Top Things to Do in Kerkrade – the Divided City

Kerkrade is not your regular tourist destination in the Netherlands, but the place has a surprisingly large number of attractions. There is a lovely museum, a botanical garden, a zoo, an abbey, and let’s not forget the beautiful hilly landscape. Read further to find out what are the best things to do in Kerkrade.

Located at the edge of the Netherlands, Kerkrade is often overlooked by the foreign tourists. Locals on the other hand, know the place and come for a long weekend or for a short day trip, visiting mostly the famous Gaia Zoo.

Do you want to prepare better for your trip? If you want to travel extensively in the region, read here what else you can do and see in Limburg:
🟧 Best things to do in Limburg on a day trip from Maastricht
🟧 How to spend the perfect day in Maastricht
🟧 Best things to do in Vaals
🟧 Best things to do in Valkenburg
🟧 Best things to do in Mechelen

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How to get to Kerkrade

Although it’s located at the most southern part of the Netherlands, at the border with Germany, Kerkrade is still easy to reach from a number of Dutch cities. There’s also a train station in the city, which makes it comfortable to travel to and from Kerkrade by public transport.

The nearest airports to Kerkrade are the Maastricht-Aachen Airport (30 km) with seasonal and low-cost flights in Europe, Cologne-Bonn Airport in Germany (95 km) and Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands (105 km) with regular flights to lots of places in Europe, and of course Schiphol (230 km) and Brussels (135 km) – for all international flights.

Getting to Kerkrade by public transport

The train station in Kerkrade is the last stop of the regional train line Sittard – Heerlen – Kerkrade. If you travel by train to Kerkrade, you will need to change either at Heerlen or Sittard and get on the stopping train that’ll take you to Kerkrade.

Tip: Read this post about using the public transport in the Netherlands. It’s packed with tips that only a local knows!

Another option would be to get off at Heerlen and get the bus to Kerkrade. There are a number of lines that go to different parts of the city.

Pro tip: Buy your train tickets online with the Dutch Railways (NS) for hassle-free travel. On the website of NS you can also check for any discounts.

Getting to Kerkrade by car

If you are travelling by car (rented or your own), Kerkrade can be a lovely stop on your road trip, or a nice day-trip destination. Kerkrade is also super easy to reach if you in Germany or Belgium. Let’s say that you can just walk to Kerkrade, if you are staying in Germany. The border splits the city into 2 parts: Kerkrade is the Dutch part and Herzogenrath – the German one.

Here are distances from some major cities to Kerkrade :

🚗 Amsterdam – Kerkrade: 225 km / 2 hr 50 min
🚗 Rotterdam – Kerkrade: 210 km / 2 hr 40 min
🚗 Den Bosch – Kerkrade: 140 km / 1 hr 40 min
🚗 Eindhoven – Kerkrade: 100 km / 1 hr 20 min
🚗 Maastricht – Kerkrade: 35 km / 30 min
🚗 Cologne (DE) – Kerkrade: 80 km / 1 hr 20 min
🚗 Aachen (DE) – Kerkrade: 15 km / 20 min
🚗 Liege/Luik (BE) – Kerkrade: 60 km / 50 min
🚗 Brussels (BE) – Kerkrade: 140 km / 2 hr

Best things to do in Kerkrade

1. Explore the city center

Kerkrade is quite an interesting city formed by the fusion of a few places, thus having multiple ‘city centers’. However, one of them is considered as the official city center of Kerkrade. The main Market Square (‘Markt’) is surrounded by numerous cafés and restaurants where you can sit, relax and have a drink or enjoy a lovely meal. In 1944 the Market Square was completely destroyed and it was never rebuilt in its old glory.

At the market square you can admire the lovely Town Hall building in Renaissance Revival style, built at the beginning of the 20th century. Just off the market square is located the St. Lambert Church (Sint-Lambertuskerk). The church was built in 1843, but the church tower is a century older, from 18 century. It has a richly ornamented altar in Louis-XV style. At one corner of the square you can see D’r Joep – a statue of a mine worker erected in 1956, which symbolizes the mining past of Kerkrade. Until the coal mines closed for good in the 1970-s, Kerkrade was a thriving mining city.

A short walk from the city center is the eye-catching sculpture Viva La Vida by the Spanish artist Juan Ripollès.

2. Take a walk in the city park

Kerkrade has a lovely city park with water features and benches to sit and enjoy your time. The park is equally beautiful in any time of the year. Even covered with snow, it’s a nice place to walk around.

3. Visit the emblematic Rolduc Abbey

The Rolduc Abbey is one of the most famous attractions in Kerkrade. It is the biggest cloister complex remaining in the modern-day Netherlands. The Abbey was founded in 1104 and it was there where they started coal mining in the 17th century. Today, a part of the Abbey is occupied by the Roman Catholic Seminary, and another part is functioning as a congress center and a hotel. There is a lovely brasserie in the Abbey, where you can have dinner and if the weather is nice you can sit in the courtyard of the Abbey.

