Maastricht is at its best in late spring and early summer (May–June), when the café terraces on the Vrijthof fill up, the asparagus season is at its height, and the city has not yet reached its summer tourist peak. September and October are also good — the heat has faded, the light is golden, and the city feels like its own self again after the summer.
Preuvenemint (late August) is the city's celebrated outdoor food and wine festival, held on the Vrijthof for four days. It is one of the best food events in the Netherlands. Carnival (February/March, date varies with Easter) is a major annual event — Maastricht takes Carnival more seriously than anywhere else in the Netherlands, with three days of costumed celebrations, parades, and late nights that transform the city.
December brings a Christmas market in the Sint Pietersberg caves, a unique atmospheric venue. Winter temperatures in Maastricht are mild by Dutch standards — the city is sheltered by the surrounding hills.