van “Kluis tot Kookhuis” – Official Blog

An undoubtedly safe geocache in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

For this Geocache of the Week—flashback edition, we’re traveling to Maastricht, the Netherlands, to the cache with the most Favorite points in the Netherlands. This cache takes you on a journey through time in a building with a rich and varied history.

Over the past two centuries, the property at Markt 16–18 served many purposes: a butcher shop, café restaurant, rehearsal space, soap merchant, glass and pottery store, wartime shelter, mayor’s residence, and, most impressively, a bank.

The journey starts at the idyllic ‘Grote Markt’ (town square), the bustling centre of Maastricht. Once you have arrived at Markt 16-18 that now serves as a cookware store, geocachers make their way to the most important place in any bank, the safe. The thick concrete and steel from its banking days remain, along with the original safe and its impressive vault door— and that’s exactly where this geocache is hidden. Because GPS coordinates are not accurate inside the vault, you’ll need to determine your location outside first before stepping in to sign the log sheet.

Once inside the old bank vault, your hunt for the geocache truly begins. Hidden among the many safes filling the room, the cache is tucked away behind one particular safe door. To claim it, you’ll need to figure out which door to open. A helpful hint from the cache owner: take note of the building’s house number, as it might guide you to the correct safe.

Originally featured as Geocache of the Week back in 2017, it had 6,891 logged visits and 2,733 Favorite points. Today, it boasts an incredible 15,531 logged visits and 7,021 Favorite points, a true testament to its lasting appeal.

The current owner, a geocacher, currently runs a cookware shop here and has given permission for the cache owner to place the cache in the safe.

Have you ever unlocked a geocache hidden in a safe or other unusual container?

The shop is not always open, so make sure you check the opening hours before you go. The store is closed on Mondays and Sundays, except on special shopping Sundays, when it is open from 12 PM to 5 PM. Open Tuesday–Friday 10 AM–6 PM, Saturday 10 AM–5 PM, with late opening on Thursdays until 9 PM.

Catboot: (translated from German):
“That was truly something special! I wouldn’t have thought I’d find a cache of this size in a store like that. It’s very exciting to see what old homeowners have left behind. Thanks Rebel & the Bandits for this cache! 😊”

Loufiat28: (translated from French):
“We’re spending a few days on vacation in Liège at my brother’s house. Today we decided to go for a walk to visit Maastricht and find some local geocaches along the way. 😊So this one really made an impression on me! It’s incredible and definitely worth the detour! 🤩I loved the store, the concept of the cache and the discovery of this unusual place! It’s great, thank you very much for this discovery 😃”

Continue to explore some of the most amazing geocaches around the world. Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form.