In the northern part of the province Limburg and close to the German border we find the city Venlo. Besides being an important trade, industrial and transport city for the area it has a lot to offer as well culinary as cultural. Around the city you will find many opportunities for hiking and biking.
Transportation in Venlo
Venlo is a medium sized city in the south east of Holland and is very close to the border with Germany. It is well served with transport in the way of trains and buses, both local and long distance, although it does not have a dedicated airport. However with the high standards of integrated transport in the Netherlands, it is still very accessible from several airports, both in Holland and in Germany.
Travelling to Venlo
If you wish to travel by air to Venlo, you have several options. One of the easiest way to travel is to fly into Dusseldorf airport. from there to take the mono rail into the city and then catch the train from Dusseldorf HBF, or central station, straight to Venlo. Of course many people travelling to the Netherlands will fly straight to Amsterdam’s Schipol airport. You can get a train to Venlo from central Amsterdam. the journey is quite pleasant and will take about 2 hours to arrive.
The train station at Venlo also serves as an interchange for many destinations and as such it is very easy to get there by train from many cities including, the German cities of Duisberge and Colonge and intercity travel from Eindhoven and Roermond. There are also a number of buses travelling from towns and cities such as Amsterdam, Arnhem, Bocholt, Dusseeldorf, Eindhoven, Essen, Goch, Cologne and kevelaer, that provide an easy and reliable service. The buses arrive in Venlo in front of the central train station. Many of these long distance services require you to book in advance.
Getting Around Venlo.
Although it has a fairly large population, the main central area is quite compact. There are plenty of local buses to get you around the town. If there is no local service straight to your destination, you can usually get a bus to the station and then you should be able to get a local bus from there. It is not a good idea to drive around Venlo as the roads can be busy and parking is expensive.
Being Holland the best way to travel is by bicycle, these can be hired locally. There is also good taxi services such as Taxi Service Venlo +31 6 2306663, and Taxi Venlo +31 6 23036663. You can also get taxis at the train station and at other taxi stands around the city.
Venlo Tourism
Venlo is a city in the far south east of the Netherlands. A modern city, it has been largely rebuilt after the sustained bombing and demolition of the Second World War. Being so close to the border with Germany it has often been at the forefront of battles, but this belies the fact that today it is a peaceful and prosperous city on the banks of the river Maas. Venlo is home to about 100,000 people and is also the capital of northern Limburg.
Museums And Churches
The Limburg Museum has a fine collection of artefacts and documents that reflect the lives of both the well to do and the common folk of the area. This is the ideal place to go for anyone that is interested in the history of the local area, or who is interested in the times of everyday Dutch people and how they lived their lives. The Museum of Wax Cylinder to DVD provides a fascinating insight into the early world of recorded music. It also follows this development through its various form to the modern DVD. The different forms of recording have had an interesting impact on modern civilisation, from the earliest recordings of the human voice, to the latest up to date methods and the turn of a significant group of people back towards the superior quality of vinyl records. You will need to book in advance to take a tour (00-31) 77-38 21 223.
The main church that tourists will see in Venlo is the church of St. Martinus. The church was built in the early 1400’s, but there had already been an early, timber built church at the same location which originated at around the turn of the first millennium. The church as it stands today, had to be extensively rebuilt in the 1950’s due to damage that occurred in the Second World War, particularly to the tower, in 1945.
Eating And Drinking
The Cafe Restaurant Central is an excellent traditional restaurant in the centre of Venlo. It has a great selection of both innovative and traditional foods, with something to suit all tastes. As well as the standard menu, they also do a very good fixed price set meal for 25 euros. The Cafe De Locomotief is a Dutch pub in a central location that sells a wide variety of beers and spirits with a great atmosphere and friendly, helpful staff.
Venlo has plenty of things to do and sights to see, all in a beautiful location and is a great place to base yourself for a touring holiday or a short break.
