Since January 2022 there is a second webcam online, overlooking the Vrijthof Square from the side. Since January 2022 webcamhost “HeelHollandkijkt“ added two new webcams: one to the Vrijthof (from the side) and a second one overlooking part of the Maas (Meuse) Boulevard, the river and the Old St. Servaas Bridge, attached to the facade of café-restaurant “The Piepenhoes”. From here you can switch between the Vrijthof-side webcam and the Maasboulevard/Bridge-webcam. Gorgeous images! But in July the trees has grown too high. Powered by info@heelhollandkijkt.nl . Click on the picture below.

These are the cameras on the balcony room of Hotel DuCasque. Picture left: old camera was replaced in 2014. Picture right: super camera with several zoom functions.

During a visit to Maastricht we looked for the webcam that should be attached to a facade along the side of the Vrijthof square. We found it attached to the roof window of the building on Vrijthof 10 (Mediterranian restaurant Luster (opened in 2021).

This new Vrijthof webcam, since 2014, is powered by NetcamViewer. E-mail: Support@NetcamViewer.nl

Update 2024: As far as we (Ruud and Ineke) know, there has always been a webcam at the DuCasque hotel, which is aimed at the Vrijthof. And we have been regular hotel guests for 20 years for all city visits and André Rieu concerts in July. In 2014, the outdated webcam was replaced by a multifunctional webcam with various zoom functions. There were no complaints for ten years, until someone filed a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) in 2024 about the recognizability of people with certain zoom functions, which is a violation of the privacy law. The AP decided that the webcam had to be disabled. That happened in April 2024. We received a huge number of messages and questions from fans all across the world. “What is going on and why”? Apparently the webcam host and the hotel manager also received many emails from the fans, with a peak in June/July of course! I thought of the simple solution of disabling the zoom functions, but something that seems to be simple, often isn't. The talks / mails yielded no results. I almost gave up. Then I realized that certain Maastricht authorities which are committed to promoting the city and "The most beautiful square in the Netherlands" probably did not know about webcams. Probably they might want to think along to find a solution. So I sent some more mails…

De Limburger, October 11, 2024, By Kyra Volkers Translated by Ineke, edited by Diana D. Le André Rieu fans full of sadness about switching off live images of the Vrijthof: “It was my window to the world” Sadness, anger, and frustration prevail among André Rieu fans. For years, they watched his concerts live from all over the world at the Vrijthof in Maastricht. Now the camera has been switched off after a complaint about privacy. "Thanks to the webcam, I stayed in touch with the epicentre of our universe." "If you are disabled and cannot travel, you feel a little less trapped if you can watch via webcams," says Angela Poppleton. The André Rieu fan enjoyed the live images of the Vrijthof every day. "It was my window to the world. From the United Kingdom, I looked at the beautiful architecture and saw the square come to life every morning." But, that is now a thing of the past. The camera of the DuCasque hotel with a clear view of the Vrijthof has been offline since April 2024. Privacy The hotel was reprimanded by the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) last year. The agency had received a complaint about the camera and ruled that live images were indeed an infringement of privacy. The camera could zoom in, allowing people on the Vrijthof and the terraces to be recognizably captured. "How can one person undo what thousands of people enjoy?", asks Rieu admirer Ineke Cornelissen. She co-manages a fan group on Facebook with approximately 23,000 members. "When it snows in André’s hometown, the fans want to see it." In April, panic broke out. "I received messages from Japan and New Zealand. People are really disappointed." Sad fans Hotel manager Shauni Partouns also experienced the frustration of the fans. "You don't want to know how many phone calls I've received. It's as if someone had died. The messages came from fans all over the world." But a new camera without a zoom function is not something the hotel is going to start. "We were quite shocked and would rather wash our hands of it now." A camera on another side of the Vrijthof, on the facade of restaurant Luster, could provide a solution. But in the summer, nothing can be seen on it because the trees are full of leaves. The followers of the world-famous violinist are not simply accepting the situation. From the Facebook group André Rieu Fan Site ‘The Harmony Parlor’ more than seventy messages were received within one day, in which disappointed fans told De Limburger what the camera images meant to them. “Thanks to the webcam I stayed in touch with the epicentre of our universe”, writes Australian Libby Deer. And American Judith Ashenhurst: “I am 86 and cannot travel. The webcam was my only way to feel the wonderful atmosphere of this beautiful city.” Help Ineke Cornelissen is on top of it from The Hague. She is asking for help from the municipality, Maastricht- Marketing, the hotel, the tourist office, webcam administrators, and anyone who seems to have anything to do with the issue. She is even contacting Rieu’s office. So far without result. Son and business director Pierre Rieu tells De Limburger that he feels sorry for the fans who cannot come to Maastricht in person. "We would like to put the images back online immediately, although we understand the privacy argument."

