Phew, you have finally moved to Eindhoven. You have a roof over your head, you are starting a new job soon and your adventure in Eindhoven can really start now. We can imagine you have a lot of questions about the city, Dutch culture and how public transport actually works. In this guide, we will answer (almost) all your questions. It will help you to make a soft landing in Eindhoven.
Are you planning on moving to Eindhoven shortly? Then first check our ultimate guide for moving to Eindhoven.
First of all, congratulations with your new home! After a stressful period, you can probably use some breathing room. Hop on your sofa and leave the packed boxes for what they are. We will discuss some practical matters that you will come across in the coming days or weeks.
You can't have missed it: The people in Eindhoven are cyclists. Cycling is healthy, cheap, fast, good for the environment and you can go (almost) everywhere on your bike. It’s time to get your own two-wheeler. The options are wide when it comes to bikes. Just walk into one of the many bike shops and ask for advice. Tip: don’t go for the most expensive model. A simple bike is all you need.
Do you prefer to leave your bike at home for now, then you can use public transport. With two train stations, excellent bus connections and shared transport you can go anywhere in Eindhoven by public transport. You can buy separate train or bus tickets or check in with your bank card or mobile phone. Even better is to apply for an OV-chipkaart (public transport chip card). This card allows you to easily check in or out for public transport. You can also get discounts with your OV-chipkaart for traveling with Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) (Dutch Railways). Would you like to know more about the various NS season tickets? Click here.
To get your daily shopping in the Netherlands, you either go to the supermarket or a local weekly market. There are a number of options for supermarkets. You can do your weekly shopping in any supermarket, but there are differences in prices and brands that you can buy.
In Eindhoven you can get your groceries in the following places:
Albert Heijn, in common parlance also called ‘AHA’ or ‘Appie’, is the largest supermarket chain of the Netherlands. Here you can get almost everything you need. It also sells many products from the Asian or Mediterranean kitchen. Doing your shopping here is just a little bit more expensive than in other supermarkets, but products in the ‘Bonus’ (bonus products are recognizable by their orange label) are usually on great discount. You can also buy products that are almost past their best-before date at 35% discount.
Jumbo Supermarkets also have a great range. You can practically buy the same products here as in Albert Heijn. But Jumbo works out just slightly cheaper in the end. It does of course depend on what you want to buy.
Aldi and Lidl are two different supermarkets that are very similar to one another. They are both cheaper supermarkets where you can buy quality shopping for less money. The designs of the shops are not as nice as that of Albert Heijn and Jumbo, but you’re in the right place if you don’t care about that.
If you prefer to go to ‘the market’, Eindhoven offers a lot of options. There is a weekly market in almost every urban district. We have made a list for you:
You surely have to try our pea soup or ‘bitterballen’ (type of croquet), but of course you will also want to cook with the flavors you are used to at home. Luckily, Eindhoven has a lot of international supermarkets
Now that the removal is over, you most likely want to furnish your home comfortably. There are many places where you can go whether you have a large or a small budget. Eindhoven is a wonderful place for design lovers. Not surprising, it is the design city of the Netherlands. Additionally, there are different places in the city where you can score second-hand furniture. Find the (second-hand) furniture store closest to you through the links below.
Cleaning utensils, pottery, and something nice for in your home. You will get it all in the coming days or weeks. No hurry, of course, but it’s nice to know where to go. To start with, we have our Dutch pride: Hema. Here you can buy almost everything you need for your home for a small price. Don't be scared by the ‘rookworsten’ (Dutch smoked sausages) on the racks! You can also go to Blokker for everything you need for your household. Both Hema and Blokker have several stores spread throughout the city, so with your new bike, you get everything in no time.
There is nothing more important than your health. In the ultimate guide for moving to Eindhoven, we talked about applying for health insurance and finding a local family physician, but there is more to health than that. In this part, you can read everything about a healthy lifestyle in Eindhoven.
In the Netherlands, it is easy to make a dentist appointment, or at least when you are registered with a dentist. There are many dentists in Eindhoven. Often you can register via the website of the dental surgery. Do you prefer to talk to someone on the phone? Almost every dental surgery has reception staff you can call if you have any questions. All you have to do is call.
Medicine without a prescription, care products, and vitamins: you can get them all in the drugstore. You can also come here for advice about the products they are selling. And that's quite handy because you don't need to make an appointment with the family physician. The most well-known drugstores in Eindhoven are Etos and Kruidvat. You can be sure that one of them is near you.
