I am considering my options for further Master-level studies in Europe (the goal being to improve my PhD application down the line). To summarize, my current transcript is weak, but I may be able to get good recommendations from one or two professors or researchers. This could remove some doubts about my academic abilities, and confirm some past circumstances that explain why I didn't perform better, so I see it as quite crucial in my applications.
One university I am considering states that admissions are based on "past grades, and relevant experience (including work, research, or anything related to the field)" (paraphrasing). Unless I missed some hidden meaning, this excludes recommendation letters.
I imagine that I will be able to provide supporting documents later in the process. Should I then ask for recommendation letters and provide them anyway?
I will of course contact the university directly about this, but I would like to know if there is a more general etiquette for this situation. Do admission officers generally see a good recommendation as positive even if not specifically asked for? Can they on the contrary see it as an attempt to hide other weak points in the application?