Forget windmills, tulips and wooden clogs. In Eindhoven you will find the Netherlands of the future, the creative Netherlands of urban redevelopment, design and technology. But don't be fooled: this does not make it any less Dutch than the better-known Amsterdam. Eindhoven represents another, more innovative side of the country. Moreover, it is easy to reach thanks to low-cost connections to many Italian cities, which is all the more reason to dedicate a weekend to it.
In Strijp-S there are galleries, shops, workshops, residences and much more ©Rosanne de Vries
Why visit Eindhoven
But why visit Eindhoven, for many the name of a city that is hard to place on the map?
The reasons are many, but we could simplify things by saying that this, the fifth largest city in the country, will surprise, amaze and engage you. On one condition: leave at home what you already know about Holland, or what you think you know. Get rid of stereotypes and put your desire to do and discover into play.
Getting to Eindhoven, first of all, is really easy and cheap. There are many Italian cities (including Milan Bergamo, Rome, Bologna, Pisa and Naples) from which you can get there by low-cost flights. And once at the airport you can get there in half an hour by public bus.
If you are passionate, or even just interested, in design, it will take little to realise that you are in the right place. Creativity here is not relegated to a museum, an impromptu initiative or a small neighbourhood. Here it enters pubs and restaurants, transforms deconsecrated churches into hotels, makes restaurants coexist with art galleries, reaches even the greyest suburbs. And if design has never been on your mind, in Eindhoven you will discover that you like it too, because in these forms you have never seen it before!
Cars and public transport will not be needed. The city is easy to get around on foot, especially the city centre area which has a large pedestrian zone, very enjoyable for its shops (there is no shortage of creativity here either), futuristic buildings (including De Blob, Massimiliano Fuksas' masterpiece that serves as the entrance to the De Admirant shopping centre) and the glimpses in the most characteristic streets. And for slightly longer journeys, the only advice is to get on your bike and pedal. Here the bicycle, as in the whole of Holland, is not just a means of transport but a real way of life. Forget the difficulty of getting around on two wheels that you encountered in our cities: here, cyclists have it easy, with cycle lanes all over the road, not infrequently wider than car lanes!
The centre of Eindhoven ©Alex Tihonovs
Tips on what to see in Eindhoven
You will be amazed at the fact that you find yourself having to choose what to see and do in Eindhoven. Because, if on paper it is a city with few monuments, in reality it is a place where time passes very quickly, to be experienced at full speed.
To get closer to its identity and history, visit the Philips Museum. It was here, in fact, that the company of the same name was founded at the end of the 19th century, initially known for light bulbs and later becoming the technological and economic driving force of a nation and a city. In the more than 100 years it has been here, the company has shaped the urban and cultural identity of the city and, when it moved to Amsterdam in 2002, it only accelerated Eindhoven's creative drive. The places where Philips lives and works were rethought for a new city, which found itself with entire neighbourhoods to redesign. So a visit to Strijp-S is a must, perfect to start your cycling explorations: in this former Philips area there are now galleries, shops, workshops, residences and much more.
If you are travelling with children (or simply if you are in the mood for a more bucolic moment) with your bike, reach the Genneper Parken, a green lung within which you will also find a farm: it is called Genneper Hoeve and has a small but well-stocked shop where you can buy local products and a few tables outside for refreshments.
In Eindhoven you will find the Netherlands of the future ©Alex Tihonovs
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Speaking of green places, always on two wheels follow the bike path and reach the Philips Fruittuin, the orchard that was created as a place for Philips employees, who could come here to pick apples. In fine weather it is still possible to pick apples and pears, book tours and treasure hunts for children, sit outside to enjoy delicious apple pancakes and shop in the shop, which is well stocked with zero-mile products.
And for eating? Don't believe anyone who tells you that there is nothing good to eat around here. A colourful, informal place for everyone is the Downtown Market, a covered market with 19 signs of cuisines from all over the world. Keep an eye out for Indonesian cuisine, as one of the largest communities in Europe lives here.
Those looking for nightlife will also be easily satisfied. The Stratumseind, right in the centre, is the street with the highest concentration of clubs in the Netherlands. For the young at heart or at heart.
