Ye Olde Ostrich

If you wander around the Vrijthof wondering where to have a drink, why not pop into the oldest pub in town: Café In den Ouden Vogelstruys. Beer has been served here since the 1300s. 

“Maastricht’s Café In den Ouden Vogelstruys is the place where many locals meet.”

Café In den Ouden Vogelstruysis is also known as the ‘hoeskamer vaan Mestreech’; a reference to its role as a local meeting place in Maastricht. This was the case for years, or rather centuries, because the bar’s history dates back to the 14th century. Although fire destroyed the original building in the 18th century, rebuilding was completed in 1730. If you’d like a bite to eat with your beer, there’s enough to choose from. From bruudsjes and an oetsmieter to Mestreechs zoervleis.

Nice to know

The Vrijthof is the city’s vibrant heart, surrounded by historic buildings, one of which is the Sint-Servaas Basilica with its extraordinary treasure room full of religious works of art. As some are relic holders in the form of an ostrich egg, from which the bar’s name – ‘De Struys’, as the locals say – is derived.

  Café In den Ouden Vogelstruys
Address: Vrijthof 15, Maastricht 
Open: see website
Online: www.vogelstruys.nl

Café In den Ouden Vogelstruys