The main market square of Maastricht, dominated by the 17th-century Stadhuis and surrounded by a mix of historic buildings. The Markt is at its best on Wednesday and Friday mornings, when a traditional market fills the square with produce, fish, clothing, and the local specialities: Limburgse vlaai (a flat fruit tart with various fillings), local cheeses, and herring. It is a working market, not a tourist attraction, and the mix of people shopping reflects Maastricht's position as the centre of a genuinely cross-border region.
The square is quieter than the Vrijthof and more lived-in. Worth visiting even outside market days for the architecture — the Stadhuis façade is one of the best things Pieter Post built, and the buildings around it are an instructive mix of centuries.