The ultimate Eindhoven bucket list

Looking forward to visiting Eindhoven? Expect a city that does things just a little bit differently. So, fill your bucket list and get ready to go off the beaten track! These are the ten items to put on your Eindhoven bucket list. 

Visit the Dutch Design Week

As the design capital of the Netherlands, it’s not a surprise that Eindhoven is home to the Dutch Design Week (DDW). This year’s edition looks a little different. What that means is still a surprise, but the DDW should be on your list anyway. Normally, it looks a bit like this: nine days full of design, innovation, and events. During DDW, you’ll meet designers, discover brand new or recycled design, and taste original substitutes throughout the city. With ten areas, more than twenty disciplines, and about 2600 designers at this event, visiting all locations will be quite the challenge.

Taste every coffee in the city

...or make a start with the coffee stamp card. This way you can enjoy all the good coffee Eindhoven has to offer. Both CoffeeLab UC and Coffeelab Strijp-S, Zwartwit koffie, and Meneer de Boer are participating hotspots. At each place, you get two coffees: one for you and one for your companion. Use it on your trip or save it for your next visit. A moment of tranquility between your bucket list items? Pay a visit to BeanBrothers, a hidden hotspot, and also the city’s coffee roasting house.

Dive into a virtual world

In the Veemgebouw you will find Europe's largest Virtual Reality Centre, called Enversed. There you switch from the urban culture at Strijp-S to different virtual worlds. Fight as a duo or as a team and try to escape from the virtual escape rooms, each with its own theme. Tested all the games? Then we suggest you try some at the Park Playground.

Test your urban skills

Eindhoven is also the place to be for your dose of urban culture. Located in the 'forbidden city' (Strijp-S) you will find Area 51, a large indoor skate park where BMX'ers, skateboarders, and other disciplines show their skills and you too can enjoy the ramp. This spot may be temporarily under construction, but that shouldn't spoil the fun. Just head over to Can Gallery: the place for a workshop in graffiti. More street art? Then continue in the direction of the open-air museum de Berenkuil. Set the urban artist within yourself free and paint your own graffiti masterpiece.

Drink a cocktail with the best views

Go around the world with a cocktail from the shaker of internationally acclaimed bartender Tess Posthumus. In the NH Collection Hotel, you'll find the only sky bar in Eindhoven: VANE. Her cocktails are still among the signatures, so be sure to get a taste of that. Here you can drink cocktails inspired by the wind directions. From East to West and from North to South, you must pay a visit high up in the Green Tower.

Taste international influences in the Eindhoven districts

There are no specific dishes that can define the taste of Eindhoven. Striking are the many international influences that can be found here. Every exciting district has its own selection of special restaurants. Flavors from all over the world have settled here, from Ghanaian to Italian and from Mexican to Japanese. Our suggestion: try something new in every neighborhood!

Book an incredible light experience

Maybe you already know that Eindhoven has many culinary hotspots, but at Dinner in Motion, they provide a next-level eating experience. The light projections are leading in this 360-degree restaurant: everything you see, taste, and hear is aligned. Enjoy a delicious dinner during this unique experience, shared with others at one long table. New in the Heuvelgalerie is the all year round 'imagination experience' called Motion, where you can enjoy light artworks of a whole new level.Dinner in Motion

Watch a movie in the open air

This may be a summer exclusive, but it definitely belongs on your bucket list. Not inside, but outside the NatLab you can enjoy the best movies. Get cozy between the locals with a blanket and some snacks. (Normally) you don’t have to make a reservation but do bring your own seat. That way you are sure of a place to sit.

Attend a match of local soccer club PSV

Soccer fan or not, something you must have experienced in Eindhoven is a match of local football club PSV. The club has existed since 1913 and the Philips Stadium is still located on the Frederiklaan, the place where it all started. At the internationally renowned soccer club, one thing has always remained the same: the Eindhoven coziness. For the time being, you can enjoy it only on TV, but the beers, the vibrating stands, and that good dose of sportsmanship are definitely something to look forward to.

Stay the night at an unconventional hotel

Extend your city trip and cross off your entire Eindhoven bucket list, with a night in one of the special hotels. For a mix of old and new, visit Hotel Mariënhage. Looking for something a bit edgier? Book an overnight stay at the Blue Collar Hotel, for a touch of rock 'n roll. All in all, enough choice to tick these off your list as well.