For a good example of the way British perceptions of Europe differ from everyone else's, look at Maastricht. The Dutch city came to the attention of the world in 1991, when the agreement for launching the common European currency was launched there. However, for all the impact this made on the British consciousness, it might have been a convention on non-destructive testing.

In mainland Europe, they see things differently. The treaty raised Maastricht's profile and visitor numbers from France, Italy and Spain have increased significantly during the last decade. They are the winners, I discovered as part of a group of British journalists who didn't challenge any national stereotypes - we declined unanimously the opportunity to see the place where the treaty was signed.

Maastricht is a marvellous place, one that throughout the centuries has been fought over by the Dutch, French and Spanish. That turbulent history at one of Europe's crossroads has left a rich legacy of fine churches and old city walls. The Romans were building walls in Maastricht in the fourth century and the ones intact today date from the 13th century and later. Maastricht is also effortlessly sophisticated with some fine modern architecture, excellent shops and a well-established pavement caf society that appears to be a natural development rather than a marketing concept.

The far past is celebrated, too. You probably have to be a geologist to know that there was a Maastrichtian interval in the Earth's history, between 71 and 65 million years ago. It takes its name from the city and the Natural History Museum includes the remains of enormous Mosasauriers and Giant Turtles found in the area.

Maastricht is on the same latitude as southern England but slightly warmer; in the city, close to the walls, fruiting lime trees grow and this is the part of the country where there are vineyards. The Dutch wine industry is scarcely known outside the country, but their Riesling and Muller Thurgau wines stand up well to those produced in France and Germany.

If Maastricht comes as a pleasant surprise, so does this part of Holland. Maastricht is in South Limburg, a region occupying a sliver of land lying between Belgium and Germany. It is a land of soft, rolling wooded countryside, pretty villages and half-timbered houses, 'so unHolland', as one of our party observed.

At nearby Valkenburg, where the ruins of a 12th century hilltop castle provide a great view across the Geul valley, there are caves with a 2,000-year history. The Romans had a settlement here and mined the clay soil for marl, a material still used in building. The caves, a maze of passageways, have been a tourist attraction since the 19th century. There's a slightly freaky moment in mid-cave when the guides switch off their torches and lamps to reveal that, without them, we are in total darkness.

Theme parks do not always improve the quality of modern tourism but the Dutch have made a spectacular contribution with Mondo Verde, which opened in March.

The idea was conceived 200 years ago by the Lord of Strijthagen, a Limburg-born adventurer. During his travels around the world he sketched impressions of the finest gardens and buildings. Five years ago, historians found his original drawings and these places were reconstructed. So, at Mondo Verde, you can see everything from Le Jardin de Claude Monet, to Japanese, Chinese, English, Portuguese and Russian gardens and buildings.

There's a large greenhouse with plants from the tropical rainforest, reminiscent of a mini version of Cornwall's Eden Project, and an aviary with exotic birds from around the world.

South Limburg is considered by the Dutch to be their centre of culinary excellence. Among the treats at a restaurant in Epen, a couple of miles from the Belgian border, were the most succulent shanks of lamb I've ever tasted and perhaps the world's only goat's cheese that doesn't taste of goat.

Passengers on the overnight crossings between Hull and Rotterdam travel on the world's largest cruiseferries, the Pride of Hull and the Pride of Rotterdam. The sister ships, which came into service last year, can rival most modern cruise ships. Facilities include an a la carte restaurant, casino, wine bar and two-tiered show lounge. However, perhaps most importantly for people with unhappy memories of sleepless nights on put-you-ups and bleary-eyed arrivals on the continent, all passengers have well-appointed cabins. Ferry travel across the North Sea has moved on.

Fact file

John Wheatcroft travelled to Holland as a guest of the Netherlands Board of Tourism and P&O North Sea Ferries.

For more information on holidays in South Limburg, write to the Board at PO Box 30783, London WC2B 6DH.

P&O North Sea Ferries is offering a two or three night minicruise for two people with car and cabin, from £139. Passengers can choose between either a round trip or spending a night on the continent.

Updated: 11:31 Saturday, July 27, 2002