Heerlen
Heerlen is a city and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands.
Heerlen is a city and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is the third largest settlement proper in the province of Limburg. Measured as a municipality, it is the fourth largest municipality in the province of Limburg.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Heerlen
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Parkstad Limburg Stadion
The Parkstad Limburg Stadion kstɑt ˈlɪmbʏrx ˌstaːdijɔn], Ripuarian: [ˈpɑʁəkʃtɑt ˈlembøʁəç ˌʃtaːdijɔn]) is a football stadium in Kerkrade, completed in 2000. With a present-day capacity of 19,979 seats, the stadium was officially opened on 15 August 2000 with a friendly between Roda JC and Real Zaragoza.
3.3 km · football stadium · Wikipedia - 02Open University of the Netherlands
The Open University of the Netherlands is a Dutch institution for distance learning at university level. It is an independent government-funded university and uses a variety of methods, including written materials, the Internet, and occasional evening seminars or day sessions.
1.8 km · university in the Netherlands · Wikipedia - 03Kasteel Hoensbroek
Hoensbroek Castle or Gebrook Castle is one of the largest castles in the Netherlands. It is situated in Hoensbroek, a town in the province of Limburg.
5.9 km · castle in Hoensbroek, a district of the Dutch town of Heerlen. · Wikipedia - 04Rolduc
Rolduc is a medieval abbey located on the edge of the town of Kerkrade in the far south-east of the Netherlands. It is today a Roman Catholic seminary with an affiliated conference center.
7.1 km · monastery in Kerkrade, Netherlands · Wikipedia - 05Schaloen Castle
Schaloen Castle is a castle in Oud-Valkenburg in the South Limburg municipality of Valkenburg aan de Geul in The Netherlands. The castle is a national monument.
9.8 km · main castle building in Oud-Valkenburg, Netherlands · Wikipedia - 06Keutenberg
The Keutenberg is a steep hill in the south of Limburg, Netherlands. The start of the climb is in Schin op Geul, a small village near Valkenburg aan de Geul.
8.9 km · hill and hamlet in Valkenburg aan de Geul, Netherlands · Wikipedia - 07Ter Worm Castle
Ter Worm or Terworm Castle is a castle located in the municipality of Heerlen, Limburg Province, Netherlands. The castle is part of the Terworm estate.
2.5 km · castle in Heerlen, Netherlands · Wikipedia - 08Gemeentelijk Sportpark Kaalheide
The Gemeentelijk Sportpark Kaalheide is a stadium situated in Kerkrade, Netherlands. It is the former stadium of Roda JC, who since 2000 play in the Parkstad Limburg Stadion.
4.6 km · football stadium in Kerkrade, Limburg, the Netherlands · Wikipedia - 09St. Benedictusberg Abbey
St. Benedictusberg Abbey, also Mamelis Abbey, is a Benedictine monastery established in 1922 in Mamelis, a hamlet which administratively falls within Vaals, Netherlands.
9.1 km · monastery in Mamelis near Lemiers, Netherlands · Wikipedia - 10James the Greater Church
The James the Greater Church is a Roman Catholic church, located on the Pastoor Neujeanstraat 6 in Bocholtz, Netherlands. First mentioned in the 14th century, the current church was built in 1869 by Pierre Cuypers.
7.4 km · church in Bocholtz, Netherlands · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01Dutch Mine Museum
The Dutch Mine Museum is in the former shaft of the Oranje Nassau I mine.
- 02Schunk
Housed in the "Glaspaleis", a well-known and modernized glass building on the main market, this cultural institution usually has some exhibitions on display, and often free.
- 03Thermenmuseum
This museum is built to encase the ruins of a Roman bathhouse which still is an archaeological dig site.
- 04The Oliemolen
- 05Schelmentoren
This tower from the 12th century had throughout history several functions, living tower for nobels, a court and prison tower.
- 06Sterrenwacht
Schaapskooiweg 95,.
From Wikivoyage: Heerlen, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
- 01Neoliet
The indoor climbing wall is a great experience to have.
- 02Bowling & Partyhoeve De Aar
Making reservations is highly recommended as it is usually packed.
- 03Kinderstad Heerlen
- 04Terworm
Take a walk between Heerlen en Voerendaal and see some of the great nature in Heerlen.
- 05Brunssummerheide
The biggest nature reserve in south Limburg.
- 06Beautiful Benzerade
See a source of the Geleenbeek stream in Heerlen and also seeing some of the farms in this old village.
From Wikivoyage: Heerlen, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
- 01Mr Wok
A small restaurant but very good wok take-away food, especially the sauces.
- 02Mijn Streek
The highest restaurant in Heerlen, it's very popular, has good views over the city, and a great outdoor terrace for warm days.
- 03Visser Chocolade & IJs
They make chocolate of the highest quality within the store, a great option to get a gift for family and friends.
- 04Smulbar Expresse
For typical fried snacks, this is a good spot to grab some fries and a sausage.
- 05Broodjeszaak Bufkes
From Wikivoyage: Heerlen, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Heerlen
- Airports
- Maastricht Aachen (MST), 15 km · Düsseldorf (DUS), 71 km · Eindhoven (EIN), 76 km
- Stations
- NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, 9.6 km · Heerlen railway station, 1 km · Klimmen-Ransdaal railway station, 6.8 km
- Eindhoven → Heerlen71 km · quickest by road, 1h 51m · €9–13
- Rotterdam → Heerlen156 km · quickest by road, 3h 14m · €22–31
- Amsterdam → Heerlen182 km · quickest by road, 3h 38m · €21–30
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Heerlen
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Heerlen. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get aroundWhile that is more expensive for single journeys, it's a good option for day trips.
- Get aroundSome of the smaller hamlets are served by minibuses, but they leave from the regular platforms at e.g.
- Go nextThe German city of Aachen is just at the other side of the border and makes a great day trip.
From Wikivoyage: South Limburg, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2025-01.
- 01275 km
- 02513 km
- 03556 km
- 04725 km
- 05745 km
If you know how people move in Heerlen – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Heerlen
- Kerkrademunicipality in Limburg, the Netherlands6.1 km
- Herzogenrathmunicipality in the district of Aachen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany8.4 km
- Brunssumtown and municipality in Limburg, the Netherlands7.5 km
- Simpelveldmunicipality in Limburg, the Netherlands5.4 km
- Landgraaftown and municipality in Limburg, the Netherlands4.3 km
- Gulpen-Wittemmunicipality in Limburg, the Netherlands9.6 km