Maastricht: New Lives for Old Churches

Polare Bookstore,  a religious experience for Dutch book lovers.

Over the past 50 years the Netherlands has experienced a dramatic drop in religious practice. Catholicism was traditionally the country's predominant religion, and at one time its Catholic church attendance was the highest in Europe. In the 1970s the Dutch population was 40 percent Catholic, but today only 24 percent identify themselves as Catholic. And many of those who say they are Roman Catholic do not regularly attend church. As a result of the shrinking attendance, hundreds of Catholic churches in the Netherlands have been shut or sold. The enterprising Dutch have found creative new uses for these historic buildings.

Maastricht has many re-purposed church buildings. Some house offices and apartments. A Franciscan church close to where we lived now holds the Limburg state archives. A 15th century monastery and church complex near the Vrijthof has been made into a beautiful high-end "designer hotel" called the Kruisherenhotel. 

Chic lobby of Maastricht's Kruisherenhotel.

A former Dominican church in the center of Maastricht has been transformed into a spectacular bookstore. This church was not one of the casualties of the recent decline in Dutch religiosity. It was consecrated in 1294, but it hasn't been used for religious services since 1794. That's when Napoleon's army confiscated the property for military use. The gothic building has also been used as a town archive, a warehouse, and even for bike storage. In 2005 it was reincarnated as a bookstore, now called Polare.

Coffee Lovers cafe at Polaris

A popular cafe called Coffee Lovers occupies the area where the church's altar once was. Sleek black metal book stacks rise three levels above the floor of the nave. From the book stack's top balcony there's a great view of the crucifix-shaped table in the center of the cafe- a modern day altar where coffee worshippers can use the free wifi or meet with friends. We didn't find many books in English at Polare, but it was still a fun place to visit. 

The most unusual use of an old church that we found in Maastricht was on the Kesselkade, near the river. A somber looking Augustinian church there has been made into an indoor playground called Funville. A 30+ foot tall structure inside the church contains trampolines, ladders, and slides of varying heights for kids to enjoy. Parents can relax in a cafe lounge to watch their kids play (there's free wifi, of course). Church has never been so much fun.

An indoor playground in a former church- heaven for kids.

Funville's mammoth slide