“Luster” camera

“DuCasque” camera

As usual: one publication leads to more publications. Shownieuws (TV item), October 13, 2024 Sadness, anger and frustration among André Rieu fans There is sadness, anger and frustration among André Rieu fans, now that they can no longer watch his concerts live on the Vrijthof in Maastricht. For years, fans from all over the world enjoyed a livestream that was offered via a camera from the DuCasque hotel, whose rooms overlook the Vrijthof. Thanks to this camera, they were able to follow the concerts of the world-famous violinist, but that livestream is now offline. The reason for switching off the camera is a decision by the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP). Last year, the agency received a complaint about the camera, because it could zoom in and recognizably showed people on the Vrijthof and the terraces. This was seen as an infringement of privacy, after which it was decided to stop the livestream. This decision has led to great disappointment among Rieu fans. Complaints are pouring in on André Rieu's Facebook group, Harmony Parlor, with 22,901 members. The hotel is also receiving a lot of criticism. Fans, even from faraway countries such as Australia, are letting us know how much they miss the livestream. For many, this was the only way to follow the concerts, since a trip to Maastricht is often not an option. Fans are now trying to get the livestream back online in various ways. They have contacted various agencies and even André Rieu himself, in the hope that a solution will be found. Local media are also receiving a lot of responses from concerned fans. So far, however, this has not yielded any results. Both André Rieu and Hotel DuCasque were not available for comment today.

October 12, 2024. Ineke on Harmony Parlor Facebook fangroup: “We tried to draw attention in Maastricht to the disabled webcam on the Vrijthof, and we succeeded! The local newspaper picked it up and thereafter also Shownieuws (TV program about celebrities.) We keep thinking positive. We still have hope that it will turn out well. Dear friends, thanks for your co-operation. We cannot do anything, but we hope that we made the subject debatable”.

Photo by our Canadian fan-friend: Al Girard (retired camera-man).

De Limburger, October 17, 2024. Maastricht - By Kyra Volkers André Rieu fans were expressing their frustration and sadness en masse, now that the live images of the Vrijthof webcam in Maastricht are offline. Son and business director Pierre Rieu promises a new camera during the concerts in July. For years, Rieu admirers watched the concerts on the Vrijthof live. After a complaint to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP), the camera of Hotel DuCasque was switched off in April 2024. The device could zoom in, allowing people on the Vrijthof and the terraces to be recognizably captured. The result: disappointed reactions from fans all over the world. "People enjoyed the live images. If the hotel does not install a new camera which cannot zoom in, we will arrange live images during the concerts ourselves," promises Pierre Rieu. "We will probably hang a camera on the light tower on the square. That gives approximately the same image as before." "That's already great," responds Ineke Cornelissen, co-administrator of a fan group on Facebook with 23,000 members. "We've already been able to achieve a lot in the past six months. After the publication in De Limburger and the item in Shownieuws, everything went into overdrive. Still, we're hoping for a livestream that's online all year round. That way, we can also enjoy it during carnival and the Preuvenemint." The organization behind Rieu doesn't feel responsible for that.