Essential Eindhoven Travel Guide: What to See & Do

Eindhoven is a distinctive Dutch city shaped by invention, resilience, and modern design. As the largest city in North Brabant, it developed from a small medieval settlement into a major industrial center, largely through the rise of Philips and DAF Trucks.

Their influence remains central to Eindhoven’s identity. The Philips Museum and DAF Museum offer insight into the companies that transformed local life and helped place Eindhoven on the international map.

Eindhoven’s Industrial Heritage and Modern Character

Eindhoven’s past is also reflected in its contrasts. Fires, territorial conflicts, and extensive damage during the Second World War erased much of the historic center, contributing to the city’s largely modern urban landscape.

Several important landmarks survived, including:

• Saint Catherine’s Church, a striking 19th-century Neo-Gothic building
• Market Square
• Stratumseind, a lively area known for its vibrant atmosphere

Together, these places reveal the different layers of Eindhoven’s history and help explain the city’s contemporary character.

Explore Van Gogh’s Eindhoven Region in Nuenen

One of the most rewarding things to do near Eindhoven is visit Nuenen, a nearby village closely connected with Vincent van Gogh. The painter lived there from 1883 to 1885, creating works inspired by farmers, village streets, churches, and mills.

During his time in Nuenen, Van Gogh painted The Potato Eaters, one of his best-known early works. More than 20 sites around the village are connected with the artist, including:

• His former home
• The Van Gogh Church
• The Vincentre museum
• Roosdonck Windmill

Preserved buildings and rural scenery offer a vivid sense of the environment that influenced Van Gogh’s work.

What to See in Eindhoven

For travelers deciding what to see in Eindhoven, the city and its surroundings offer a distinctive combination of technology, industrial history, art, and countryside. Eindhoven looks toward the future while remaining closely connected to the people, places, and landscapes that shaped its past.