The Dutch city Eindhoven is underrated and offers a lot more than most people know of. This is why we have created a list of 10 popular and lesser known things to do in Eindhoven on your next trip to the tech hub capital of the Netherlands.
If you are visiting Eindhoven for the first time, you should check out our 1-day itinerary for Eindhoven first. It is the perfect itinerary for first-time travelers and covers the most important and coolest aspects of everything there is to do and to see in Eindhoven. From the Philips Museum to the historic neighbourhood De Bergen to the hip district of Strijp-S. If you are visiting Eindhoven for a second time and have already covered most of the basics, but would like to explore more, then this list should have you covered.
Here are some essentials that you will also find in our original post, just to have you covered:
Where to stay: Housed in the former Philips factory The Clock Building, Blue Collar Hotel is located 1 km from the center of Eindhoven in the hip Strijp-S area. You can’t stay in a more iconic hotel than this.
When to go: The Dutch weather can be very windy and rainy, so we recommend that you visit between May and September.
How to get there: You can reach Eindhoven by train using NS. If you fly in, you can land at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport or directly at Eindhoven Airport.
How long to stay: Eindhoven can be easily covered in 1 day. However, you can choose to make this your hub and explore the rest of the Netherlands from here.
1. Meet van Gogh in Nuenen
Nuenen is a small village next to Eindhoven where Vincent van Gogh used to live between 1883 and 1885 at his parents house ‘De Pastorie’. This is where he produced one of his first famous masterworks ‘De Aardappeleeters’. You can start your visit to Nuenen with a visit to the recently renovated Vincent Van Gogh Museum and afterwards go on the Vincent van Gogh walk. A walk that follows a number of locations where he left his mark. You could also take the Van Gogh-Rosegaarde cyclepath or book a guided tour.
2. Enjoy the best Italian food of the region
Since you are already in Nuenen, you have to stop by at iFratelli. It’s a small Italian delicatessen shop where you will find everything that will suddenly make you feel like you’re in Italy. From olive oil to pasta to homemade panna cotta and lasagna. You can shop in the store, choose take-out or grab a chair and enjoy the smells of salami and parmigiano that are in the air while waiting for a delicious mortadella i crema sandwich or a quattro fromaggi pizza.
3. Experience the best Vegan Bubble Tea
Strijp-S is not only a supercool area to discover from a design perspective, it also has the best bubble tea shop of Eindhoven, maybe even of the Netherlands! At Tea Stories you will not only be warmly greeted by the kind owner and her cocker spaniel (the prettiest dog in the world!), the staff will also assist you in making a selection, because the options are limitless and they all taste amazing. I can highly recommend the Matcha Latte, the Mango and Grapefruit Sago and the Dalgona Milk Tea. Tea Stories is the first 100% vegan bubble tea brand and you can also book a high tea experience if you like.
4. Have Pannekoeken at Philips Fruittuin
Dutch pancakes are a little different than the pancakes you’re probably used to. Instead of being rolled up like the French crepes, the Dutch pannekoeken are served on a big plate with the filling scattered on top just like you would expect with a pizza. If you’re in Eindhoven, you should definitely try the pancakes at Philips Fruittuin. We can highly recommend the spinach pancake with goatcheese or the regular pannekoek with cheese and ham. You have to try the beet syrup that they make on their own – a complimentary bottle should be placed on each table, otherwise definitely ask for it!
5. Explore the nature surrounding Philips Fruittuin
Not only is the food at Philips Fruittuin amazing, but the family-friendly restaurant is also surrounded by lots of greenery, a sheep farm (try feeding grass to them!), hundreds of apple and other fruit trees, an organic farm shop and a big playground for children. Make sure to reserve some time before or after your restaurant visit to explore the area. When you come in September you can even participate in the appelplukdagen – the apple picking days, in which you pay for a bag and then get to fill it with as many apples as you can pluck from the trees.
6. Indoor karting at Hezeman’s Indoor Karting Axe Bar
At Hezeman’s Indoor Karting Axe Bar you will find one of the most exciting karting tracks in Eruope. Created by former professional top racer Mike Hezeman, the indoor karting experience offers you an exhiliarating experience that at least we could not get enough of. Don’t forget to book your heats online and to warm up your tires in order to beat your opponents. Hezeman’s also offers an axe bar and a cafe/restaurant. If climbing is more your thing, there’s a climbing hall right next door.
7. Admire the art at Van Abbemuseum
If art is more your thing, you may consider visiting the Van Abbemuseum, which is also close to the Bergen district. It’s a museum for contemporary art with more than 2700 exhibitions. The Van Abbemuseum opened its doors in 1936 and was one of the first established art museums in Europe. The museum houses art by Lissitzky, Picasso, Kandinsky, Mondrain and others. Tickets are €13 per person. There is also a nice museumcafé, where you can enjoy coffee, lunch or even a glass of wine.
8. Relax at SpaSense in Geldrop
SpaSense is an amazing wellness oasis located in Geldrop, a small village right outside of Eindhoven. You can take a bus from Eindhoven Station in order to reach there. SpaSense offers you numerous indoor and outdoor sauna’s, wellness rituals and treatments. In between your treatments you can get a healthy lunch at their restaurant or relax in the resting area sipping on coffee or tea while reading a book on a massage chair. You can find great arrangement deals on their website, where you can book your spa day in advance.
9. Visit High Tech Campus
In our original post, we have recommended to visit the Philips museum. You could also add to this and visit the High Tech Campus, which is like the Silicon Valley of the Netherlands. Not only big companies such as Philips, Huawei and Hertz have their offices there, but also smaller start-ups can be found. During lunch hour you will find many different food trucks offering you Indian, Mexican, Dutch food and many other cuisines. There is a fantastic lake with sundeck chairs where you can take a seat or alternatively, you could explore the serene surroundings where you’ll might come across a sheep farm or some goats.
10. Visit the Prehistoric Village
The prehistoric village or in Dutch ‘prehistorisch dorp’ is a complete replication of a prehistoric village depicting life in Roman and early Medieval times. It shows how people used to live and how they used to work by using actors dressed in historical clothing, who interact with visitors in the museum and workshops. Although we have not been there, it does sound like to say an amazing destination to visit if you have children. There are workshops that teach you stick bread baking, hand weaving, spinning, metalwork, and prehistoric farming methods.
11. Go bouldering at Monk Eindhoven
Monk Bouldergym offers a great bouldering gym for kids and beginners but also challenging boulders for experts. In between your bouldering sessions, you can enjoy a lemonade or a nice piece of cake in the adjourning cafe. Tickets are €13 per person and €12 for those younger than 25. Bring your own climbing shoes if you have them or borrow them at Monk for €5. There are also introductory lessons, personal training and group workshops offered. Monk is also present in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Hilvsersum and Hasselt.
If you want to explore more of the Netherlands, don’t miss our itineraries for Groningen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Bosch, Venlo and our original Eindhoven guide.