Fifty years after the collapse of the industry, Heerlen is doing okay. Some say it is still struggling with social-economic disadvantages, which is definitely the case, but younger generations and new EU-citizens also see potential of the city. Perhaps this is because they are not burdened by the past.
Heerlen is in-between growth and shrinkage, between backward- and forwardleaning. After decades of urban shrinkage and decay, the city experiences modest new growth, largely because of non-Dutch citizens.
This resonates with the origins of the city: a city built on migration from all over the place, with a language that is neither a dialect nor a official Dutch language. The remix of culture and background, of ages and ideologies, of how new citizens will feel welcomed, will define if Heerlen’s growth is here to stay.
More on Heerlen’s history.
If you travel by car, just use Google Maps and turn right after Aachen.
If you are traveling from the south of Europe, you can also take the car train from Innsbruck to Düsseldorf and enjoy a complimentary breakfast on the train. Heerlen is also accessible by regular train, except when traveling from Bosnia, unfortunately. The best way to travel there is via Aachen. You can book your trip with Deutsche Bahn. http
s://www.bahn.de/
For a budget-friendly travel option, especially from the Balkan, hop on a FlixBus to Aachen or Maastricht, and then continue your journey to Heerlen by train the cross-border train or bus. There is a direct Zenica - Aachen Flixbus.
You prefer to take a flight? No problem!
Land at Cologne/Bonn airport or Eindhoven Airport, and a quick train ride will take you to Heerlen.
For zero-star restaurants, unfinished buildings, useful mobile phone repair shops and an experimental toastiebar, check out this map.
If you love cycling, there is a newly opened route that takes you to undiscovered places. It’s called the Parkstad Route (no shit) and it’s 35km long. Download the PDF or GPX.
The most popular Dutch walking route starts here: conquer the Seven Summits of the Dutch Mountain Trail, an adventorous walk that changes your perception of the Netherlands as a country that is as flat as a pancape.