Venlo travel guide
Renaissance town hall, Maas terraces and a train to Dusseldorf
A Maas town in north Limburg beside the German border, with a Renaissance town hall, summer terraces and a loud carnival. Visit from April to October, or at carnival if you want the party. One day is enough. Schengen rules give many passports 90 days without a visa.
Venlo sits on the Maas in the north of Limburg, a few kilometres from Germany, and its shopping streets draw German day-trippers, above all on Saturdays. It is also a busy road and rail junction. Half-hourly Intercitys head for Eindhoven and Schiphol, while a German regional train runs over the border to Dusseldorf.
War damage cleared much of the old centre, so look past the modern shopfronts. The Renaissance town hall on the Markt came through intact; the medallions on its facade show local figures of the 16th century, and at least one is a pure invention. Gasthuisstraat hides medieval houses behind later fronts. On Wijngaardstraat, the Romerhuis of about 1491 is a rare late-Gothic survivor. The Limburgs Museum, by the station, tells the province's story.
For food, head to the Kwartelenmarkt and the Grote Markt, whose terraces spread over the squares in summer. The weekly market on Nolensplein runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Nightlife is cafe-based, with the odd club night; serious clubbers go to Germany or Eindhoven. Walkers can follow the Greenpark route through gardens left from the 2012 Floriade.
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Top things to do in Venlo
A Renaissance town hall, a medieval street in disguise and summer terraces by the Maas.
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Best time to visit Venlo
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs climb from about 15C in April to 24C in July and August, ideal terrace weather on the squares and along the Greenpark route.
Days of costumes and street parties; rooms go fast and many shops close.
Highs of 5 to 9C and near-freezing nights; a quiet time for the museum and the shops.
Carnival dates move with Easter; if your trip overlaps, book well ahead and expect closed shops.
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Getting there
Intercity, Arriva's RS 11 and the RE 13 over the border
Venlo station lies just south of the centre, a few minutes on foot from the Markt. Intercitys run direct from Schiphol, Amsterdam Zuid, Utrecht and Eindhoven, so most visitors arrive without a change. Eindhoven Airport is the nearest Dutch airport, and the German RE 13 continues over the border to Düsseldorf, accepting the Deutschlandticket.
- Schiphol
- Direct Intercity in a little over two hours
- Eindhoven Airport (EIN)
- Bus to Eindhoven station, then the Intercity to Venlo
- Regional
- RS 11 north to Nijmegen and south to Roermond
- Germany
- RE 13 to Dusseldorf, Deutschlandticket accepted
- Drivers should use the big garages under the Stadskantoor or the Romertoren and skip circling the centre.
- German low-cost flights into Weeze land close to Venlo, but check onward transport before you book.
Where to stay
Keulsepoort, the Markt or out in Arcen
Venlo has a short list of hotels, and the station area, around the Keulsepoort and the Markt, is the practical base for a short stay. With a car, the riverside villages inside the municipality, such as Arcen, make a quieter alternative.
- Station and Keulsepoort
- Stationshotel Venlo, family-run and among the cheapest in town, but there is no lift
- Old centre
- Steps from the Markt and the terraces, noisy at carnival
- Bovenste Molen
- Bilderberg De Bovenste Molen, a larger hotel if you have a car
- Arcen
- A Maas village to the north with castle gardens, better for a slow weekend than for sightseeing in town
Getting around
Fietspoint bikes and Arriva's border buses
Walk Venlo's compact centre: the station, the Limburgs Museum, the Markt and the riverfront are within 10 minutes of each other. Rent a bike at Fietspoint on the Stationsplein for the Greenpark and the Maas banks, booking ahead on sunny weekends. Arriva buses cross into Germany, charging German fares.
- Bike hire
- Fietspoint, Stationsplein; reservations recommended
- Local buses
- Arriva from the station, tap a bank card on Dutch routes
- Cross-border buses
- SB 42 to Straelen and a line to Kaldenkirchen
- Blerick, across the Maas, has its own station one stop away if you are heading to the west bank.
Know before you go
What makes Venlo worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The town hall on the Markt, a 16th-century Renaissance building that survived the war, with portrait medallions worth a close look.
- Gasthuisstraat, a medieval street in disguise, its old houses hidden behind later fronts.
- Summer terraces spilling over the Kwartelenmarkt and the Grote Markt.
Good to know
- Carnival takes over in February or March: the centre is packed for days and many shops shut.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Venlo, month by month
Venlo's July and August highs reach about 24°C, and January's about 5°C, with mild, damp winters on the Maas.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Arcen, Netherlands (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, via Wikipedia).
