Pinksterdag at the Kanne Flea Market

This article was originally published at Maastricht Region: to Live.

We were presented with another long weekend with fine weather here in Maastricht last weekend. And we took advantage of it on Monday by biking out to Kanne for a Flea Market that was rumored to be the largest in Europe. I won’t say it’s that big, but it was pretty impressive.

Pinksterdag is the holiday of Pentecost in the Netherlands and it is celebrated as a two day holiday; granting (nearly) everyone in the country a national holiday Monday. In Kanne, they celebrate with a massive flea market that is visited every year by some 10,000 people. With only approximately 1150 inhabitants living there, this influx of visitors results in closed roads, special parking, and a fun mix of the old, new, and weird lining the streets for blocks. Much larger and better organized that the better known Queen’s Day market, I’m sad that I hadn’t heard about it sooner.

As with all good flea markets, the proof is in what’s selling. There was the usual mix of leftover junk and semi-vintage antiques, but the amount of interesting objects was pretty high. Old lab glass, brass clocks, a pink velvet couch, and a pith helmet; just to name a few. In addition we saw a few craftspeople: a woman hand-sewing horse halters and a young man hand-painting realistic marble textures. Very realistic! The churro cart had the best churros I’ve ever had; fresh and very sweet.

In addition to the sellers and craftspeople, Kanne looks like a pleasant little town that I’d like to bike back and visit again. Many Dutch people live there, commuting over the boarder to work in the Maastricht area, and we saw a handful of nice cafes. A small and cute church/shrine was open during the flea market and is worth a quick visit for people who enjoy visiting religious buildings. Castle Neercanne, which boasts elegant dining and all the historic promise of a palace, is also nearby. If you do visit, make sure you go by bike and enjoy the pastoral landscape along the borderland.