One of the most underrated Dutch cities is Eindhoven. This is one of the most special places and cities to visit in The Netherlands and Eindhoven has plenty of must do’s and sees. Discover the best and most fun things to do in one day in Eindhoven, Noord- Brabant, The Netherlands here.
Eindhoven is one of the more ‘modern’ Dutch cities in The Netherlands. You won’t see hundreds of century-old houses as in cities like Amsterdam, Alkmaar or Hoorn. But what you will see is modern or industrial looking buildings, street art and design. Eindhoven is famous for its Dutch design, for its industrial past and for being a creative hub.
Eindhoven is known as the city of lights. While Paris is most famous for being called the city of lights, Eindhoven takes the first place and is the true city of lights. Not only was the company Philips created here, but you can also find an annual festival called GLOW in Eindhoven that is worth a visit.
Eindhoven is industrial, with rough and charming edges. I didn’t expect to like Eindhoven as much as I did. But I did. It’s definitely recommended to stay at least one day in Eindhoven as there are plenty of things to see and do.
People first started living in the areas of Eindhoven around the 8th century. In 1233 Eindhoven gained it’s city rights from the duke Hendrik I of Brabant. The city of Eindhoven suffered immensely through the 80-year-war with the Spanish and other wars that followed, including the Second World War. As of now Eindhoven has around 223.000 inhabitants and is The Netherlands 5th largest city.
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Last updated on the 31st of May 2022
Most fun things to do in 24 hours in Eindhoven, The Netherlands
There are plenty of great and cool things that you can do in Eindhoven in one day. From free things to do in Eindhoven to visiting museums. And from eating your heart out in the best food hall of The Netherlands to finishing the evening in Eindhoven with drinks at a sky bar. Eindhoven has a lot to offer and I’m hoping you will love the city when you visit it as much as I do. Discover the must sees and must do’s of Eindhoven, including extra options for things to do in one day in Eindhoven.
The 10 best hotels in Eindhoven and other accommodation
Here you will find the best accommodation in the city of Eindhoven. From hotels in Eindhoven centre to cheap accommodation in Eindhoven. And from a budget hotel in Eindhoven to hostels and high end or luxury hotels. Most of these hotels and other accommodation are located in the city centre of Eindhoven, except for Tulip Inn Eindhoven Airport (Eindhoven Airport) and Blue Collar Hotel (Strijp – S).
Hotel The Match, check availability on Booking.com
The Student Hotel Eindhoven, check availability on Booking.com
Boutique Hotel Lumiere, check availability on Booking.com
Blue Collar Hotel, check availability on Booking.com
Inntel Hotels Art Eindhoven, check availability on Booking.com
Tulip Inn Eindhoven Airport, check availability on Booking.com
Budget Hotel De Zwaan, check availability on Booking.com
B&B De Eindhovenaar, check availability on Booking.com
B&B Hof, check availability on Booking.com
3BE Backpackers Hostel Bed & Breakfast Eindhoven, check availability on Booking.com
Enjoy the best breakfast of Eindhoven
At Happines Cafe in Eindhoven, you can eat breakfast the entire day and there is something on the menu for everyone. Whether you are looking for a great vegan breakfast in Eindhoven or pancakes. You can find sandwiches, salads, smoothie bowls and even burgers in this breakfast cafe in Eindhoven.
Nieuwe Emmasingel 9, 5611 AM Eindhoven
Another great breakfast restaurant in Eindhoven is Meneer De Boer. This is a place that has a lot of options as well, there’s even oatmeal to make sure you can start exploring the inspiring city Eindhoven with the utmost energy. Or what to think about the tuna melt? The food is great at both places, so it doesn’t matter where you can for your (late) breakfast or brunch in Eindhoven. Oh p.s. You won’t be able to find the menu of Meneer De Boer online, but you can find some of the food on their Instagram. They like to keep their food as a surprise for the visitors.
Keizersgracht 20, 5611 GD Eindhoven
Go on a self guided walking and cycling tour through Eindhoven
What to do in Eindhoven? By exploring the city with a tour. This is the best way to get a quick taste of the Dutch city of lights. The crazy people will do this entire tour walking. You know those people who say ‘oh, you can walk this’. That’s me. And it’s what I did in Eindhoven. It wasn’t fun. I do not recommend you to walk through the entire city of Eindhoven as some parts are pretty far away from each other.