The church of the Abbey is absolutely worth the visit and the charming library in Rococo style.

There‘s also a guided tour of the Abbey on Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays. Although the tour is in Dutch, I suggest that you take it as you will be able to visit places that aren’t normally open to the public.

Practical info
Address: Heyendallaan 82, 6464 EP Kerkrade
Admission fee: free; tours are paid, though
Opening times: business hours

4. Try the local brew at the Rolduc Abbey

At the Abbey you can also visit the local brewery, where you can sample a selection of their best creations. The beer is not brewed by monks, what you would expect by an abbey, as in the tradition of the cloister breweries, but by a bunch of local beer enthusiasts and connoisseurs. Their Blonde Non (‘Blond nun’) is something you really have to try if visiting Kerkrade.

The brewery is located at the premises of the old cloister brewery which stopped activity around 1750.

Practical info
Address: Heyendallaan 82, 6464 EP Kerkrade (on the right side of the Abbey, down the street)
Opening times: Thursday-Saturday, from 2pm to 5pm; Sunday, from 11am to 3pm
Website: www.brouwerij-rolduc.nl (only in Dutch)

5. Discover the hidden gem of Kerkrade – the Botanical Garden

One would not expect to find a botanical garden in a town like Kerkrade, but as I have already mentioned Kerkrade used to be an important mining center. The Botanical Garden was established in 1939 as a recreational place for the miners in the tradition of the English gardens. Today, there are 195 plant families with 785 different species in the Botanical Garden.

Fun fact: There are 27 Botanical gardens in the Netherlands.

I personally love the so-called Open-air Cathedral – a garden arranged in the form of a church with arches from trees. There is also a lovely tea house at the Garden where you can have a cup of coffee or tea with a piece of Dutch ‘vlaai’ – the famous pie from Limburg.

Practical info
Address: St. Hubertuslaan 74, 6467 CK Kerkrade
Admission fee: adults – 5,50 EUR, kids (till 16 yoa) – free
Opening times: 1 April – 31 October (high season): Monday-Friday, from 10am to 5pm; Sunday, from 12am to 5pm, closed on Saturdays; 1 November- 31 March (low season): Monday-Friday, from 12am to 4pm; Sunday, from 12am to 5pm
Website: botatuin.org (only in Dutch)

6. Travel 2000 years back in time at the Roman Villa

Just a short walk from the Botanical Garden is another surprising attraction in Kerkrade – the Kaalheide Villa. These are the ruins of a Roman villa that date back to 1^st – 3^rd century AD. The villa was of the so-called villa rustica type – a farmstead with a living quarters and a farm. This is the only Roman site in the Netherlands that can be visited at its original place and which hasn’t be moved.

I must admit that my visit was a bit disappointing. There’s a path where you can walk through the ruins, but the gate was closed. There were no opening hours and the grass was so high you could barely see the ruins. On the other hand, it was quite fascinating to find these ruins in the middle of a residential area on a plot between two houses. The rest is a question of your imagination and your knowledge of the Roman Empire.

7. Make your own discovery at the Discovery Museum

I told you, Kerkrade is full of surprises, and this museum is no exception. Discovery Museum is dedicated to science, technology and design. Actually, these were three museums (Continium, Cube Design Museum and Columbus Earth Center) that were joined under the umbrella of Discovery Museum in 2021

It’s an interesting museum that is fun for both kids and adults alike. My favorite part is the Earth Theatre where you can see our planet in an intriguing way from above.

8. Visit GaiaZOO, the zoo that cares about sustainability

GaiaZOO is one of the most loved and visited zoos in the Netherlands. It has been chosen as the best day-trip destination in the Netherlands in 2013, 2019, 2020, and 2023 by the locals. There are four domains in the zoo: Taiga, Savanna, Rainforest and Limburg, where you can see local animal species.

What I personally love about this park, is the way it has been designed. It feels as if you are walking through the natural habitat of the animals and there are a few places from where you can spot them. No matter where they are, you will always see them.

Another important thing about the Gaia Zoo is their focus on sustainability. They have established the Gaia Nature Fund, which supports endangered animal species. Also, they pride in the first Dutch website that’s completely CO2-neutral, they don’t use palm oil and all the paper is FSC certified.

9. Go skiing in the summer

Skiing and snowboarding in the Netherlands sounds almost impossible, provided that the whole land is as flat as a pancake, but you can still ski in the Netherlands and even in the summer! One of the biggest indoor skiing facilities in the country is located just at 5 km from Kerkrade in the nearby town of Landgraaf. SnowWorld is a must-do if you are vacationing in the area. Even if you spend the whole day sightseeing, you can still hit the slopes in the evening with the special evening pass. SnowWorld offers 5 slopes, a chairlift, ski lessons, a hotel and 4 restaurants – a 100% guarantee for some amazing fun.

