Holiday apartment in Heerlen: Roman history, street art and nature

Heerlen between urban history and nature

Heerlen combines Roman traces, distinctive modern urban architecture, art and green landscapes. The 4 km-long Street Art Route leads to significant murals and smaller hidden works of art; street art in Heerlen ranges from small paintings to large works by international artists and can be viewed free of charge.

Urban walks, Maankwartier and practical orientation

From Heerlen Centraal station, walk through Maankwartier directly into the city centre. The station district, designed by Michel Huisman, combines architecture, art and urban life. The 3.8 km city walk through Heerlen Centrum shows the development from the Roman settlement to the modern city. The city walk through Heerlen Centrum and the Herinneringswandeling are fully wheelchair accessible.

There is also a specific starting point for cycling tours: at Akerstraat 20, Heerlen has a free, secure bicycle parking facility with space for 196 bicycles and electric bicycles, as well as charging stations for batteries. The Nederlands Mijnmuseum is accessible by wheelchair or with a rollator and has a lift and an adapted toilet. The Schelmentoren, on the other hand, is not wheelchair accessible due to the historic character of its tower.

Roman Heerlen and vibrant museums

In the Romeins Kwartier, Coriovallum is considered a Roman city beneath the present-day city. A Roman cellar has five wall niches that probably held statues of gods or oil lamps for lighting. On site, the cellar can be viewed through a viewing window; an information panel explains the remains. The cellar is also included in the Via Belgica walk “Te voet door Coriovallum”. The Romeins Museum was formerly called the Thermenmuseum and preserves the impressive remains of the oldest building in the Netherlands, a Roman bathhouse.

The Nederlands Mijnmuseum presents the significance of coal, the heyday of mining, its darker side and the future of the mining region across four floors. The Glaspaleis was built in the 1930s as a modern fashion house designed by Frits Peutz for entrepreneur Peter Schunck. The SCHUNCK Museum presents a changing programme of exhibitions, activities and projects in the Glaspaleis. The free building exhibition “U bevindt zich hier” is also located in the gallery above the ground floor.

At De Vondst, you can sort archaeological finds at the Archeohotspot table and watch restorers at work through the glass walls of the Restaura workshop. The Royal Theater was designed by Peutz and opened in 1938; Theater Heerlen has wheelchair-accessible facilities.

Historic sites and nature near Heerlen

The Schelmentoren contains the original prison cells where Bokkenrijders were imprisoned until their conviction. Stories dating back centuries are conveyed there via interactive touchscreens and life-size projections. The Schelmentoren also offers packages ranging from group visits and conferences to city walks. The Weltermolen is a watermill first mentioned in 1381; it turns regularly, and milling also takes place there once a month.

Near Heerlen lies Terworm, a varied nature area and estate with marshland, fields, deciduous forests, sunken lanes, a stream and straight ditches. The Terworm nature area is part of the Geleenbeekdal Natura 2000 area. At the estate, you can walk to the Ruïne Eyckholt. The Rondje Terworm route is suitable for wheelchair users and prams. In green surroundings, Heerlen also offers opportunities for walking and cycling, with climbs, descents, panoramic views and numerous special plant and animal species.

Art festival and special dates

Cultura Nova is an international, annual ten-day art festival in Heerlen held at the end of August, featuring theatre, dance, music, film and visual art at special locations throughout the city. Guided tours take place at the Sint-Pancratiuskerk on Saturdays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., unless weddings or other activities prevent them.

Hoensbroek

Heerlen