Instead, you should rent a bike and explore Eindhoven the best way possible. You can walk through the small centre of Eindhoven where the main church, Philips museum and shopping streets are located. But that’s all I would walk. And that’s where we will start our self guided walking tour of Eindhoven as well. You can decide for yourself whether you’d want to take your bike straight away, or if you want to walk through the city centre of Eindhoven first before you dive deeper into Eindhoven.
Eindhoven is very famous within The Netherlands for its incredible street art. For a very good reason. The artists are incredibly talented and the art is breathtaking. In this cycling tour of Eindhoven, you will see all the highlights of Eindhoven as well as the best places to see street art and the best parks. You will end the first part of the tour in the industrial and upcoming area of Strijp-S. You can also choose to go through the city of Eindhoven by public transport, but it will take you a bit longer to get to certain places.
We start the tour through Eindhoven from your breakfast spot. From here you will go towards the Bergstraat, which is one of the few ‘cute’ streets of Eindhoven. Then you will walk to Kazerne, which is a restaurant and design exhibition centre in one that I really recommend you to visit.
Continue your tour through Eindhoven with a visit to the St. Catharinakerk (church). It’s opened from Tuesday until Saturday 10:00- 16:30 and on Sunday 11:00 – 16:30. After a visit to this church you head to the Ten Hagestraat and then to the Augustijnendreef 15. At the last spot you can find an old monastery called Klooster Mariënhage that dates back to the 15th century.
Now it’s time to head to the Emmasingel 31, to see the first light bulb factory of Philips. When you have seen the little factory from the outside, it’s time to discover what Eindhoven in The Netherlands stands for beyond the company of Philips. And that is art. Discover the first street art of Eindhoven on this tour.
Just behind the Vue Cinema, at the Nieuwe Emmasingel, you will find street art. Not just any street art. Beautiful street art. The works change often, but I’ve yet to be disappointed with them. These artists have a true talent. It’s what I love about Eindhoven. Art, in the open air. At spots that you didn’t think of before. Discovering street art is one of the outdoor activities you have to do in Eindhoven.
Continue your cycling tour through Eindhoven with more street art. In fact, you can find most of the street art of Eindhoven in the next two spots I will guide you through in this travel guide for Eindhoven. Now you will go through a tunnel that is called ‘silly walks tunnel’.
The silly walks tunnel in Eindhoven is a tunnel that was decorated by artists of Studio Giftig. And they decided to the silly walks from Monty Python. Fun fact: John Cleese actually opened the transformed tunnel in Eindhoven. And this tunnel is definitely one of the things you have to see when you have 24 hours in Eindhoven.
Now it’s time to head to the ‘Berenkuil’. Here you will find the most street art of Eindhoven. It’s under bridges, on walls, on roofs. Wherever it’s allowed they will paint it. It’s quite far away from the center of Eindhoven city, but it’s one of the things you have to do and visit here.
Then you will cycle your way to the Evoluon in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. This building in Eindhoven is the weirdest and most special building in one. Its shape is very uncommon which makes it stand out. It’s made in the form of a discus and it is actually a conference center.
Last, but certainly not least, is the Philips de Jongh park in Eindhoven. This park was gifted by the Philips family to the city of Eindhoven back in 1920. It’s nowadays a very popular hang out and running spot in Eindhoven, especially when the weather is a bit nicer. There are often events held as well.
For more places to visit (including museums, restaurants and more), click here for a full map of Eindhoven and its things to do.
Go for a great lunch in Strijp S
After an interesting self-guided walking and cycling tour through Eindhoven, you’ve arrived in the industrial, edgy and modern looking neighbourhood of Strijp- S. It’s time for food. One of the best places and cafes to go for lunch in Eindhoven is Coffeelab STRP.
At Coffeelab STRPthey change the menu every three months to make sure you will never get bored with their food. And honestly, even if they hadn’t changed the menu you will still be coming back to this great cafe. You can eat breakfast and lunch here at Coffeelab STRPin Strijp- S. They have everything. From great coffee and tea to sandwiches and home-made soup. And plenty of more. If you’re looking for a great vegan breakfast or lunch cafe in Eindhoven, then you will also love Coffeelab STRP. Not to mention that the interior and exterior are both incredible, which is a big plus.
Leidingstraat 45, 5617 AJ Eindhoven
Discover the artsy and industrial area of Eindhoven: Strijp S
One of the things to do in Eindhoven is to discover Strijp- S. This industrial and upcoming neighbourhood is filled with art spaces, great restaurants and plenty of more things. If you ask me ‘what is Eindhoven known for’, then it will be Philips, street art, Dutch Design and Strijp- S. You won’t find many places in The Netherlands that are similar to Strijp-S, which makes this area of Eindhoven extra special and interesting.
