Eindhoven & North Brabant

Strijp S, a former Philips factory area called "The Forbidden City" is now a vibrant open creative design & technology hub full of design-, retail-, hospitality-, food- and leisure venues. Great locations to visit are Skatepark Area51, Urban Shopper, Food Market 't Veem, Yksi Design Expo, De Ontdekfrabriek ("The Discover Factory" for kids), 040BMX Park, MU Artspace, NatLab, Popei Music, Enversed VR Center and many more.

Piet Hein Eek is one of the most famous Dutch designers. Piet Hein Eek became world famous for his furniture made from scrap wood. Everybody is welcome to view the exhibits in the showroom and gallery, or simply pop in for lunch or dinner in this extraordinary restaurant.

The Frits Philips House of Music is the city's premier concert venue, hosting performances ranging from classical to pop, with both local and international performers. Be sure to check out what is on while you are town.

Lovers of modern architecture will not want to miss this unique, futuristic sight. The Evoluon used to be a science museum but is today a conference centre and one of the city's most recognisable landmarks.

Falconcrest Roofvogel Park is a fascinating wildlife park that showcases a large array of birds of prey, the star of course being the majestic falcon. Young ones always enjoy their visit to this educational centre.

The IJssportcentrum (Ice Sports Centre) in Eindhoven offers a huge array of activities for people of all ages and skill levels, from ice hockey and curling to skating lessons for beginners and spectator sports.

Just south of Eindhoven lies the municipality of Valkenswaard, a beautiful area surrounded by nature and popular for its outdoor activities, which include kayaking, hiking, and if you're feeling adventurous, motocross.

For many, golf is a party of the vacation, and sometimes it can be hard to combine with the rest of the family. De Tongelreep invites you to a fun and challenging 9 hole course.

In the booklet 'Dagje Heusden' there are two self-guided city walks including a map of the fortress. The booklet gives you information about the history of the fortress and the historic buildings that you will pass along the way. The two routes can be walked independently. Duration: 1 - 1.5 hours. The 'Through The City' (Door de Stad) walk starts at the Visitor Centre, taking you past the historic Catharijnekerk, by national monuments and beautiful old buildings in the town, alongside windmills and over the towns ramparts. The second walk, 'Fortifications' (Vestingwerken) also starts at the Visitor Centre and goes along the bastions and fortifications, past the historic cannons, the windmills and the marinas. Every Sunday afternoon you have the option to go on a guided tour with a “City Guide”. The guide will tell you about the town’s history, the fortifications, about the restoration of the city and the striking buildings. The start is always at 2:30pm at the Visitor Centre at Pelsestraat 17 in Heusden, and takes around 75 minutes.

The village of Nuenen is also known as Van Gogh Village, and rightly so. There isn’t a place in the Netherlands where you can tread in the footsteps of this famous painter quite so literally. Here, stories about Van Gogh are still vividly told, his letters are available for reading, and there are no fewer than fourteen locations which have been immortalised by Van Gogh in a picture or a painting. Experiencing Van Gogh’s life in the Netherlands so intensely is not possible anywhere else. “The museum is a gem” In the Vincentre museum you will hear all about Van Gogh and read his own stories about Nuenen, where he lived and worked from 1883 to 1885. Who was he, how did he live, who did he socialise with, and why was he so passionate about Nuenen? It will all become clear during an educational tour with an audio guide in no fewer than eight languages: Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Chinese. In the village itself, no fewer than 23 locations have a direct link with Van Gogh. Together, they form a walking and cycling route with interactive informational signs in Dutch and English. From The Potato Eaters to The Starry Night The Potato Eaters is based on a scene that Van Gogh saw at the house of a peasant family in Nuenen. It literally comes to life in theatre Het Klooster. The world famous designer Daan Roosegaarde designed, based on Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, the now famous and unique Van Gogh-Roosegaarde cycle path, for which thousands of twinkling stones were incorporated in the asphalt. This cycle path, between Nuenen and the nearby city of Eindhoven, is part of the Van Gogh Cycle Route. Heritage locations in Brabant This cycle route connects the five Van Gogh heritage locations in Brabant, which of course include Nuenen. You won’t get any closer to Van Gogh than this. Or, as one of our enthusiastic guests wrote about Nuenen: “The same view that Van Gogh had!” Come and experience the place in which Van Gogh was inspired by the rural Brabant countryside, easily accessible at no more than ten kilometres away from Eindhoven, city of technology and design.

Located in the centre of Etten-Leur, the Van Gogh Church offers a fascinating glimpse into what is probably the least known period in Vincent van Gogh’s life, but certainly not the least important! ‘The start of a career’ This is the church where Van Gogh’s father was minister for seven years and where Van Gogh could regularly be found. Vincent van Gogh first registered as an artist in Etten in 1881. For nine months he lived and worked in the parsonage behind the Dutch Reformed Church. He also had his first drawing studio here. ‘Precious memories’ In the Van Gogh Church you can see how Vincent wrestled with drawing but became better at it through sheer hard work. How he was infatuated by his cousin Kee Vos and the drama which then unfolded. How he had arguments with his father. How he left Etten at Christmas 1881 but never forgot it. ‘Around the Van Gogh Church’ All these unusual stories are told in and around the Van Gogh Church. Nine colourful windows, multilingual information panels, showcases, animation, a film, a garden, an oversized portrait wall and audio columns take you back in time. The ‘Van Gogh in virtual reality’ is new: you will be immersed in an almost a real life encounter with Vincent van Gogh through a computer simulated environment. Van Gogh Shop The Van Gogh Shop has a large variety of souvenirs. It is also the ideal starting point for a Van Gogh walk or a cycle trip through the surrounding area. Van Gogh heritage location The Van Gogh Church and Van Gogh Shop (Markt 4) are within walking distance from the bus and railway stations. There is a multi-storey car park very close to the church. The locations are also on the Van Gogh Cycle Route that connects the five heritage locations in Brabant with each other.