Kruisherenklooster, Gothic monastery in Kommelkwartier, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Kruisherenklooster is a monastery in Maastricht with four wings surrounding a central cloister garden, displaying typical Gothic features like limestone walls and pointed arch windows. The complex maintains its original architectural structure, with buildings arranged around the central courtyard.
The monastery was founded in 1440 when Gilles of Elderen donated five houses to shelter the Order of the Holy Cross after difficulties during a pilgrimage. The community expanded over subsequent centuries and became important to the city's religious and economic life until secularization.
The monastery is named after the Order of the Holy Cross, which shaped religious life in the city for centuries. The spatial layout still reveals how monks organized daily activities, balancing prayer with manual work and community tasks.
The monastery now houses a hotel with about 60 rooms and is easily accessible from its central location in the Kommelkwartier area. Visitors can explore the building's exterior and courtyard architecture, with the hotel having integrated modern facilities into the historic structure.
The monastery preserves one of the Netherlands' most complete religious archives with detailed records of daily life and economic transactions across several centuries. These rare documents reveal how monks managed resources and interacted with the surrounding city.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