Explore Vershal Het Veem
One other must do in Eindhoven is to bring a visit to Vershal Het Veem. You can find amazing Indonesian, Mexican and other food here. You can do groceries here, go for breakfast, lunch or dinner, visit a brewery, buy fresh nuts and plenty of other things. Your nostrils will thank you for the visit.
Vershal Het Veem is almost completely accessible for wheelchair users. There are only a few parts left that aren’t completely accessible and those are currently being changed to become accessible.
Torenallee 86-02, 5617 BE Eindhoven
Visit the Pastryclub
One thing that shouldn’t miss on your Eindhoven itinerary is a visit to the Pastryclub. The Pastryclub is a patisserie, chocolaterie, confectionery, salon de thé, ice cream parlor and tasting room in one. You can also take part in workshops or classes. If you’re looking for things to buy in Eindhoven then you’re in for a treat at the Pastryclub. Buy and eat a little bit of everything (highly recommend you do) or just admire the beautiful buildings and shops.
Machinekamer Strijp S Ketelhuisplein 7-9
Explore Mu artspace
If you ask me, what is there to see in Eindhoven? Then I will answer you probably with art. A lot of art. Mu artspace is located in Strijp- S and the perfect place to get some artsy inspiration. Here you will find exhibitions of a lot of talented artists and you will learn more about ‘what art is and what art can be’. At MU they have a very interesting platform for creatives to come with challenging and thoughtful art and its definitely worth a vist. Click here for more information about MU artspace.
Torenallee 40-06 (Strijp S), 5617 BD Eindhoven
Enjoy the food at Radio royaal
Radio Royaal in Eindhoven is one of the best restaurants, in my opinion. And if you’re planning on staying in the Strijp-S area for one day in Eindhoven as there are a lot of things to do, then I can recommend you to eat here or at one of the other surrounding places. Not only is it located in a perfect, modern and industrial building. The staff, the food and the cosy atmosphere (even though the building is pretty big) are a golden combination.
Ketelhuisplein 10, 5617 AE Eindhoven
Eat your heart out at Ketelhuis
Ketelhuis is located in a building next to the one where you can find Radio Royaal and in the middle of Strijp-S. The building was built to generate electricity and compressed air in 1929. And when the industry left, all there was left was a building. But luckily many entrepreneurs and the council of Eindhoven saw something in this area and building. At Ketelhuis you can find two floors that have two restaurants, a bar (with some of the best cocktails of Eindhoven) and a bakery. For more information about Ketelhuis click here.
Ketelhuisplein 1, 5617 AE Eindhoven
Visit one of the many museums of Eindhoven
There are some great museums that you can visit in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. But one of the best museums to visit in Eindhoven is the Philips Museum. Eindhoven is well- known for being the birthplace of the company Philips. It is one of Eindhovens best attractions.
Philips Museum
As I’ve said before, in Eindhoven you can find the Philips Museum. Gerard Philips started the company Philips at the current location of the Philips Museum. You will discover how a small manufacturer of incandescent lamps developed into a leading global company. You can visit the old factory where Gerard Philips developed the first Philips incandescent lamp more than a century ago as well as visit plenty of interesting exhibitions. For everyone who wants to know more about how Eindhoven became the Dutch City of Lights, I would definitely recommend you to visit this museum in Eindhoven.
Admission fee
18+ 11 euros
Museum Card FREE
Opening times
The Philips Museum is generally opened from Tuesday to Sunday from 11.00 to 17.00 hours
Address
Emmasingel 31, 5611 AZ Eindhoven
Accesability
According to their website: ‘Philips Museum has full disability acces.’ The museum is also suitable for wheelchair users and there is a lift in the museum. There’s also a wheelchair available in the Philips Museum but they do recommend you to reserve it in advance.
Here you can find more information about the Philips Museum in Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Some other museums you can visit in Eindhoven are Eindhoven Museum, Van Abbemuseum and the Daf Museum.
Eat your heart out in the best food market of The Netherlands
What is one thing you must do in Eindhoven you ask me? Visiting Downtown Gourmet Market. This is the best food market in The Netherlands. I’m aware that’s a big word, but I’m not afraid to tell you the honest truth. For the perfect dinner in Eindhoven, you shouldn’t go to typical restaurants. When you visit the Downtown Gourmet Market in Eindhoven you can choose from 21 individual eateries that are located around two central bars and a social hub.
