For 2022, the public holiday of Kings Day in Maastricht will be amazing. The city will come alive with flags everywhere, festive music and a positive atmosphere. The ‘Koningsdag’ is a yearly event for the Dutch King Willem-Alexander’s birthday, with 2022 being the place to be for his birthday. With good weather and lots of orange, you can see the Royal family and enjoy all the local events and music throughout the day!
*We’ll update the post after Kings day 2022 with photos from the day!
Kings Day Celebrations
Wear Something (or Everything!) Orange
So as many know, the Dutch LOVE to dress up in anything orange during Kings Day. It’s basically mandatory and the more orange the better. For me, being a redhead, I’m already one step ahead! This year I had a cute orange top on with lots of orange accessories.
Eat Something Orange
Not only is orange clothing needed, eating something orange is usually expected. This could be anything from the famously known Hema Tompouce to something that all supermarkets are selling already. Most people enjoy a treat with sugar, so there are lots of orange doughnuts, cakes and pies enjoyed throughout the day. For drinks, most enjoy a beer or an orange coloured cocktail.
Start The Day With The Vrijmarkt (2nd Hand Shopping!)
Most big cities and neighbourhoods have specific areas for everyone to go out for the day and sell their unwanted belongings. For Maastricht, this is located at the stadspark on the West side of the river. The whole park and grass area will be available for this, with selling officially allowed from 7am onwards! So save your loose coins and cash to grab a bargin or vintage item!
The usual stuff that is usually sold by people include:
- clothes
- shoes
- collectibles
- accessories
- books
- toys and games
However you can also find random stuff too, such as
- Christmas decorations
- car spare parts
- kitchen pots
- KLM houses (I’ll be looking for one of these on the 27th myself!)
- dog toys
- plants
- pokemon cards
See the King, Queen and Royal Family
From 11:00 the King, Queen and Royal family will drive and walk the planned route through Maastricht city centre. They will start in the Wijk neighbourhood, over the Sint Servaas bridge and finish at the Vrijthof square. For those who want to see, find a spot along the route to stand and wait to say hello! They are always very welcoming and friendly to the public.
Enjoy Drinks and Celebrations
There is always a party event at the end of the Royal’s walk through the city, with this year having a few artists singing their latest songs at the Vrijthof square.
Since Kings Day in Maastricht is a public holiday, you will also see many parties and celebrations will be advertised for the evenings too. These are great if you love dancing! Else most families and friends gather for dinner and drinks too, making it an enjoyable evening together.
See more inspiration posts about Maastricht and the Netherlands:
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A Top Guide To All 21 Dutch National Parks
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