Stadstuin Marres

Description

Behind Marres' monumental town house lies a wild inner garden of approximately 1,000 square metres. Marres describes it as the largest publicly accessible courtyard garden in Maastricht's old city centre.

History

The garden belongs to the historic property on Capucijnenstraat but deliberately avoids a formal museum appearance. Ecological gardener Hans Engelbrecht shaped its planting into a loose, natural structure suited to the sheltered site among old urban buildings.

Garden & nature

Fruit trees, a vegetable garden and herb beds grow alongside dense shrubs and flower-rich edges. This variety attracts birds, insects, butterflies and frogs. Paths and small clearings create a quiet counterpart to the busy city, and the planting changes noticeably with the seasons.

Visitor information

The garden is free to enter during Marres' opening hours, normally Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 5 pm. Separate admission charges apply to exhibitions.

Did you know?

The ecological approach allows spontaneous growth; the contrast between contemporary culture house and semi-wild nature gives the garden its distinctive character.