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Visit Heerlen

In Heerlen you can enjoy theatre, concerts, modern art and historical museums. There are numerous boutiques, department stores, shopping malls and markets. You’ ll find many cafes, terraces and restaurants for a wonderful evening out. Fan of hiking or biking? In Heerlen green rolling hills, woods and moorlands are always nearby. Come and discover the city: there’s lots to see and to experience!

To the city centre by car or by train

By car it is best to follow the A76 and take the afslag ‘Heerlen-centrum’. Check prettigparkeren.nl for more information about car parks in the city centre. If you travel by train, choose ‘Heerlen station’ (and not Woonboulevard or Kissel station). There are trains to Aken (Aachen in Germany), to Sittard or Maastricht. More information about public transport can be found on this site: www.ov9292.nl  of more specifically, about travelling by train on www.ns.nl. From the bus or train station it will take you a few minutes to walk to the shops in the centre. On this page you'll find a map of our city's centre. 

Shopping

Heerlen has fashion and shoes shops and department stores in the city centre. There are weekly markets held on Tuesday, from 8.30 AM till 15.00 PM and on Saturday from 9.00 AM till 17.00 AM. You will find fruits, vegetables, flowers, household goods, clothing and fabrics. An antique market with second hand stuff and bric-a-brac is held regularly on Saturdays from May to October, in the heart of the city. Please check our calendar of events and look out for ‘curiosamarkt’.

Shopping for home furnishings

Alongside of the A76 motorway, there is a massive concentration of furniture shops and stores, called the ‘ Woonboulevard’, one of Europe’s largest furnishings boulevards. It has dozens of furniture and specialist shops and the largest IKEA in the Benelux. You can park your car next to the shops for free. You could also take the train to station Heerlen Woonboulevard that’s right next the shops. That station is on the line Heerlen-Maastricht. Look on www.ns.nl for timetables or other information about train connections.

Sunday shopping

Shops are allowed to be open every Sunday, from 10.00 AM till 18.00 PM. It is up to the shop owners themselves if they are actually open or not. For information about the actual shopping Sundays, we refer to the shops and department stores. You might find more information on these sites:
www.heerlenmijnstad.nl
www.woonboulevard.nl
www.coriocenter.nl
www.shoppingcenterhetloon.nl

Shop opening times

Most shops and department stores are opened on Monday from 13.00-18.00 hours, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays: 10.00-18.00 hours, Thursday 10.00-21.00 hours and on Saturdays: 10.00 – 17.00 hours. The furniture boulevard differs in opening times. Look on www.woonboulevard.nl for more details.

Culture

Lovers of modern art should not miss SCHUNCK* (the former Glasspalace), a museum in the city centre. Next to collections of modern art there are temporary expositions of innovative, avant-garde or urban art. Above all the Glass Palace building itself is an awesome monument designed by Peutz in the 1930s and worth the visit. Closeby SCHUNCK* there is an intimate concert hall, called ‘de Nieuwe Nor’ that offers gigs almost every weekend. Or visit the beautiful medieval church of Pancratius, next to SCHUNCK*. At the Theater Heerlen, one of the largest theatres in the Netherlands, and also designed by Peutz, you can visit theatre shows, musicals, concerts or drama.

Events

Cultura Nova festival offers stunning theatrical shows in the open air and on other unexpected venues. The festival has become famous for its internationally renowned shows or spectacle. There are always lots of smaller musical or art events on the side, also for children. It is yearly held, usually at the end of August. It starts with a grand show that is for free. Don’t miss it if you happen to be nearby Heerlen during that time!
During the International Breakdance Event, Heerlen changes into Hiphop City and bustles with breakdancers from all over the world. On many locations in the city, b-boys and b-girls show their jaw-dropping skills during dance battles. Next to that, there are many other events, please check our calender to see what is on.

Historical museums

If you have children, take them to the Castle of Hoensbroek. It is a wonderful, small medieval castle with a moat, a bridge, an inner court, a tower with a spiral staircase that leads to a dungeon, and many beautifully decorated rooms that give an impression of living the life of the Count of Hoensbroek.

Heerlen used to be a city of colliers before the coal mines were closed in the early 1970s. You can discover this part of our past in the Dutch Minemuseum (Nederlands Mijnmuseum), a museum located on a former mine. Former colliers can give you a tour around and tell you what work and life was like in those days.

If we go back to the Roman Empire, Heerlen was a small settlement known as Coriovallum. We thank the Roman thermal baths and many other objects for that. You can see them in the Thermenmuseum.

A day of action

Heerlen has hills, woods, moors and old castles, mills and farms. You can walk or cycle for hours, for instance on the Brunssumerheide. You can easily end up on the German side of this moor and visit a quiet village there. Next to the many bicycle lanes, there are special bicycle routes and shortcuts that lead through parks and green areas in our city. On sites such as www.natuurmonumenten.nl en www.vvvzuidlimburg.nl you will find more information about hiking and biking tracks through Heerlen and the countryside that surrounds it.

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