Netherlands American Cemetery & Memorial


Set amid beautiful lawns, oak trees and azalea bushes 9km southeast of Maastricht, this thought-provokingly vast WWII cemetery has 8301 white gravestones in seemingly endless arcs behind a white chapel-monolith. A further 1722 names are inscribed on 'tablets of the missing'. These are for US soldiers who died in the Netherlands, trying to breach Nazi defences during various campaigns in the closing years of WWII (1944–45) including the disastrous Operation Market Garden.

A new visitor centre is planned by 2021. Bus 350 stops four times hourly on the N278, 300m north of the cemetery, between Maastricht station (€2.60, 20 minutes) and Aachen (Germany, €4.60, 40 minutes).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Kasteel van Valkenburg

3.3 MILES

These modest 11th- and 12th-century ruins sit on a small knoll directly above central Valkenburg giving the little town its visual focus, especially when…

2. Romeinse Katakomben

3.4 MILES

This replica of Roman catacombs was installed in an old limestone mine by architect Pierre Cuypers of Roermond and Rijksmuseum fame. Visits are only…

3. Bonnefantenmuseum

4.83 MILES

Maastricht's star gallery has an excellent collection of early European painting and sculpture on the 1st floor, but is best known for contemporary art,…

4. Zonneberg Caves

4.85 MILES

This gigantic network of quarry-tunnels date back centuries but are most intriguing for their occasional charcoal murals and the stories linked to their…

5. Centre Ceramique

4.92 MILES

Primarily a state-of-the-art library, this modern airy cube also has changing exhibitions in the spacious foyer area.

6. Helpoort

5.19 MILES

This rough-cut-stone tower-gateway dating from 1229 dominates the most impressive of several fragmentary sections of medieval city wall. You can look…

7. Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek

5.29 MILES

Dominating an intimate cafe-filled square, this millennium-old basilica-church is a fabulous example of Mosan architecture, made 'extra authentic' through…

8. Maastricht Underground

5.36 MILES

Maastricht Underground runs spooky, amusing and fascinating tours into sections of the vast tunnel network beneath St-Pietersberg massif. Departures run…