NK tegelwippen

Maastricht is once again taking part in the NK Tegelwippen (National Tile Removal Championship) this year. And once again, we are competing against the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. Our goal? To replace as many garden tiles as possible with greenery. This is how we make our cities more resilient to the changing climate. 

Results 2022

In 2022, the residents of Maastricht and Sittard-Geleen put in their best efforts, removing over 36,000 tiles together. This has resulted in an additional 3,300 square metres of greenery in both cities.

Maastricht claimed victory in the derby, having removed 27,210 tiles, while Sittard-Geleen removed 9,114 tiles. Maastricht also secured 10th place out of the 22 major cities that participated.

The Hague municipality was awarded the Gouden Tegel (Golden Tile), having impressively removed over 306,000 tiles

More greenery

Could your garden benefit from a bit of greenery? Or have you always dreamed of having a lovely facade garden? Get started now and remove those tiles from your garden for Maastricht. Who wouldn't want Maastricht to come out on top against Sittard-Geleen? The competition runs throughout the summer, and you can participate until the 31st of October through the NK Tegelwippen website. You'll also find the latest scores there.

Rules

Here are the rules:

  • Remove tiles from your own garden - whether it's the front, back, or facade. Remember, every tile counts! Just make sure you only remove tiles from your own property and don't take any from your neighbours.
  • Snap a picture of your (stack of) tiles and send it in using the form on the NK Tegelwippen website. Don't forget to tell us the number of tiles removed, and we'll register your contribution. Please don't exaggerate the number of tiles removed - accuracy is appreciated!
  • If you want to show off your hard work, share your photos on social media with the hashtags #maastrichtwipt and #NKtegelwippen for extra recognition.
  • Note that in Maastricht, you don't need a permit to create a facade garden if you don't have a front garden. Just ensure that it's no more than 45 cm deep and leaves at least 120 cm of pavement space for prams, rollators, and wheelchairs. For more information and advice, check out the facade garden page (in Dutch only) which outlines all the rules in Maastricht.

Will Maastricht win the Gouden Schep or the Gouden Tegel?

The municipality that removes the most tiles per 1000 inhabitants (divided into three rankings) wins the prestigious Gouden Schep (Golden Shovel). Aditionally, the municipality that removes the most tiles wins the Gouden Tegel (Golden Tile). Residents who transform their (facade) garden have a chance to win the Publiekswipper (Public Award) and fantastic prize packages.

Video

Watch the opening video for the 2023 NK Tegelwippen below.

Maastricht aims to become a climate-resilient city by 2040. More greenery helps cool the city during hot summers and absorb water during heavy rainstorms. Trees and plants provide more oxygen and less carbon dioxide (CO2). More greenery also encourages walking, cycling, playing and sports. It creates space for other plant and animal species in the city. This makes Maastricht not only climate-resilient but also a nicer place to live, work and relax in.