gone.with.us
Eindhoven the way we live it
Events, parks, lakes, day trips and practical tips from Mahir & Katya, two internationals who have called Eindhoven home for the past four years.
02 Events you cannot miss
Six big ones, in calendar order from September. All free or mostly free.
- SepMostly free
De Nacht van Strijp-S
Music stages from techno to hip-hop, vintage markets, art and street food. On the map
- Sep–OctFree
Lichtjesroute
Lights that remember the liberation of 18 September 1944, 22 km long.
- OctFree & ticketed
Dutch Design Week
2,500+ designers. People come from all over the Netherlands and abroad.
- NovRoute free
GLOW
Light art all over town, plus the first drone show at Philips Stadion (ticketed).
- FebFree
Carnival
Four days of street party, parades and music. Everyone dressed up. A lot of fun!
- AprFree
King's Night & King's Day
Wear orange: DJ stages, street parties and flea markets.
03 Niche events & winter
Smaller or more local, and worth it if the topic is your thing.
October · around the 31st
Halloween
People decorate their houses, organise scares in the neighbourhood, and of course it's time for costumed parties :)
November – December
Sinterklaas
The Dutch St Nicholas: a parade, songs and chocolate letters in every shop.
December
Christmas in Eindhoven
The FeelGood Christmas market at Klokgebouw (free) and ice skating at the IJssportcentrum. Big markets: see Day trips.
May · 2027 dates to follow
Vikingfest
Viking fights, blacksmiths, archery and a big market. Like stepping 1,000 years back in time. On the map
June
Eindhoven Pride
Parade and parties. Amsterdam Pride follows in late July to early August.
Late July – early August
Kermis at Park Hilaria
90+ rides, food and music for 10 days. The biggest fair in the area.
04 Parks & nature
Eindhoven is greener than people expect: big parks within 10 minutes by bike, and forest 20 minutes out.
Philips de Jongh Park
A former private estate with monumental trees. Our spot for running and long walks. On the map
Genneper Parken & Genneperhoeve
Woodland walks, and an organic city farm where you can watch milking and cheese making. On the map
Wandelpark Eckart
Llamas, goats, horses and quiet paths. Bring mosquito spray; it gets muddy after rain. On the map
Stadswandelpark
A cosy green area right in the centre, perfect for walks and picnics. On the map
Philips van Lenneppark
For kids: playgrounds, an animal farm and a skate park. On the map
Leenderbos
Forest for walking, cycling and horse riding. Dogs run free at Molenheide; coffee at Manege de Molenberg, watching the horses.
Strabrechtse Heide
1,500 hectares of protected heath and fens, grazed by sheep.
05 Places to swim
From a free forest lake 15 minutes away to the Belgian coast.
Our favourite · free
Nuenen lake Our favourite · free
Clean water, lots of space and forest all around. There's no shop nearby, so bring food (Albert Heijn is 5 minutes by bike).
De IJzeren Man
In the city: sandy beach and a beach pavilion. Busy on hot days. On the map
Aquabest
25 hectares of swimming water just north of Eindhoven.
Heidestrand
A natural pond with a slide and jumping platform, plus pools with water slides. Open April to October: book a night.
Zeebrugge beach
Our favourite beach: sea, cafés and a marina. Combine it with a day in Bruges.
06 Things to do
Seven things we'd tell every newcomer to do in their first year.
Go to a PSV game
Get a free PSV Club Card through a My PSV account. Remaining seats go on sale 3–4 weeks before a match. On the map
Eat a kebab
Arif Usta is the best kebab in the city, in our opinion. Worth going at least once. On the map
Check the Strijp-S agenda
Something happens almost every weekend, from markets to big indoor parties. Check their Instagram @strips for the agenda. On the map
Watch a movie
Natlab and LAB-1 are authentic old-school cinemas with plenty of English screenings daily, as well as special events and a café. On the map
Visit the Next Nature Museum
A museum about the future inside Eindhoven's “UFO”. Wed–Sun 11:00–17:00, free with a Museumkaart. On the map
Cycle the Van Gogh path
Go after dark, when glowing stones form a “Starry Night”.