Venlo's town hall medallions, Gasthuisstraat and the Greenpark
Start at the Limburgs Museum beside Venlo station, the best introduction to the province from prehistory to the war years that flattened much of the town. Walk into the centre to the town hall on the Markt and its medallions, and after lunch see Gasthuisstraat and the Romerhuis, then cycle out to the Greenpark.
One supposedly shows the engraver Hubert Goltzius but really portrays his cousin, and the painter Jan van Cleef's face was simply made up.
After lunch, Gasthuisstraat and the Romerhuis on Wijngaardstraat show what the old town looked like before the bombs, if you train your eye past the shop windows. On a Wednesday or Saturday, browse the weekly market on Nolensplein in the north of the centre. Summer afternoons belong to the terraces of the Kwartelenmarkt and the Grote Markt. With a spare half day, rent a bike at the station and ride the Greenpark route through the old Floriade gardens, or follow the Maas north towards Arcen and its castle gardens.
Zuurvlees, vlaai and the asparagus months in Venlo
Limburg eats closer in spirit to its Belgian and German neighbours. In Venlo, order zuurvlees, beef slowly stewed in a sweet-sour gravy and served with fries, and a slice of Limburgse vlaai, the open fruit tart; in spring, white asparagus from the Maas valley appears on menus. The Kwartelenmarkt and Grote Markt hold most restaurants.
In spring the sandy fields of north Limburg produce white asparagus, and restaurants put it on the menu with ham, egg and melted butter for the short season from April to June.
The Kwartelenmarkt and the Grote Markt hold most of the sit-down places, and their terraces are the reason to come in summer. For something quicker, the Wednesday and Saturday market on Nolensplein has stalls selling prepared food, and the supermarkets in the centre bake fresh bread and rolls for a riverside picnic. Evenings are about the cafes; some clear their tables for a club night now and then, and anyone after a proper dance floor takes the train to Eindhoven or over the border.
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How we research our Venlo travel guide
Venlo's Dutch and German rail links are checked with NS Dutch Railways, and the museum, market and Greenpark notes against the city's official site, Holland.com and Wikipedia's Venlo entry.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of VenloHolland.comNS Dutch Railways
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Venlo.
General
Yes. It leaves every half hour and runs via Utrecht, Den Bosch and Eindhoven, reaching Venlo in a little over two hours with no change.
Yes. The RE 13 runs to Dusseldorf, Wuppertal and Hamm and accepts it, as do the cross-border buses to Kaldenkirchen and Straelen.
Easily. All three lie within a 10-minute walk of the station; only the Greenpark and the woods east of town call for a bike from Fietspoint.
One day covers the town hall, the old streets and the Limburgs Museum. Stay a second if you want to cycle the Greenpark or follow the Maas north to Arcen and its castle gardens.
The 16th-century town hall on the Markt, the late-Gothic Romerhuis on Wijngaardstraat and the medieval houses hidden behind newer fronts on Gasthuisstraat.
Wednesdays and Saturdays, on Nolensplein in the north of the town centre, with several stalls selling prepared food.
Zuurvlees, the sweet-sour beef stew served with fries, and a slice of Limburgse vlaai; between April and June, add white asparagus from the sandy north Limburg fields.
Very. The centre fills with costumed crowds for several days in February or March, many shops close and hotels book up early.
For the centre, yes: both are modern underground garages close to the Markt. The open lots around the centre and at Nolensplein are the alternative.
Walk Venlo's compact centre: the station, the Limburgs Museum, the Markt and the riverfront are within 10 minutes of each other. Rent a bike at Fietspoint on the Stationsplein for the Greenpark and the Maas banks, booking ahead on sunny weekends. Arriva buses cross into Germany, charging German fares.
Getting there
Airport buses reach Eindhoven station in about 20 to 25 minutes, and the Intercity on to Venlo takes roughly half an hour more.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Venlo is Apr to Oct. Terraces are out on the squares and the Greenpark walks are pleasant.
- Best overall: April - October (Highs climb from about 15C in April to 24C in July and August, ideal terrace weather on the squares and along the Greenpark route)
- Carnival: February - March (Days of costumes and street parties; rooms go fast and many shops close)
- Winter: November - March (Highs of 5 to 9C and near-freezing nights; a quiet time for the museum and the shops)
July is the warmest month in Venlo, with average highs of 24°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 0°C. Venlo's July and August highs reach about 24°C, and January's about 5°C, with mild, damp winters on the Maas.
Visa & documents
Schengen rules govern entry to the Netherlands. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Crime in the Netherlands is low. Bike theft and pickpocketing in busy areas are the main issues; watch out for cyclists.