You will find incredible Indonesian food here in Eindhoven, but also great Indian food and Turkish food. Including many others. Not only is the food to die for at this food market, but the atmosphere here is great as well. Whether you’re visiting alone, with friends or with family, you will be happy that you’ve visited Downtown Gourmet Market.
Card is only accepted as payment. For more information (and opening times) about Downtown Gourmet Market click here.
Smalle Haven 2-14, 5611 EJ Eindhoven
Finish the evening with a drink
I personally like to finish a great day of exploring a brand new city or area with a drink. Whether it has alcohol in it or not. Just some refreshments to finish a very successful and fun day. You can find plenty of great bars and cafes in Eindhoven to go for a drink. I’ve included two below. One of which is a sky bar that has the best view of Eindhoven, the other one is a very casual and cosy place that offers the best craft beers of Eindhoven.
Sky bar Vane
This sky bar in Eindhoven is opened 7 days a week and will make everyone happy that is fond of beautiful city views. Personally I’m a big fan of seeing a city from above, especially when the sun is slowly setting and it sets the city on fire. The cocktails at this bar in Eindhoven are truly great, no other words needed. The place is a bit on the expensive side though, but I would still recommend it, even if it’s just for the view. Click here for more information about Sky bar Vane.
Vestdijk 5, 5611 CA Eindhoven
Van Moll Brouwerij
In 2013 Van Moll brew pub was opened in Eindhoven and they are known for serving the best and most special craft beers of Eindhoven. But one extra interesting thing to know about Van Moll is that they have their own flavour lab, where everyone can sample their creations. They love experimenting with flavours at Van Moll to find the next best thing. You can find a fixed selection of staple beers and a very varied range of specialty beers. Besides that, you can find the typical Dutch ‘gezelligheid’ at this beer cafe in Eindhoven. Add great beer and gezelligheid and you will be having an incredible evening.
Keizersgracht 16A, 5611 GD Eindhoven
Other fun and unusual things to do in Eindhoven, The Netherlands
There are plenty of other fun and free things to do in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Eindhoven isn’t a big receiver of tourism in The Netherlands, but there are plenty of things to see in Eindhoven city centre and beyond. Discover some of the unknown attractions and activities in Eindhoven here.
Visit the TAC
In Eindhoven, The Netherlands, you can find many points of interest. The Temporary Art Centre (TAC) in Eindhoven is not only a great place to go for a drink during the nice weather, as they have a great bar here, but you can also visit several art exhibitions for free.
Go to a football game in Eindhoven
One of the most known buildings of Eindhoven is for sure the Philips football stadium of PSV. Not only can you find some nice graffiti on the wall next to the train rails near the stadium, but the best way to experience the local culture is to be surrounded by locals. During a football game from PSV, especially against AJAX , AZ and Feyenoord, you won’t be bored.
Discover the sustainable market of Eindhoven
At the Wilhelminaplein (square) you can find a cosy, small market every weekend. This market is focused on sustainability and you will discover the nicest fresh products here. It takes place every Saturday from 10:00 – 16:00.
Visit the Observatorium and do some stargazing in Eindhoven
You can have a look at the universe in the Dr. A.F. Philips Observatorium in the Stadswandelpark in Eindhoven. Once a month they open the doors for the public so you can discover the universe beyond the earth as well as show you around the observatory. Click here for more information and dates of the observatory in Eindhoven.
Have a look at the watermill that was painted by Vincent van Gogh
De Genneper Watermolen is an important monument in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. This monument is actually painted by many famous Dutch painters such as Vincent van Gogh and Anton Pieck. Unfortunately the mill isn’t that close to the centre of Eindhoven. However, if you’re by bike, I would recommend you to just do a quick detour to have a look at the century-old monument. It opens on Wednesday & Sunday 12:00 – 16:00. And Saturday 13:00 – 16:00.
Visit the St- Catharina graveyard in Eindhoven
It might sound a bit spooky, but I like to visit unusual places in Eindhoven and other cities that I visit. Within the Sint Catharina Kerkhof you can find around 1600 graves. But what makes this a special place is that quite a few of them are marks from the rich past of Eindhoven. It is opened during the summer from 09:00 – 19:00 and autumn/winter/spring 09:00 – 17:00.
