Activities in Eindhoven

1. What to do

Strijp-S is the former Philips production site north-west of the centre. Where only Philips employees were once allowed, the old factory halls now hold studios, shops, restaurants and homes. The Klokgebouw, the old clock building of the complex, is a landmark of the district. Strijp-S is also one of the main locations of Dutch Design Week.

The Philips Museum stands in the centre, in the small factory where Philips began making light bulbs in 1891. The museum tells how a lamp factory in a Brabant town grew into a worldwide electronics company, with lamps, radios, medical equipment and consumer electronics.

The Van Abbemuseum stands on the Dommel, at the end of Stratumseind. The museum of modern and contemporary art opened in 1936 and is named after its founder Henri van Abbe. The collection includes work by Picasso, Kandinsky and Mondrian. Across the Dommel lies the centre, so museum and shopping streets combine well.

The DAF Museum stands on Tongelresestraat, by the Eindhoven Canal. DAF began in 1928 and grew into a truck manufacturer. The museum shows trucks, cars, buses and prototypes from the company's history, in a restored brewery from 1884.

The Evoluon is the saucer-shaped building at the edge of the city. Philips built it in 1966 as a science museum, to mark the company's 75th anniversary. The original museum closed in 1989, the building became a conference centre, and in 2022 it reopened to the public as the Next Nature Museum, with exhibitions about technology, nature and the future.

In the centre itself, Sint-Catharinakerk on Catharinaplein, the Markt and 18 Septemberplein are the fixed points. Sint-Catharinakerk, a neo-Gothic church built between 1861 and 1867 to a design by Pierre Cuypers, stands at the end of the shopping street. On 18 Septemberplein stands De Blob, a striking modern building. Stratumseind, the street between Catharinaplein and the Van Abbemuseum, is the city's going-out street in the evening, with many cafés and restaurants.

For football there is the Philips Stadion, home of PSV Eindhoven, close to the centre. The stadium has a PSV Museum and tours are given. Anyone who prefers to be outside can go to Stadswandelpark in the centre or to Genneper Parken in the south of the city, a large recreation area with old farms, nature and walking paths. Walking routes along the Dommel run through and out of the city.

2. Seasonal notes

Two events shape the year in Eindhoven. Dutch Design Week takes place every year in October, with exhibitions throughout the city, above all at Strijp-S and in the centre. GLOW, the light festival, takes place every year in November: a walking route through the centre past light artworks, which can only be seen after dark. Anyone coming for either should expect crowds and arrange a place to stay in advance.

The museums are open all year, but opening times and exhibitions change. Check them on the museum's own site. The parks and the Dommel are at their best in spring and summer, but also good for walking in winter, with warm clothing and sturdy shoes.

3. Practical notes

Always check opening times and entry prices on the official site of the museum or venue itself. This page deliberately gives no times or prices: they change, and an out-of-date price helps nobody.

Book Philips Stadion tours and tickets for Dutch Design Week and GLOW in advance if you come in those weeks. Much of the centre can be done on foot, but for Strijp-S, the Evoluon and Genneper Parken you need a bike or a bus. Always lock your bike, even for a short stop.

At GLOW bring warm clothing: the route is outdoors and takes a long time. For a museum visit, take time for one museum rather than three in one day: the Van Abbemuseum and the Philips Museum each take half a day if you want to see them properly.

This page is general information about activities in Eindhoven. The site does not check opening times, prices or availability.