Did you go to the family physician and did you get a prescription? Then you can get the medicine in the local pharmacy. Costs are covered by the Dutch health insurer when you get medicine on prescription. You can also get medicine from the pharmacy without a prescription, but then you will have to pay for it. Do you need advice about a specific medicine? The pharmacy is the place to be.
You already have your own bike. Well done! But exercising is more than going from A to B. Exercising is good for your body, fun to do, and a chance to meet new people easily. There are many different sports clubs in Eindhoven that you can join. And there is a wide option when you are looking for a gym. Are you curious to know about the unique sports locations in Eindhoven? Then check our list with special sports venues.
We talk about the weather, complain a lot, and are not scared to ask you about anything. We can tell you many things about Dutch culture, but you will learn all about it when you start participating. It is, of course, a little scary, but we will help you in the right direction.
The ultimate topic of conversation for Dutch people. The holy grail for small talk. And the reason we feel amazing or not so well: the weather. Dutch people talk about it almost all day. Not surprising because it changes all the time. Rain and wind characterize Dutch street scenes, and as soon as the first rays of sunshine appear, everyone in Eindhoven starts hanging out on terraces. See you there!
The Dutch are free spirits. We can say whatever we want and be who we want to be. And yes, you can smoke a joint here. Dutch people respect other people's choices to a great extent, but they also grab every chance to give their opinion on them. We are a small country with many different cultures, movements, and groups. Just be you!
You can't have missed it: Dutch people say whatever they mean. We do not beat about the bush and tell you what we think. You might feel threatened at first. But don’t worry, we mean well.
Dutch people really like to party. We meet each other on festive days to celebrate them together. Here is a list of the main festive days in The Netherlands.
We close the end of the old year and celebrate the new year with a huge party. People light fireworks, drink champagne, and eat ‘oliebollen’ (doughnut balls).
The south of the Netherlands is all about carnival in February or March. People dress up and party in the streets and there are parades and fantastic festivals. The carnival period has a rich tradition that goes back to the time of the Romans. That’s why people from Brabant, Limburg, and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen take this period very seriously. So dress up crazy and join the party!
On this day, we all celebrate the birthday of our King. Everybody wears orange and takes to the streets. There are flea markets everywhere where children and adults sell their old stuff. Many big cities are bustling with people partying. Especially the night before, ‘King’s Night’, is famous. A pleasant chaos with lots of beer. Tip: Go to the bakery and get some tompoezen. Thank us later.
In the USA, you have Santa Claus; in the Netherlands, we have Sinterklaas. The saint celebrates his birthday on December the 5th and brings presents for everybody with him on this steamboat. We eat ‘pepernoten’ (ginger bread nuts) and chocolate letters, and in most cities, there is a parade for children.
In the Netherlands, like in many other countries, we celebrate Christmas. We eat a lot of food, give each other presents, and have lovely decorations with small lights everywhere.
As we said before: you are better off finding out about the Dutch culture yourself. Go out and talk with people. That’s the best way to learn about Dutch culture.
You are going to start working in your new job shortly. Or you may have been working there for a while and have already learned about the Dutch work culture. Again: you need to experience it yourself. These tips will help you!
The Dutch drink the most coffee in the world. Not tiny espressos; we are happiest with a full mug. Unsurprisingly, everyone on the work floor keeps going to the coffee machine. People chat with each other here and then continue to work again. Do you prefer coffee with sugar or black coffee?
On the Dutch work floor, people usually take a half-hour lunch break. They often bring their own lunch: their famous boterhammen. Simple and delicious. Dutch people put peanut butter or hagelslag on their bread and they love their cheese. What are you going to put on your first boterham?
Of course, every company is different, but work happiness is a high priority in the Netherlands. It means that companies where hard work and good results are essential also pay much attention to pleasant and meaningful work. In short: in the Netherlands, we want to work to make people happy.
We don’t take things easy, and we like to keep going. Dutch people are fast and efficient. Part of our success is the result of our fast and efficient working. Choices are made quickly, and we keep our lines of communication short when cooperating. On the other hand, we invented the concept of ‘polderen’ (seeking consensus). We like to consult with everyone first to get support for any decision.
Dutch people like to be on time and expect others to do the same. In practice, you should try to arrive ten minutes before your appointment.
But what if you do arrive too late? No worries! After all, you are now in Brabant and here we have the Brabants kwartiertje (Brabant smalltalk). In short, arriving at a meeting a little later is fine. The first fifteen minutes are usually spent talking about nothing particular anyway.
Don’t get upset if your colleagues want to know your ins and outs. We like to chat about the weekend or how you are feeling. Are you not in the mood to talk about these things? Just start talking about the weather, that's always a good topic.
