Bassin

Het Bassin is a historic inner harbour right in the middle of Maastricht's Sphinxkwartier, just a few minutes' walk from the city's old centre. The Maastricht city council had the basin built in 1824-1826 as a link to the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal and the Maastricht-Liège canal, and the marina is today surrounded by the former monumental Sphinx pottery factories, whose old warehouses have been converted into homes.

You enter via the river Maas or the Zuid-Willemsvaart through two historic locks, lock no. 19 and no. 20. The hand-operated lock 19 connects to the Zuid-Willemsvaart and is open between 11:00-12:00 and 16:00-17:00, while the automatic lock 20 towards the Maas is open 9:00-19:00 in high season and 9:00-17:00 in low season. The season runs from 1 April to 1 November, and the harbourmaster is present daily from 9:00 to 19:00. Advance booking is not possible, and permitted boat dimensions are up to 25 metres in length and 5.5 metres in width.

In the renovated old wharf cellars along the quay you'll find several restaurants, cosy grand cafés, small shops and galleries. The marina also comes alive with recurring events such as a classical Bassin concert, salsa evenings and various themed evenings.

The Sphinxkwartier surrounding the harbour is the city's new cultural and creative heart, where tradition meets innovation. Nearby is the Lumière Cinema film house along with several restaurants, and the district also has a unique organic shop and the Sphinx building with the Sphinxpassage.