Area-tip: Downtown

With over sixty-five (!) Dutch Design Week projects, the city center of Eindhoven is one of the largest areas to explore. From making your dreams tangible at a taco hotspot to discovering Eindhoven in 2097 at Stadhuisplein, you could spend two days alone in the city center.  A bonus: from here, all of Dutch Design Week is within easy reach.

Where?

We can't sum up the city center with just one street name—it’s pretty large. Our tip, start off at the Eindhoven Central Station.

Need a ticket?

Yes, to make sure you don’t miss a thing, you’ll need a ticket. You can grab one here.

How to get there?

Are you traveling by train? At Eindhoven Central Station, you'll step right out into the heart of the action. From here, you can easily bike or walk your way to all the DDW hotspots.

Why do you want to go there?

As mentioned before, the city center of Eindhoven has sixty-five exhibitions. And yes, they’re all worth visiting. Feeling a little overwhelmed? No worries, we’ll share some must-visit spots for you.

Highlight locations

• Van Abbemuseum: the Van Abbemuseum, being one of Europe’s leading contemporary art museums, is a must-visit during Dutch Design Week.
• Het Hornemann Huis: Right next to the Van Abbemuseum is Het Hornemann Huis (you might know it as the Designhuis). They’re diving into 80 years of freedom in Eindhoven—something that unfortunately is still not a given for everyone.
• DOMUSDELA: Ever seen a national monument that takes your breath away? Enter DOMUSDELA. This former monastery church will draw you in with its architecture alone, but there’s plenty more to admire inside.
• Heuvel Shopping Center: What happens when two of Eindhoven’s design giants - Design Academy Eindhoven and SintLucas -team up? Well, you get a dose of DDW while strolling through the shops of shopping center Heuvel. Win-win!
• Kazerne: Once the base for the military police, now it’s all about design. This design hotspot is your one-stop shop for everything from architecture to eco-friendly, bio-based design.
• Schellensfabriek: Schellensfabriek is already a favorite hangout for designers and creators (and beer lovers, too). But during Dutch Design Week, it gets even bigger with Something Bigger—an exhibition tackling our planet’s future.

Our recommendations

• Dreamgaze Experience: Sorry, we were just daydreaming for a moment. Ever looked up the meaning of a dream? AI can help you decode it at Around Coffee. 
• Sex in the City: Now that we have your attention – this is about the different future scenarios that lie ahead of us. We’re not here to spill the tea in which direction it’s going.
• There’s only make: Get an exclusive look into Philips' human-centered design kitchen at the Philips Museum. 
• Wind Knitting Factory: Buy a scarf made with the power of wind energy at Nieuwe Emmasingel.
• POND: Discover how healthy our water quality is with the impressive light installation POND at the Van Abbemuseum.
• FLOW: Explore the digital connection with the interactive artwork FLOW at Kazerne. Tip: see what a funny face can do. 
• CHOIR: Have a front-row seat at the love concert of the robot choir CHOIR in the former monastery DOMUSDELA. The music is all about technology, independence, and love.

More DDW nearby

Now that you’ve got a taste of it, let’s take it up a notch. Hanging around the Station Area? A visit to the Graduation Show of Design Academy Eindhoven at Microstad is a must. In the old KPN phone exchange, 200 bachelor and master students are showing off their final projects. What’s in store? Well, that’s a surprise for us too! But one thing’s for sure—it’s going to be mind blowing (trust us, we’ve been there, done that). Along the way, you can make a pit stop at Eindhoven Central Station for a satirical airport experience at the Duty Free Zone.

Other fun things to do nearby

There’s no shortage of food and drinks in the center of Eindhoven. Thank goodness, because all that wandering around makes us hangry, uh, hungry! There’s something for every foodie to enjoy. But the big question is: what are you in the mood for? Whether you're looking for coffee spots, lunch places, or cocktail bars, we've got some great tips for you!