These are some of the most beautiful graves you can find in this graveyard in Eindhoven and they all date back to the 1800s
Grafkapel Smits van Oyen
Grafkapel familie Mignot
Grafmonument familie Mignot-Bouvy
Grafmonument familie Fens-van Moll
Grafmonument familie Marto
Most important and must visit festivals of Eindhoven
There are many annual events that take place in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Whether you’re familiar with them or not, they are all worth a visit.
Lichtfestival Glow
This festival is also known as the Light Art Festival in English. This annual event takes place in November each year. Glow is a light art festival that exhibits light art in the public space of Eindhoven that are connected by a walking route. Besides the artworks there are plenty of side events and you can find unique and innovative works of art that are created by young talents.
Click here for more information about the Lightfestival Glow
Celebrate Carnival
Carnival, or carnaval in Dutch, is celebrated annually around February/March. Eindhoven is turned into Lampegat and people will dress up. It’s one big party. People eat ‘worstenbroodjes‘ and drink beer all day long. But my favourite thing is that everyone is celebrating, friendly and you’ll feel like you’ve been adopted into one, big family.
Dutch Design Week
During Dutch Design Week the city of Eindhoven is flooded with creatives. This event concentrates on the design of the future and the future of design. It’s the biggest design event in Northern Europe and there will be more than 350.000 visitors. In more than 110 locations across Eindhoven you can find exhibitions, festivities, lectures and many other things. You will find the work and ideas of more than 2600 designer and it takes place on the third and fourth week of October.
Click here for more information about Dutch Design Week
Step in the Arena
This is the biggest graffiti festival in the world and it takes place in Eindhoven. I told you were you can find the most street art of Eindhoven right? Well, the berenkuil is also the location for this graffiti festival. The Step in the Arena festival has an international line up and thousands of visitors. This festival in Eindhoven takes place the first of second weekend of June: in 2022 it takes place on 4th and 5th of June at Berenkuil in Eindhoven.
How to get to Eindhoven
Getting to the exciting city of Eindhoven isn’t hard at all. I will explain how you can get to Eindhoven from several places in The Netherlands, but for the up to date time schedules please visit 9292.nl.
From Amsterdam: It’s very easy to get to Eindhoven, The Netherlands, from Amsterdam by either bus or train. I would suggest using the train as I personally think the train is a better mode of transport. However, that also comes with a price. Using the train from Eindhoven is more expensive than going by bus.
To get from Eindhoven to Amsterdam or from Amsterdam to Eindhoven you can take six trains every hour. Four of those are direct trains, which means that you don’t have to transfer to another train. It will take you around 1 hour and 20 minutes to get from Eindhoven to Amsterdam by train.
If you want to visit and go to Eindhoven by bus, then I would recommend you to visit the websites of either Flixbus or AirExpressBus.
From Utrecht: To get to Eindhoven from Utrecht you can also use AirExpressBus. Or you can take six direct trains every hour, that will take you into Eindhoven or Utrecht in 50 minutes.
From Rotterdam: The best way to get to Eindhoven from Rotterdam is also by train. You can take 2 direct trains every hour from Eindhoven Station. Look for the intercity train in the direction of Den Haag Centraal. Get out at Rotterdam Centraal. This will take you around one hour.
You won’t be able to include everything I wrote in this itinerary for Eindhoven in one day. But if you want to spend a weekend in Eindhoven, then you’ll be coming much closer to finishing this bucket list with things to do in Eindhoven. If you’ve visited Eindhoven already and/or if you’ve used this article as a guideline, please let me know what you thought of these must do’s and sees in Eindhoven and what you thought of this modern Dutch city.
If you’re still debating whether Eindhoven is worth visiting, then I will only say that you have to give the city a chance. There are many unusual things you can do in one day in Eindhoven. There are things to do that you didn’t even think were possible in a Dutch city.
You will love the following article if you’re looking for other beautiful places to visit in The Netherlands and they are without the crowds of tourists. Click here for a 2 day itinerary to explore Amsterdam off the beaten path with local tips. One thing I, as a local, would absolutely recommend you to do in Amsterdam is to go on a guided tour. Not a free walking tour, but one that will bring you closer to the Dutch people and culture. Have a look here at the best guided tours of Amsterdam.
But I would also recommend you to explore the South of The Netherlands more and one perfect city to visit is Maastricht. The atmosphere is completely different from any other city and I created a perfect one day itinerary for Maastricht here. If you’re looking for a great day trip from Eindhoven, then I would recommend you to visit the beautiful town of Bergen op Zoom. Share this article!
