The Helpoort is the oldest surviving city gate in the Netherlands, dating from around 1229. It sits at the end of Sint Bernardusstraat, modest in scale but significant as one of the few survivals from Maastricht's first ring of medieval fortifications.
From the gate, a section of the medieval city wall stretches south — preserved as a public park, with a pleasant walk along the top of the walls that gives a sense of the city's original defensive scale. This is one of the most undervisited corners of Maastricht. The gate's interior is occasionally open for temporary exhibitions.