricht

7.02km

01:49

40m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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4.7

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3. Sint Servaas Bridge – Vrijthof Square loop from Maastricht

8.15km

02:07

50m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Tips

April 16, 2025

The marl would not (only) have been coloured for protection but to give the Sint-Janskerk church the allure of the more expensive sandstone. This is also the case with the Cellebroederskapel where this fact is explicitly mentioned, see cellebroederskapel.nl/geschiedenis-cellebroeders-kloosterkapel-cellebroederskapel-maastricht

According to the church website, the builders of the church, the Kapittelheren van Sint Servaas, also used a red colour as a kind of ownership mark for all their possessions. The paint was made from marl pieces found in the marl caves that were soaked with iron ore. After grinding and burning, the base of the paint was created, an oxblood-coloured powder. The original colour can still be found on parts of the Sint Servaaskerk. During the last restoration in 2006, the tower was repainted red after an investigation by the National Service for the Preservation of Monuments. However, a layer of paint was already applied in the Middle Ages to protect the marl somewhat against the elements.

It may come as a surprise that the builders were the Chapter Lords of Saint Servatius. This is because the Gothic Saint John's Church (also called the 'Saint John of Maastricht') was originally intended as a parish church for the Chapter of Saint Servatius, so that the basilica was relieved as a place of pilgrimage.

More about this and all kinds of facts about the church at stjanskerkmaastricht.nl/monument

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April 16, 2025

After a period as an independent Roman Catholic parish church, the church became the property of the then established Dutch Reformed Church in December 1633. This was a result of the conquest of Maastricht from the Spanish in 1632, by the troops of the Seven United Netherlands, under the command of Prince Frederik Hendrik. In the areas that had already been conquered, all Catholic churches had become Protestant after the introduction of this new state church. In Maastricht, after consultation between the Prince-Bishop of Liège, the Duke of Brabant and the Prince of Orange, small chapels were initially assigned to the Protestants. The churches remained Catholic, which was an exception in national terms. In 1633, however, these chapels had become too small and after new consultation, the Protestants were given two churches, including St. John's. The first service took place on 1 January 1634.

A tour of the church shows that the first impression, a rather sober space, is only an illusion. Historically, it contains many things that are worth seeing.

The nave and a first tower were built around 1200 in early Gothic style. On 8 June 1373, a tornado largely destroyed the tower. A new tower was built on the preserved substructure around 1400. After a thorough restoration by architect P.J.H. Cuypers in 1890, the current form was preserved from this. The Sacristy, the Choir and the Baptistery also date from the 14th century. During a restoration around 1910, many original elements were rediscovered. The architectural style of these is late Gothic.

Hard Namur stone was used as a building material for the bottoms of the walls and the two rows of columns, which divide the church into three parts. The yellow stone is marl. This was already used as a building material by the Romans and comes from the marl quarries around the city.

When entering, it is noticeable that you have to go down a flight of stairs to get into the church. The church was built against a slope, on a fairly narrow strip of land, between the St. Servaas Church and the buildings on the south side. This lack of space is the reason for placing buttresses on the inside, which is unusual for a Gothic church. The resulting niches, normally on the outside, give a more spacious effect. For the same reason, the two side aisles are only half as wide as normal.

More about this and all sorts of facts about the church at stjanskerkmaastricht.nl/monument

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Rob Josten 🦅

December 21, 2022

The Sint Janskerk is owned by the Protestant Municipality of Maas-Heuvelland and is also used for regular church services.
Every Sunday morning there is a church service from 10:00 am. You can also view the inside of the church.
In the summer, the church (if not rented) can be visited by interested visitors and one can climb the tower via a staircase of no fewer than 241 steps.
Once you have arrived at the top, you have a beautiful view of Maastricht.

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Elevation 60 m

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Location: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands

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St John's Church, Maastricht

1. House on the Jeker – Vrijthof Square loop from Mariaberg

2. Sint Servaas Bridge – St John's Church, Maastricht loop from Maastricht

3. Sint Servaas Bridge – Vrijthof Square loop from Maastricht

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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