Geleen
Geleen is a city in the southern part of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.
With 31,670 inhabitants in 2020, it is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. Geleen is situated along the river Geleenbeek, a right tributary to the river Meuse. The Latin name for Geleenbeek is Glana, meaning "clear river". The town centre is situated at about 60 m above sea level.
Getting to Geleen
Geleen is located near two highways, the A2 and the A76, which makes the city easily accessible by car. The city is served by two train stations, served by regional trains. Station Geleen-Oost has direct trains to Heerlen (18min) and Sittard (7min) while station Geleen Lutterade has connections to Maastricht (17min) and Sittard.
Worth seeing
A few historic sights in and around Geleen are worth listing. Jansgeleen Castle, St. Jansgeleen 2, Spaubeek. Although in fact located in the village of Spaubeek, this castle is just 3 km from Geleen and therefore easy to include in your sightseeing efforts. In the 16th century, it was the first seat of the former County of Geleen.
Things to do
Foroxity Filmarena, Rijksweg Noord 330,. Foroxity is one of the largest cinemas in the province and has the usual (mostly Hollywood) productions on show. Geleander Kirmes. There's a fairly large annual town fair in late spring. It hosts dozens of large and small attractions and draws visitors from the wide region. Rides on larger attractions cost €2 while children's attractions are usually €1.
Where to eat
Most restaurants are to be found at the Rijksweg. The city center offers several places for quick bites, with a number of good places around the market square. Danas, Rijksweg Centrum 4,. All kinds of Mexican and Tex-mex food. Restaurant Lalique, Rijksweg Centrum 24,. French cuisine 't Kleine Verschil, Peschstraat 50,. A small restaurant in the old town, serving local dishes.
Getting around Geleen the local way
- 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, so a service it names may have changed or stopped.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.