The Amstel Gold Race has been taking place in the southernmost province of the Netherlands Limburg every year since 1966. Every year ‘De Markt’ in Maastricht is the start venue of the Amstel Gold Race with the finish in nearby Berg en Terblijt (Valkenburg).
The Amstel Gold Race is the only Dutch classic in the Netherlands. The day before the professionals thousands of Sportive riders tackle memorable hills such as the Keutenberg; the Camerig, the Bemelerberg and the Cauberg as the finale.
In 2022 Amstel Gold and Roubaix switched dates but usually the Amstel Gold Race heralds the start of the ‘Ardennes Classics’ with Fleche Wallonne following on Wednesday and Liege Bastogne Liege the following Sunday.
How to get there
Maastricht and nearby Valkenburg are situated in the Dutch province of Zuid-Limburg, in the southernmost tip of the Netherlands. The area is surrounded by Belgium and Germany and it is not too far from the French border either. Cities like Liège, Aachen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Brussels are just a short distance away.
By plane
Maastricht has its own airport: Maastricht-Aachen Airport. In addition, there are several (inter)national airports within an hour’s drive from the centre of Maastricht. This ensures that Maastricht & region is easily accessible from all over the world.
Airports include
- Brussels international airport (BRU) – 1h30mins
- Eindhoven Airport (EIN) - 1h30mins
- Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) – 2h30mins
By car
Maastricht and Valkenburg are easily accessible through various motorways: E25/A2 (Amsterdam-Luxembourg), E40 (Cologne-Brussels), E42 (Liège-Paris), E314 (Maastricht-Aachen).
By train
It takes just 11 minutes to get the train from Maastricht to Valkenburg so it’s a very good option to stay in Maastricht with its plentiful hotel choice and to take the train to Valkenburg. Watch the start in Maastricht and take the train to Valkenburg to watch the riders several times before they finish.
There is a direct train from Amsterdam Central to Maastricht every 30 minutes and the journey takes about 2.5 hours. Maastricht Central is just a few minutes away from the city centre by foot. Lots of hotels are within walking distance from Maastricht Central as well. Maastricht is also easily accessible by international train by Thalys and/or Eurostar from Brussels, Paris or London via Liège station.