landmark
Valkenburg Marl Caves
Hill-country Valkenburg hides Roman-era marl tunnels, a ruined castle and the Netherlands' only true hilltop drives.
11 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeNetherlandsLimburg
Heerlen
Limburg, Netherlands · Europe
About Heerlen
Heerlen works well as a base: 5 minutes from Terwinselen, 24km from Hoge Kempen National Park.
Heerlen is in Limburg, Netherlands, with about 93,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Terwinselen, about 4 km away.
Heerlen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦeːrlə(n)] ; Limburgish: Heële [ˈɦeə˦lə]) is a city and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is the third largest settlement proper in the province of Limburg. Measured as a municipality, it is the fourth largest municipality in the province of Limburg.
Heerlen formsRead more
part of the city-region of Parkstad Limburg, an agglomeration with about 250,000 inhabitants and encompassing eight municipalities. It is to the east of Maastricht and north of the German city of Aachen.
After its early Roman beginnings and a modest medieval period, Heerlen became a centre for the coal mining industry in the Netherlands in the late 19th century. In the 20th century, architect Frits Peutz played a major role in shaping the city as we know it today. His most famous design, and a distinctive building in the city centre, is the so-called Glaspaleis (Glass Palace), listed as one of the world's thousand most architecturally important buildings of the 20th century.
Where to Stay in Heerlen
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Heerlen?
Within an hour or so of Heerlen: Valkenburg Marl Caves (11 km), Aachen Cathedral (Aachener Dom) (14 km), Vaalserberg Drielandenpunt (15 km), Vrijthof Maastricht (21 km).
Are there any good drives near Heerlen?
The nearest famous roads are Baraque de Fraiture, Mosel Valley Wine Route and Moselle Valley Road (B53).
Where is Heerlen?
Heerlen is in Limburg, Netherlands, about 4 km from Terwinselen.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 93,084
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Netherlands
- Region
- Limburg
- Timezone
- Europe/Amsterdam
- Coordinates
- 50.8837, 5.9815
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Netherlands
Watch for cyclists. They generally have priority.
Full driving guide for NetherlandsTags
Worth the detour from Heerlen
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cathedral
Aachen Cathedral (Aachener Dom)
The first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Germany, built by Charlemagne as his palatine chapel in the 9th century.
14 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Vaalserberg Drielandenpunt
The Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
15 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Vrijthof Maastricht
A grand cafe-ringed square anchored by two medieval churches in the Netherlands' oldest, most Burgundian city.
21 km · about 25 min drive
national park
Hoge Kempen National Park
Belgium's first national park, a heath and pine landscape in Limburg with six gateway entrances and visitor car parks.
24 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Thorn
The 'white village' of Limburg: an entire former abbey-principality of whitewashed brick lanes and cobbles beside the Maas, painted white in the Napoleonic era to dodge a window tax and kept that way ever since.
32 km · about 35 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Gileppe Dam
A 19th-century dam near Spa crowned by a 13-ton stone lion, with a 78 m panorama tower and forested Ardennes reservoir views a short detour off the Verviers road.
33 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
Monschau
Slate-and-timber Eifel town crammed into the narrow Rur gorge near the Belgian border, its lanes essentially unchanged for 300 years; a historic mustard mill still grinds and the castle ruin hosts open-air concerts.
41 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Heerlen
- Right hereVaalserberg DrielandenpuntThe Netherlands' highest mainland point at 322.4 metres, where the Dutch, Belgian and German borders meet near Vaals.
- 33 kmGileppe DamA 19th-century dam near Spa crowned by a 13-ton stone lion, with a 78 m panorama tower and forested Ardennes reservoir views a short detour off the Verviers road.
- 43 kmSignal de BotrangeAt 694m this is the highest point in Belgium, marked by a stone tower on the Hautes Fagnes plateau.
- 73 kmBaraque de FraitureBelgium's second-highest point at 652 m, a windswept Ardennes plateau crossroads on the N89 with a small ski station and sweeping high-fen scenery.
Driving in Netherlands
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€2.04/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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