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City and municipality in Limburg, Netherlands
Photo: Michiel1972, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Venlo is a city in the Southern Netherlands, right on the German border. It's a centre for industries and trade but also the go-to place for shopping and services for people from the wide region, including the neighbouring German Ruhr area. Although the town centre sustained a lot of damage in World War II, there's still a lot of monumental buildings to see. The city has invested heavily in re-vamping the town centre, creating new shopping boulevards and improving infrastructure, which was done in part because of the 2012 national Floriade flower show, which was hosted here.
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Built at the end of the 16th century, this renaissance-style building remained remarkably undamaged in the war. It determines the look of the central market square and was intensively restored in 2009. The lower floor used to be a market place and the building also served as the city weigh house. The medallions on the façade represent famous Venlo people from the time. Research proved however that the image of Hubert Goltzius, a famous engraver and printer, is in fact one of his cousin. Another one, representing painter Jan van Cleef, must be a fantasy image as no pictures of the man exist, also not at the time the medallions were made.
Historic house, built around 1491 and well preserved. Its design is late Gothic art style.
This street, despite it looks, is in fact the most medieval street in the country. Behind modern façades lie ancient houses.
One of the most interesting buildings today is a house with medieval roots and an early 19th-century front. It's considered the oldest house in the city.
The collection of this museum shows the history of the wide region through art, archeological finds and anthropological object of all kinds. It was opened in 2000.
Saint Martinus Basilica
This 1430 church and her third bell tower stand as landmark at 60 m tall. The first tower got struck by an earthquake in 1532, the second, designed in the 19th century by famous Dutch architect Cuypers was lost during WW2, the third and current was built during post-war reconstruction. In 2018 the Vatican granted the church the title of a Basilica Minor
Saint Joris Church
1718 Protestant church.
Several options for prepared food in different locations on this weekly market
Quaint place with a pleasant outdoor terrace. It serves good, French oriented food in large portions.
Reportedly the best Indian food in the region. The place to go for curry and mango lassi. Especially on weekends, you may want to reserve a table, as this is a popular place.
Restaurant in a not too posh place. Cozy restaurant with good service and one of the more high-end places to eat in town.
This friendly, family-run hotel may not be the most modern option, but the basic rooms are clean and it's one of the cheapest options in town. There's no elevator, so count on taking the stairs. As the name suggests, it's at the train station and close to restaurants and the Limburgs Museum.
Outside of town in a forest area, the supposedly modern interior and some of the wellness facilities could use a revamp, but it's a pleasant place with good service, especially if you want to go for a walk or bike trip. Breakfast is nice but dinner is a bit overpriced.
Very central in town, which is an asset in term of sightseeing, but take into account that it can be noisy at night, as there's a bar adjoining the hotel. Rooms are not too spacious but adequate.
A fairly basic place but in a nice city centre spot and, in terms of price, one of the cheaper options.
By train
has some facilities and good connections to the Dutch railway network. As of 2026 the connections offered are
By bus
Buses meet at the train station and serve most of the area, including Kaldenkirchen on the German side of the border.
By bike
To the Düsseldorf region, you can follow the route of a Napoleonic canal that was never constructed. To Duisburg and the rest of the Ruhr follow LF13, then R12.
The city centre is small enough to navigate on foot. A bike is a convenient alternative. If you don't have your own, you can rent one at Fietspoint at the Stationsplein. Reservations are recommended.
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