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Dominicanenkerk
Maastricht Limburg
Located in the heart of Maastricht, just a few steps from the famous Vrijthof, the Dominicanenkerk (or Dominicanerkerk) is a unique place that combines religious heritage, turbulent history, and contemporary culture. Built in the 13th century for the Dominican Order, this Gothic church is now known throughout the world as one of the most beautiful bookstores on the planet!
Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A building steeped in history
Founded in 1294 and dedicated to Saint Paul, the Dominicanenkerk was originally the chapel of the Dominican convent in Maastricht. Despite wars, pillaging, and the French Revolution, which led to the dissolution of the monastery in 1796, the church has survived the centuries. It has had many lives: warehouse, party hall, military depot… before being spectacularly reborn in 2007 in a completely different form.
A bookstore in a church
What makes the Dominicanenkerk internationally renowned today is its conversion into a bookstore by the Boekhandel Dominicanen chain. Under the Gothic vaults, between the Limburg limestone pillars, modern shelves display thousands of books. The interior design respects the original architecture while offering an exceptional reading experience.
A café has even been set up in the former choir, featuring a 14th-century fresco depicting scenes from the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
