Roermond

Understand

Roermond receives a large number of visitors every year, and is a rather well known destination for Dutch, German and to a lesser degree Belgian tourists. Apart from the water sports facilities and historic centre, this is also due to successful efforts to turn Roermond into a prime shopping centre for the larger region. The large Designer Outlet Centre, opened by McArthurGlen in 2001, alone draws in some 3.75 million visitors per year. The city centre has also been praised for its ample shopping facilities, and as shops are open on Sunday, Roermond draws in plenty of daytrip visitors from all directions, including many Germans.

Get around

Much of the old town is car-free. Here, it's easy to navigate on foot. There are a few parking garages, but alternatively, plenty of parking is available at the Designer Outlet Centre. From here, special buses run to and from the city centre, as well as to other shopping centres in and around Roermond.

See

The city's rich history and religious prominence is well visible through the many monumental buildings in the city centre. There's a wide selection of churches, chapels and abbeys, but also the historic city hall and a large number of monumental houses. Just strolling through the old town will allow you to see some of the best examples, but if you're really interested, a guided tour (to be booked ahead via the tourist office) is a good way to see the best of Roermond history. Some of the major sights include:

Eat

Plenty of restaurants are scattered throughout town, at the outlet centre and around the Maasplassen. In the city centre, the squares around the two main churches, the Munsterplein and Grote Markt, are both lined with restaurants and (in summer) outdoor terraces. The Munsterplein is especially attractive for an outdoor lunch. Or head to the Schuitenberg, Bakkerstraat, Zwartbroekstraat and Sint Christoffelstraat, which are also heavy on dining options and a good place to start looking.

Sleep

There are ample options to stay in the city but also in the surrounding area, varying from camping spots to luxurious castle rooms. Especially in high season, book in advance, as the most popular places do get full.

Stay safe

Roermond is notorius for having a high crime rate by Dutch (and even European) standards. You won't get shot, but muggings, burglaries, and assaults are significantly more frequent there than in other parts of the Netherlands. Be very careful when wandering outside the city centre.

Connect

The international telephone country code for the Netherlands is 31, the area code for Roermond is 0475. If dialling from abroad, use +31 but then leave out the 0 in the area code.

Free WiFi hotspot can be found in the railway station which is close to the city centre.

Go next

Düsseldorf in the German Ruhr area is close as well as the hills of South Limburg.