10. Learn about the mining heritage at Nulland

Another attraction in Kerkrade connected with the mining heritage of the city is the Nulland Shaft (Schacht Nulland). Nulland was one of the 6 shafts in total of the Domaniale Mijn – the oldest industrial coal mine in the Netherlands. The shaft was built in 1907 and it reached up to 349 m underground. Today, it’s the only remaining structure of the whole mining complex.

The shaft is open for visitors only on special occasions when former mine workers guide the tours, but you can always have a look at it from the outside.

Address: Domaniale Mijnstraat 30, 6462 HA Kerkrade

11. See the Erenstein Castle and go for a walk in the Anstel Valley

The Anstel Valley (Anstelvallei) is super charming with the tiny Ansteler brook and the dreamy Erenstein Castle (Kasteel Erenstein). The castle was first built in 1340 and rebuilt in 1722 after a huge fire in 1700. After being a residence of a few noble families, in the 1940 the municipality bought the castle and established there a museum. In the 50s the castle was a home and an atelier of a few famous local artists and it the 80s it became a hotel with a restaurant.

Today, you can walk around the beautiful castle. There’s a trail that will lead along the brook to the Cranenweyer – the only reservoir in the Netherlands. On the way back, you can stop for lunch at the Nieuw-Ehrenstein Brasserie – a lovely restaurant housed in a gorgeous farmstead. They are also open for dinner.

Erenstein Castle address: Kerkradersteenweg 4, 6468 PA Kerkrade
Nieuw-Ehrenstein Brasserie address: Nieuw-Erensteinerweg 5, 6468 PD Kerkrade

Pro tip: Fascinated by castles? Do you know that you still can stay in a castle at an affordable price? No problem! South Limburg has a lot to offer!
Read here my recommendations for the best castle hotels in South Limburg.

12. Take a ride on the steam train Miljoenenlijn

A ride on the Miljoenenlijn train is a must-do if you are visiting Kerkrade, or even South Limburg. There’s no better way to see the hilly landscape than sitting relaxed in the steam train. The train goes from Kerkrade to Schin op Geul and stops in Spekholzerheide, Simpelveld, Eys-Wittem, and Wijlre-Gulpen.

Fun fact: There are 4 more steam train tourist attractions in the Netherlands: the line between Haaksebergen and Boekelo in Overijssel, the museum steam tram between Hoorn and Medemblik, the museum STAR railway between Stadskanaal and Veendam, and the VSM line between Apeldoorn and Dieren.

The railway of the Miljoenenlijn was built in the period 1925-1934 and was used to transport the coal from the mines and the workers to the mines.

In the late 1990s the Miljoenenlijn opened as an attraction and since then it’s one of the best things to do when visiting South Limburg.

Practical info
Admission fee: adults – 19 EUR (online: 17,50 EUR), kids (3-11 yoa) – 9 EUR (online: 7,50 EUR)
Schedule: only in the weekend; check the website
Website: www.miljoenenlijn.nl (in Dutch and in German)

13. Walk along the Nieuwstraat – the border with Germany

Once Kerkrade and Herzogenrath (in Germany) belonged to the same city which originated around the Rolduc Abbey and the Rode Castle in the Early Middle Ages. As a result of the Congress of Vienna in 1815 after the defeat of Napoleon, the city was split into two parts and the border between the Netherlands and Prussia was drawn along the Nieuwstraat/Neustrasse in the middle of the city.

Through the years there were various separations on the frontier, from barbed wire fences to even a wall. The street became infamous as a trafficking route for smuggling anything from coffee to cigarettes. In 1993, after continuous protests from the people of the divided city, the wall was finally removed.

Today, you can have a stroll along the Dutch side and return back to your starting point along the German sidewalk. Or even why not have a short walk in Germany and visit the Rode Castle (Burg Rode). Along the Nieuwstraat there are information boards with old photos which show how it looked like in the past with the checkpoints and the barbed wire.

Where to stay in Kerkrade

I will be repeating myself again to say that Kerkrade has on offer some surprising places to stay. What do you think about staying in a medieval castle or in a cloister? And that’s not all!

Here’s my selection of hotels and other accommodations in Kerkrade:

Erenstein Castle

Pro tip: Fascinated by castles? Do you know that you still can stay in a castle at an affordable price? No problem! South Limburg has a lot to offer!
Read here my recommendations for the best castle hotels in South Limburg.

Rolduc Abbey

De bezige bij / The Busy Bee Bed & Breakfast

De Slaaploods / The Slaaploods Holiday Home

Final words

Kerkrade is one of those places in the Netherlands that are way beyond the radar of the international tourists and still the place is so much worth visiting. There is a surprising number of things to do and some of them are pretty unique, like visiting Gaia Zoo or taking the steam train. Kerkrade is a perfect destination for a day trip if you are staying in one of the bigger cities in the Netherlands or Belgium and it can be a perfect stop for a day or two if you are road tripping in the Netherlands, Belgium or Germany.

Do you need some extra help to plan your trip to the Netherlands? Join the dedicated Exploring the Netherlands Facebook Group, where you can get tips from other travellers and locals. Or perhaps you have questions or comments? Join the group and I’ll be happy to answer them.