You will be much more than just a Dutch person in a while. Soon you will be someone from Eindhoven above all. But what does this mean? Despite being a small country, our cultural differences are pretty significant. In this part, we tell you more about the Culture in Eindhoven.
Eindhoven obtained its town privileges in 1232.
With 238,000 inhabitants, Eindhoven is the fifth-largest city in the Netherlands.
Eindhoven is located in the province of North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands (and thus not in Holland).
In Eindhoven, many people have a Brabant accent and speak with a soft ‘G’.
Eindhoven has a rich history, full of creativity and innovation.
Football is very popular among its inhabitants. That’s quite obvious, considering that we have a gigantic football stadium in the city's center.
You may have come across them already: the vibes of Eindhoven. The vibes stand for the creative and unconventional energy of the city. The logo of Eindhoven is used for everything these days. Posters, food, and even tattoos. You see it everywhere. Share the vibe!
Eindhoven is known as a city that has village characteristics. People do not just greet you in the morning. You can also count on them to help you. Whether you want to borrow a drilling machine or need extra muscle power during moving, help is always nearby. All you need to do is ask.
When you walk in front of the Catharina Church, you literally walk across dead bodies. Under the illuminated glass covers lie victims of the plague who died during the Middle Ages. During excavations, researchers discovered that these bones had unique DNA. The epidemic caused mutations in their DNA that are now very valuable for research into HIV. How interesting!
Eindhoven and Philips go hand in hand. What started as a small light bulb factory gradually became one of the world's best-known innovative companies. Everybody has a Philips product at home, or not? Philips is the founder of many things in Eindhoven and is interwoven with the DNA of the city. When you walk through the different districts, you can recognize many of the old factory buildings. It’s hard to believe, but behind those thick concrete facades, they used to assemble radios and televisions. These days, most Philips has moved to the city's edge, and the work floors have changed into trendy restaurants, innovative companies, and a flourishing creative sector. Typical for Eindhoven!
Yes, correct. The Eindhoven region accommodates the world’s most important company you might never have heard of. ASML produces the best chip machines in the world, manufacturing the chips in almost all your equipment. Also, in your smartphone!
Eindhoven is the most prominent design city in the Netherlands, and that title is not surprising. In addition to one of world’s best design schools, Design Academy Eindhoven, and a large design community, we also have Dutch Design Week. With 2,600 designers, more than one hundred locations, and some 350,000 visitors, it is the largest design festival in North Europe. Will we see you there?
Another event that became ingrained in the culture of Eindhoven. GLOW. Every year, November is marked by this enchanting light festival. Local and international artists connect the power of light, innovation, and technology by creating unique light artworks. This light festival is a beautiful walking route, and it is traditional for many people living in Eindhoven to walk it together with friends and family.
18 September 1944 is a unique date for Eindhoven. On this decisive day, Eindhoven was liberated, and the war seemed to be over in our city. The people from Eindhoven welcomed the liberators with lights behind the windows. We commemorate and celebrate this every year with the Lichtjesroute. A beautiful route with up to 60 different light objects and 100,000 lights. Join us again by foot, bike, or car this year and experience it yourself!
Humans are social creatures, and we all prefer company to solitude. What about you? Luckily, Eindhoven is a highly social city with all its kind inhabitants. You should meet them! We will help you with your new social network.
Almost everybody in Eindhoven speaks English. Brilliant, but you will notice that speaking Dutch will help you to become part of the Eindhoven community. You can get help to learn Dutch in many places, and we have listed some valuable tips.
Did your family come along? Great! Especially when you think of everything you and your family can do in Eindhoven. We have listed quite a few great spots for you to give you some ideas.
Scouting, tennis, bowling, climbing, and theater: Eindhoven has countless clubs and associations. Such clubs are ideal places to make new friends and to get to know Eindhoven better. There is also a wide choice for expats, so grab your chance and join a club.
If only you could order a box of new friends from your online supermarket. Friendly, funny ones who totally get you, please! Alas, it doesn't work like that. But making friends is essential and also significant fun to do. The following guide will help you find new best friends.
A lot! Our events calendar is bursting with gigs, expositions, performances, and so on. You will meet new people and get to know the city better in these places. Don’t wait any longer and discover what you can do in Eindhoven.
This guide is full of sustainable tips for anyone who likes to be kind to the planet. And to themselves, because sustainable choices are often the best choices, if you ask us. So get that vintage look, hop on your bike and explore the greenest side of Eindhoven, literally and figuratively.
Let's go green!
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