See the Van Abbemuseum
Modern art by Picasso, Mondrian and Lissitzky. Tue–Sun 11:00–17:00, free with a Museumkaart. On the map
07 Stay active & get around
Sports
ASML Marathon
A 5 km City Run and walks on Saturday; marathon, half and quarter on Sunday. Sign up early: it sells out.
Urban Sportpark
Pumptrack, running paths, calisthenics, freerunning, an obstacle course and a football cage. On the map
Area51
The largest indoor skatepark in the Benelux, in a former Philips tool shop. On the map
SportCity Our pick
All group classes included and not as crowded compared to other gyms.
Getting around
Get an NS subscription
40% off trains outside rush hour and at weekends. Weekend Vrij (€39.50 a month) is unlimited weekend travel.
Pay with your bank card
Tap in and out with a contactless card; same price as an OV-chipkaart. Use the same card both times.
To the airport
From Eindhoven Centraal straight to Eindhoven Airport.
Bikes & scooters
Shared Dott e-bikes need no licence; Felyx scooters do. The Umob app combines them.
08 Shopping & second-hand
Flea markets
- onsmien.nl The agenda we use to find flea and garage markets.
- Snuffelmarkt, IJssportcentrum Twice a year the ice rink turns into 300+ stalls. On the map
- Mega Snuffelmarkt, Tennishal Vijfkamp Monthly, €3 entry, clothes from about €1. On the map
- King's Day orange market 27 April: all over the city.
- Kilo Sale Vintage, The Social Hub Monthly. On the map
Second-hand shops & apps
De Doorstroom
New stock every week, art books from €1. Also a Vinted parcel point. On the map
Dorcas
Furniture, dishes, clothes and books. Profits go to charity. On the map
Vinted
Buy clothes second-hand and sell what you don't need.
Marktplaats
The Dutch marketplace for furniture and bikes. Most sellers want you to pick up.
Everyday shopping
Friday is late shopping night
Shops in the centre stay open until 20:00 on Fridays. The centre is also open Sundays 12:00–17:00.
Hornbach, Zandstraat 15, Best
DIY and building materials, in our experience cheaper than elsewhere.
Aldi
Everyday groceries for less.
Action
Cheap household basics for a new home.
09 Day trips
Train to the Dutch cities, the direct FlixBus to Brussels and Cologne, and the car for Ghent, Bruges and Lille.
Utrecht
Dom Tower and cafés on the canal.
Maastricht
Cute old town.
Amsterdam
Canals, museums and big city atmosphere.
Brussels
Grand-Place, waffles and fries.
Cologne
The cathedral and the Rhine.
Ghent
Beautiful fairy-tale like city.
Bruges
Medieval centre and canals. Add Zeebrugge beach.
Lille
Very cute at Christmas.
Mid-November to December
Christmas market tour Mid-November to December
Start in the Netherlands with the underground markets in the Valkenburg caves and Magisch Maastricht on the Vrijthof (ice rink, Ferris wheel). Then Cologne, where the cathedral market has 150+ stalls, and Winter Wonders in Brussels (27 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027). Also Antwerp and Lille: every weekend you can go to a new Christmas market :) Skip Germany on Sundays: shops are closed by law. We made that mistake once.
10 Longer trips
Good to know
Eindhoven Airport is closed 1 February – 18 July 2027 Good to know
Runway works. Transavia moves to Weeze (Germany) and Maastricht Aachen. Compare every airline and nearby airport on Skyscanner before you book.
Paris
Go for a long weekend, our favourite place in Europe.
Berlin
Must visit at least once!
Málaga
Sun, even in winter.
Faro
Train to Lagos, rent a scooter, watch the sunset at Cape St. Vincent.
Venice
Treviso is about 30 km from Venice.
Budapest
Thermal baths and ruin bars.
Money savers
Museumkaart · €75 a year
Free entry to 500+ museums. Eindhoven has only a few, so it pays off if you visit other cities.
thisiseindhoven.com
Lists what's on, mostly free. Nice to get an idea of what is happening in the city.