Eindhoven is not just a destination; it is an experience. Come for the food, stay for the culture and fall in love with a city where creativity, innovation and hospitality come together. Eindhoven is the fifth-largest city in the Netherlands and the largest city below the rivers. The city is of course known for Philips: over 125 years ago, Philips brought the light bulb to Eindhoven and transformed Eindhoven into a city bursting with energy. The sports club of the factory workers is now better known as the successful PSV. Of course, Eindhoven has much more to offer than that. The city is known for its innovation, design and future. Strijp-R is the Design District, housed on a converted former industrial estate. The most famous design event in Northern Europe is the Dutch Design Week, which takes place every year in October.
The history of Eindhoven
Eindhoven has more than 150 national monuments, including a large number of historical buildings. The early modern De Bergen area is still in its original state, but there are other places in the city where you can visit interesting historical buildings. The industrial revolution in particular, which was initially brought about in the city by textile, cigar and match factories, and later mainly by Philips, is worth exploring. Other highlights include the Sint-Catharinakerk (1867) and the Heilig Hart or Paterskerk (1898). An interesting museum is the preHistorisch Dorp, an open-air museum focused on the Iron Age and the Middle Ages.
Eindhoven, city for food lovers
You won’t have to look far for a nice restaurant or cosy bar in Eindhoven. Numerous bars, breweries, coffee shops and restaurants can be found here. With many types of international cuisine and offerings in all price ranges, it’s a great place to stay for everyone. Nightlife in Eindhoven is divided into a number of clear sectors. Near the station and in the Dommelstraat you will find grand cafés, cosy terraces and many restaurants. In this area you will also find pop venue de Effenaar and a large cinema. On the Markt you will mainly find large restaurants and grand cafés, where you can enjoy the sun on the many outdoor terraces in the summer months. For a weekend away there are many beautiful hotels, from luxury chains to charming boutique hotels and hostels. The nightlife street of Eindhoven is Stratumseind. This is the longest café street in the Netherlands with more than fifty pubs, cafés and discos. If you prefer a cosy pub, visit De Bergen district. There are a number of great pubs here, especially on the Wilhelminaplein. You can also enjoy the numerous pubs and small eateries on the Grote Berg and Kleine Berg.
Sniffing out art in Eindhoven
Art lovers will also find much to enjoy in this city, known for its special architecture and industrial heritage. There are some very interesting museums and galleries here. The Evoluon offers temporary exhibitions and performances. The Van Abbemuseum is a museum for modern and contemporary art, which has works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Chagall and Mondriaan in its collection. DAF automobiles can be found in the DAF Museum and Philips light bulbs in the Philips Light Bulb Factory from 1891. Football fans will enjoy a tour of the PSV stadium, which is located right next to the city centre.
Strijp-S is the cultural heart of Eindhoven. Art space MU shows changing exhibitions with contemporary art on Strijp-S. Independent cinema Plaza Futura has four cinemas, an auditorium, a stage hall, two exhibition halls, studios and workshop spaces in the NatLab. Every summer, it organises a number of outdoor films on Strijp-S, which are free of charge. Children can get to know science, technology and design in De Ontdekfabriek at Strijp-S.
Dutch Design Week
Every year in October, the nine-day Dutch Design Week takes place in Eindhoven. It is one of the largest design events in Europe, where work and concepts from over 2600 designers are presented to more than 350,000 visitors from home and abroad. Spread across more than 120 locations throughout the city, DDW organises and facilitates exhibitions, lectures, award ceremonies, networking events, debates and festivities. Some annual recurring components are the Graduation Show with graduation work from the Design Academy Eindhoven and the exhibition of Dutch Design Awards.
Shopping around
In Eindhoven, you will find all kinds of nice boutiques in the city centre, in addition to the well-known chains such as Bijenkorf, Zara, H&M and top-end designers. However, in the centre of Eindhoven, there are also many small-scale, unique shops where homemade or vintage products are sold. De Bergen area is mainly home to antique and specialty shops. In Strijp-S you will find concept and vintage stores for unique finds and innovative design.
Eindhoven: a range of education
The city is home to the High Tech Campus (HTC) and the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). Both are internationally renowned for their high-quality education in a wide range of technical studies, including Biomedical Technology, Architecture, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Design and Chemical Engineering. Dutch and international students are attracted by the inspiring education, which gives the city a young and relaxed atmosphere. In the city, students easily get to know others through the many student associations. There is plenty to do for young people in the many bars, cinemas, sports facilities and nightlife. Make friends for life here!
Come visit
Eindhoven is connected to the entire world via Eindhoven Airport. By train you can easily reach other Dutch cities such as Amsterdam, Utrecht and Maastricht. For expats who want to live in the city there is Expat Center South, which provides information about moving to Eindhoven.
Written by Saskia Roselaar
With thanks to www.thisiseindhoven.com