The most appetising trail through historic Sittard!

How brown does a ‘brown café’ have to be? With its quintessentially brown panelling, Schtad Zitterd - on Sittard’s market square - provides the answer. A warm and friendly welcome is part of its tradition. From a signed photograph behind the bar, Toon Hermans, Sittard’s most famous son, looks on, making sure you’re having fun. Many a local or beer-drinking aficionado can be found crowding its long bar or sun-drenched outdoor section, with a Brand beer in one hand, accompanied by an appetiser from its extensive menu in the other.

The ceiling, bedecked with musical instruments, betrays the proprietor’s passion, whilst the photos on the wall recall scenes of Sittard in bygone days. These streetscapes of the past, still remembered by many, provide a source of conversation as you imbibe your perfectly served Brand beer, accompanied by a tasty appetiser.

With its cream-coloured facade, Hotel, Café & Restaurant de Limbourg on Sittard’s market square is the embodiment of charm. Like a sparkling jewel, visitors are enticed through its hallowed portals and share in its overwhelmingly intimate ambiance. In De Limbourg, customers are served with a decorum and respect as befits, with bar staff only too happy to spend time explaining the ins-and-outs of Limburg’s delights.

A stone’s throw from Sittard’s railway station is Café Dwaesj, whose name refers to the street in which it is located in Sittard dialect. The large, solid bar is an inviting place to while away the time with other customers. The proprietors - the Ingendael-Happel family - are happy to serve you with Brand’s range of beers (including Brand Weizen), as well as Kriek, Westmalle and Grimbergen.

Adjacent to the Grote Kerk, this century-old hostelry oozes nostalgia, but with overtones of the present. In actual fact, it’s a townhouse, whose front room has been turned into a taproom. According to tradition, in the past this is where the deceased were remembered with a mug or two of beer. One other plausible tale tells us that in the days leading up to the funeral, neighbours would come and toll the bells, after which they would retire to the hostelry to drink well-deserved pints of beer.