Venlo, one of the oldest cities in Holland, is a vibrant and lively town in the south east of the Netherlands, close to the German border, situated on the banks of the river Meuse (“Maas” in Dutch). Characterized by an international outlook, it is home to about 100,000 people. Being the capital of northern Limburg, the city hosts three institutions for higher education: HAS University of Applied Sciences, Fontys University of Applied Sciences and Maastricht University (Venlo branch). Its inner city was awarded the title of “Best City Centre” in 2014 and 2015.
Venlo has a compact and well-defined commercial centre in its old city centre. The pleasant and vibrant centre can be divided into a number of districts, each with an individual multi-cultural character and charm.
The “Markt” square in Venlo, in front of the beautiful Town Hall, is the true centre of the city. The area on and around the Markt, offers a wide range of shops and bars and restaurants. Vleesstraat is one of the most prominent streets in the centre. Lined with many shops ranging from well-known retail chains such as H&M, to high fashion boutiques; this street links the north and south sides of the city, crossing the central market square. The winding lanes that branch out from Vleesstraat, take you deeper into the historic centre. These narrow streets are home to the most delightful speciality shops, surprising boutiques and full of pleasant places to stop for lunch, a drink, or en evening meal.
Just a few minutes away from city center, you will find the “newest hip district” in the center: “Maasboulevard”. Maasboulevard, bordering the river Meuse, has become the place for young and old to meet, enjoying a fantastic view, following the yacht and leisure craft in the harbour. This area is a contemporary urban space, with a wealth of shops and various places to eat and drink and also the spot where many events are held throughout the year. The place for students to meet in Venlo!
The city has an event calendar bursting with festivals and activities all year round, including the annual carnival in February. Venlo also has a multitude of museums, exhibition spaces, galleries and hidden artisan ateliers!
Just outside Venlo, you will find two big amusement parks: the magic-themed amusement park “Toverland” and the adventure playground & mini-golf course, called “Spielpark Klein Zwitserland”.
Only 20 minutes to the north of Venlo you will find “Nationaal Park Maasduinen”, a long stretch of land that covers an area of 45km squared, which was established as a national park in 1996. National park “De Groote Peel”, is yet another area of natural beauty, situated 30 minutes to the west of Venlo. With an abundance of peat and bogs, this is a water haven virtually untouched by human cultivation.
Venlo has a large agricultural industry, with one of the most active green ports in Europe. “Greenport Venlo” is the second largest concentration of horticulture in the Netherlands. Seen in conjunction with the neighbouring German region of Niederrhein (Lower Rhine), Greenport Venlo is even the largest in Europe. Together, the Greenport area Venlo and the agro business area "Lower Rhine" in Germany form a region where more than 30 million people live.
The region has broad chances and future possibilities to further develop the "green market", thus offering many job opportunities to professionals in the food, fresh and logistics markets.
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