Venlo
Venlo is a city in the Southern Netherlands, right on the German border. It's a centre for industries and trade but also the go-to place for shopping and services for people from the wide region, including the neighbouring German Ruhr area. Although the town centre sustained a lot of damage in World War II, there's still a lot of monumental buildings to see. The city has invested heavily in re-vamping the town centre, creating new shopping boulevards and improving infrastructure, which was done in part because of the 2012 national Floriade flower show, which was hosted here.
Understand
Get in
By car
Venlo is a real industrial transport hub, and a main gateway to Germany. The main roads passing through are typically busy with trucks on their way to the east or back. Several major roads pass here, making the town easily reachable from all directions.The A67/E34 connects Venlo to Germany in the west (most directly Duisburg and Essen as well as east, to Eindhoven and further.
The A73 leads to Nijmegen in the north and Roermond and further southern direction. The A74/61 leads to Germany in south-eastern direction, most directly connecting Venlo to Mönchengladbach.
By train
Half hourly slow train connections run between and Roermond. Faster NS intercity trains run, also twice per hour, to Eindhoven (40 min), Tilburg, Breda, Dordrecht and Rotterdam. Before Eindhoven, it stops at the smaller stations of Blerick, Horst-Sevenum, Deurne and Helmond.There are slow cross-border trains to Mönchengladbach (30 min) and fast trains to Düsseldorf and other German destinations.
By bus
The bus station serves most destinations in the area.Get around
The city centre is small enough to navigate on foot. A bike is a convenient alternative. If you don't have your own, you can rent one at Fietspoint at the Stationsplein. Reservations are recommended.
See
Stadhuis (Town hall)Built at the end of the 16th century, this renaissance-style building remained remarkably undamaged in the war. It determines the look of the central market square and was intensively restored in 2009. The lower floor used to be a market place and the building also served as the city weigh house. The medallions on the façade represent famous Venlo people from the time. Research proved however that the image of Hubert Goltzius, a famous engraver and printer, is in fact one of his cousin. Another one, representing painter Jan van Cleef, must be a fantasy image as no pictures of the man exist, also not at the time the medallions were made.
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Romerhuis
address: Wijngaardstraat 2Historic house, built around 1491 and well preserved. Its design is late Gothic art style. GasthuisstraatThis street, despite it looks, is in fact the most medieval street in the country. Behind modern façades lie ancient houses.
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Stad FrankfortOne of the most interesting buildings today is a house with medieval roots and an early 19th-century front. It's considered the oldest house in the city.
Do
Buy
The region is known for its asparagus production, and in spring, when they are in season, you'll find them in abundance both on restaurant menus and for sale along the provincial streets in the agricultural areas.
Eat
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phone: +31 77 321 13 99address: Kwartelenmarkt 13Quaint place with a pleasant outdoor terrace. It serves good, French oriented food in large portions.
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Mozaiek Eten en Drinken
phone: +31 77 850 97 95address: Pastoor op heijstraat 63This Turkish restaurant gets rave reviews for its tasty food and the low prices they charge for it. -
Sittar
address: Kleine Kerkstraat 12Reportedly the best Indian food in the region. The place to go for curry and mango lassi. Especially on weekends, you may want to reserve a table, as this is a popular place. -
Chez Philippe
phone: +31 77 354 89 01address: Parade 61Great French cuisine in a not too posh place. Cozy restaurant with good service and one of the more high-end places to eat in town.
Drink
Sleep
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address: Keulsepoort 16This friendly, family-run hotel may not be the most modern option, but the basic rooms are clean and it's one of the cheapest options in town. There's no elevator, so count on taking the stairs. As the name suggests, it's at the train station and close to restaurants and the Limburgs Museum.
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Bilderberg Hotel De Bovenste Molen
address: Bovenste Molenweg 12Outside of town in a forest area, the supposedly modern interior and some of the wellness facilities could use a revamp, but it's a pleasant place with good service, especially if you want to go for a walk or bike trip. Breakfast is nice but dinner is a bit overpriced. -
Hotel Puur
address: Parade 7aVery central in town, which is an asset in term of sightseeing, but take into account that it can be noisy at night, as there's a bar adjoining the hotel. Rooms are not too spacious but adequate. -
Hotel American
address: Keulsepoort 14A fairly basic place but in a nice city centre spot and, in terms of price, one of the cheaper options.