Eindhoven is often written off as a grey industrial city, and that is a pity, because the list of things to do in Eindhoven is stronger than its reputation. This is the capital of Dutch design, the home town of Philips and PSV, and a city where old factories have been turned into studios, restaurants and galleries. Here is how I would spend one day, hour by hour.
9:00 – Begin at Strijp-S
Strijp-S is the former Philips factory complex, now a creative district. Walk around the converted buildings, look at the street art, and notice how the old industrial scale has been kept rather than hidden. Cafes and small studios have moved in, and on most weekends there is a market or event somewhere. It is the easiest place to understand how the city reinvented itself after the electronics giant moved much of its work elsewhere.
If you like photography, bring a camera. The light on the brick and steel in the morning is excellent, and the area is quiet before the lunch crowd turns up.
11:00 – Art at the Van Abbemuseum
The Van Abbemuseum is one of the best modern and contemporary art museums in the Netherlands, and it is right in the city centre. The collection covers twentieth-century and recent work, and the museum is known for rearranging its displays instead of leaving the same masterpieces on the wall for decades. Allow a couple of hours, and check current exhibitions on its website before you go.
13:00 – Lunch around the centre
Eindhoven’s centre is practical rather than pretty, since much of the city was rebuilt after wartime bombing. For lunch, head to the area around the Markt or the 18 Septemberplein, where there are plenty of cafes and casual restaurants. If it is a pleasant day, find a terrace and watch the cyclists, because Eindhoven is a big cycling city and the paths are well organised.
14:30 – Learn about Philips
Anyone who wants more than a surface impression should spend an hour in the Philips Museum, which tells the story of the company through products and old advertisements. Then take a look at the Evoluon, the flying-saucer-shaped building that was built as a technology showcase and now serves as a conference venue. It is a good photo even if you do not go in, and it says a lot about the confident optimism of postwar Dutch industry.
Things to do in Eindhoven in autumn and at night
The calendar matters here. Dutch Design Week takes place every October and fills the city with exhibitions, talks and pop-ups, from big venues to small studios. Hotels book up early during that week, so plan ahead. In November the GLOW light festival turns the streets into an open-air gallery of light installations, and it is free to walk around, though crowds can be heavy.
Nightlife is concentrated around Stratumseind, a long street packed with bars, which is lively on Friday and Saturday nights and noticeably less charming on Tuesday afternoons. For something quieter, look for craft beer bars near Strijp-S or in the side streets of the centre.
For football fans
PSV Eindhoven is one of the leading clubs in the country, and the Philips Stadion sits right next to the centre. You can often join a stadium tour on non-match days, and on match days the neighbourhood fills with red and white. Tickets for big games sell quickly, so book early.
Nearby extras
- Eindhoven Museum in Son: an open-air archaeology museum with reconstructed prehistoric buildings, a good family option.
- Nuenen: the village where Vincent van Gogh lived for a time, with a small trail of locations linked to him.
- Efteling: the famous fairy-tale theme park is under an hour away by car, though not easy by public transport.
- Den Bosch: a medieval city a short train ride north, which makes a strong contrast to Eindhoven’s modern feel.
Getting here and getting around
Eindhoven has good train links to Amsterdam, Utrecht and Rotterdam, and the trip from Amsterdam takes roughly an hour and a quarter. There is also an airport on the edge of the city, used by low-cost airlines, with a bus into the centre. Within the city, walking and cycling cover almost everything, and bike rental is easy to arrange.
Is Eindhoven worth a visit?
If you want canals and gabled houses, no. Go to Delft or Utrecht for that. If you are curious about design, technology and how a city changes direction, then yes, and one full day is plenty for a first visit. Two days lets you add the surrounding villages and a slower evening. The people here are direct and practical, the food scene has grown a lot in recent years, and the city feels more like a working place than a museum, which is exactly what makes it interesting.
Go with an open mind, start at Strijp-S and follow the route above, and the things to do in Eindhoven will probably leave you with a different picture than the grey one most travel guides paint.
More from us: The Netherlands.
Featured photo: Michielverbeek / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
