Eindhoven, places to visit?

The “city of light”

From the light bulb to the “Ville Lumière”, the transition for Eindhoven was easy; this lively city in the south of the Netherlands is famous for the presence of industries of the highest level worldwide, such as Philips, who in 1891 produced the first light bulbs here.

And it is for this reason that Eindhoven is call the “city of light”, but its brightness is also due to the liveliness of the cultural and night life. Fun Eindhoven offers a rich variety of shops, restaurants and bars and inviting open-air coffee bars. Stratumseind is not only the longest night entertainment street in the Netherlands, but in the entire Benelux area. Along it 225 metres it has some 54 pubs that attract crowds of people. The traditional coffee bars on Wilhelminaplein are ideal for passing an afternoon in the open air or for dancing to the rhythm of the night.

In addition to its intense night life, Eindhoven is also able to offer a high level of culture and design thanks to the Van Abbemuseum and the House of Design. The Van Abbemuseum is one of the main modern and contemporary art museums. The collections include works by Picasso, Chagall, Kandinsky, El Lissitzky, Theo van Doesburg, Mondriaan and Appel. The House of Design (Designhuis), instead, is an international meeting point for design and innovation. Each year, during Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven is transformed into a world capital of design.

Walking along the streets of Eindhoven you discover a young, modern city, but appearances are deceptive as Eindhoven is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. It has held the title of city since 1232, but on a walk through the centre little of its history is visible today. Unfortunately a large part was destroyed by bombing during World War II and reconstruction saw new buildings built alongside industrial constructions that survived the attacks.

In many cases this contrast between old and new is highly successful and in different areas of the city many buildings have been constructed by the great names of architecture. Among those well worth a visit are the brand new Vestedatoren Tower (Vestdijk), the Piazza Center Shopping Centre designed by the Italian Fuksas, and the renovated De Effenaar: three gems of modern architecture.

This spirit of modernity and art is felt throughout the city and there are many art galleries and exhibition halls of every type. Contemporary art and the works of young talented artists can be seen at the TAC - Temporary Art Centre, or in the exhibition halls of the MU/Witte Dame, the De Overslag or the De Krabbedans. A visit to the Van Abbemuseum is a must for all art lovers. Many call this place one of the world’s best modern and contemporary art museums. In addition to offering interesting temporary exhibitions and permanent pieces, the museum building alone it well worth a visit.

If you wish to visit this luminous city in a particularly interesting period, the Lichtjesroute (Route of lights) takes place in autumn every year. During this time Eindhoven’s nickname is well justified as it is filled with lights along routes that run through the city for many kilometres.

Text by Lea Tocchi

Updated by Alisè Vitri

Avion Tourism Magazine
Photos: Sisterscom.com, Shutterstock

Video: www.vvveindhoven.nl/en
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Tourism Board

www.vvveindhoven.nl/en

Where to sleep in Eindhoven

Eindhoven is a welcoming city and offers different possibilities for accommodation.

To find the ideal hotel and the best offers you can do a search for the stars but also for districts or landmarks.

STARS

Hotels for stars, differentiated by type of services:

DISTRICTS

Hotels in the districts

Stratum
Strijp
Centrum
Eindhoven Station
Beukenlaan Station

LANDMARKS

Hotel in tourist areas

Catharina Ziekenhuis

DAF Museum

de Bijenkorf

Evoluon Conference Centre

University of Technology

Historical Open Air Museum

Holland Casino Eindhoven

Van Abbemuseum

AIRPORT

Hotels near the airport

Aeroporto di Eindhoven (EIN)

WHERE TO GO in eindhoven

Monuments of Eindhoven

ST. CATHERINE'S CHURCH

The Church of St. Catherine in Eindhoven is located in the city center on Catharinaplein street. It is a Catholic place of worship, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

EINDHOVEN HISTORICAL CENTER

In the historic center of Eindhoven there are: Stadsbrouwerij (brewery), Kazerne (design center), the Church of St. Catherine, Brainport Eindhoven, the European hub for technological development, and the Blob and van Abbemuseum.

Museums in Eindhoven

VAN ABBEMUSEUM

Bilderdijklaan 10
The Van Abbemuseum is one of the leading museums for modern and contemporary art. The impressive collection includes works of Picasso, Chagall, Kandinsky, El Lissitzky, Theo van Doesburg, Mondrian and Appel.
www.vanabbemuseum.nl/engels/

PHILIPS MUSEUM

Emmasingel 31
The Philips museum provides a fascinating picture of the way in which Philips evolved from a small incandescent lamp manufacturer into a large and prestigious international group of companies. From the company’s origins in 1891 to the innovations of tomorrow.
www.philips-museum.com

DAF MUSEUM

Tongelresestraat 27
Dedicated to DAF, the big truck producing company which is settled in Eindhoven. In the museum are displayed several exemplars of trucks, cars and rally cars produced by DAF during the years. It is also possible to visit the first mechanic workshop still originally conserved.
www.dafmuseum.nl

Excursions in Eindhoven

NIMEGA

A very old city in Holland, Nijmegen has ancient Roman walls. Among the monuments to see in Nijmegen are the powder tower, the public weighbridge, the old town hall, Radboud University and the St. Stephen's Church.

S-HERTOGENBOSCH

Known as Den Bosch, it is the capital of the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. Among the monuments to visit are: Sint-Janskathedraal Cathedral of St. John built from the thirteenth century in Brabantine Gothic style, the Town Hall from 1671 with the Monument to Hieronymus Bosch.