Maastricht, bis ins 20. Jahrhundert auch Maestricht, ist die Hauptstadt der niederländischen Provinz Limburg und eine der ältesten Städte der Niederlanden.
The city, with it's population of 120,000, is located in the Meuse-Rhine Euregion, close to international cities such as Aachen, Düsseldorf, Liège, Brussels and Antwerp. The diversity of European culture is clearly visible in Maastricht as the surrounding area comprises four million people, living in three countries and speaking four languages. It is for good reason that Maastricht was the center of the European Union in 1992 at the time of the signing of the Maastricht Treaty - the treaty on European Union.
Maastricht still plays a major international role. Many congresses, cultural and sports events are held here, and transnational agreements are signed. Large numbers of tourists also come to Maastricht every year for a taste of the alluring character of the south Netherlands.
Course
The swim is in the river Maas and goes under the Provincial Government Building, which is partly built over the river. The two-loop bike course follows roads that are famous in the world of cycling—it is the same course as the yearly Amstel Gold Race and also hosted the 2012 UCI Road World Championships. Athletes will enjoy spectacular scenery that has long drawn recreational cyclists and runners, who are increasingly discovering Limburg as the number one location for their sport. The splendid, but difficult, Cauberg Hill in Valkenburg will remain the traditional make-or-break feature of the bike course. The run loop in Maastricht heads up the Sint Pieter Hill and by the beautiful Jeker valley (Jekerdal). The finish line will be in the historic city centre of Maastricht on the Market in front of the City Hall.