Heerlen is the third largest city in the Netherlands' most southerly province of Limburg and has a variety of things to do and see for everyone. Go shopping in the city centre, visit one of the oldest castles in the Netherlands and explore the countryside and the activities in Parkstad Limburg.
Heerlen was a centre for the coal mining industry from the late 19th century to the 1970s. Once an isolated village of some 6,000 inhabitants, it quickly grew into a small town of coal mining families with a need for facilities, services and a transport network. As a result, few historic buildings survived.
Heerlen seems to have been specially created for shopaholics. The weekly markets at Bongerd and Promenade and the two covered malls ‘t Loon and Corio Center offer an abundance of produce and products. The stores are even open on Sunday! Visit the Nederlands Mijnmuseum (Dutch mining museum) and learn all about the rich mining history of Heerlen and the surrounding area. The Thermenmuseum (Roman Baths Museum) takes you way back in history with the remains of an old Roman bath house.
Day-trippers come to Heerlen to enjoy the beautiful countryside: cycle around the Brunssummerheide, walk through Natuurpark de Roode Beek or go horse riding in Nuth.
Heerlen has three train stations where you can also hire a bicycle. If you don't want to cycle, you can always take a bus through town or Parkstad Limburg. The train journey from Amsterdam takes around 2.5 hours. Heerlen is also easy to reach by car. On a traffic-free day, it will only take you two hours to get there from Amsterdam. You can park at the park and ride (P+R) parking lot.
Heerlen offers nature lovers, families and shoppers the very best of South Limburg. As the tourist information office says itself: Heerlen rocks!
