{"id":62443,"date":"2026-04-16T14:42:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T14:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/62443\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T14:42:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T14:42:13","slug":"why-the-netherlands-most-underrated-city-is-crushing-all-time-visitor-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/62443\/","title":{"rendered":"Why The Netherlands’ Most Underrated City Is Crushing All-Time Visitor Records"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\tShare The Article\t<\/p>\n

Out of all 1,500 articles I’ve written for Travel Off Path<\/a>, what we’re revealing today is one of the most shocking at first glance.<\/p>\n

Living up to our name, one of the most off-path Dutch cities turns out not to be so overlooked at all.<\/p>\n

We’ve covered The Netherlands<\/a> end to end over the years \u2014 or so we thought.<\/p>\n

\"Colorful\"Colorful<\/a><\/p>\n

Apparently, there’s been a well-kept secret about one artsy, off-the-wall tech hub that’s becoming one of the country’s coolest cities.<\/p>\n

Some visitors have called it \u201cboring\u201d, but we’re calling it the \u201canti-Amsterdam\u201d \u2014 in a good way.<\/p>\n

Crushing tourism records<\/a> in 2025, and surprisingly embracing even more visitors with an exciting new train route in the works, the lesser-known city of Eindhoven is the Netherlands’ new must-visit.<\/p>\n

PLUS, the Netherlands is largely considered one of the safest countries in the world as you can see below.<\/p>\n

Wait \u2014 The Netherlands Actually Wants You To Visit?<\/p>\n

While Amsterdam’s Karens may still be in full force as the iconic European city rolled out multiple anti-tourism campaigns in recent years, that’s not a reflection of the entire country.<\/p>\n

\"Art\"Art<\/a><\/p>\n

There are endless canal-laden alternatives<\/a> with equally gorgeous waterways for more spacious strolls and bike rides, but Eindhoven is one of the more unique city breaks that doesn’t mirror Amsterdam much at all.<\/p>\n

While one could argue the entire country is a bit quirky, that’s really the only true comparison.<\/p>\n

But yes, Eindhoven isn’t settling with its record 2025 year for tourism, welcoming a tick under 7 million passengers at Eindhoven Airport.<\/p>\n

They’re doubling down on trains.<\/p>\n

Obviously, America is slacking in the train department. Heck, since I paid my California taxes today, I’m wondering how much\u00a0actually\u00a0went to the high-speed rail project that seems like it’ll never come to fruition.<\/p>\n

\"Evoluon\"Evoluon<\/a><\/p>\n

We all know that’s not the case for Europe, though, where you can seemingly hop aboard a train anywhere.<\/p>\n

Eindhoven has reached an agreement with Brussels<\/a> for what’s being touted as a game-changing rail route for the region, set to connect this quietly booming city to Belgium’s elegant capital.<\/p>\n

Here’s what we know so far:<\/p>\n

A new Eindhoven\u2013Brussels rail link is officially in motion<\/a> after signing a letter of intent<\/p>\n

Talks will continue this summer; the holdup is deciding between new infrastructure or sprucing up an existing rail network<\/p>\n

The goal is to cut down on the clunky transfers currently needed between Eindhoven and Brussels<\/p>\n

There is no official launch date or operator as of yet<\/p>\n

\"Female\"Female<\/a><\/p>\n

The \u201cAnti-Amsterdam\u201d: Why Eindhoven Feels Like A Breath Of Fresh Air<\/p>\n

Yes, Eindhoven has a scenic canal, but it’s not the selling point of the city like Amsterdam’s and others that build their whole brand around them.<\/p>\n

This city has a real identity beyond tourism clich\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

Despite flying under the radar, those in the know come here because Eindhoven has carved out a reputation as a creative, forward-thinking city fueled by design, innovation, and repurposed industrial spaces, such as Strijp-S, one of the coolest hangouts there is.<\/p>\n

\"People\"People<\/a><\/p>\n

Not to circle back to Belgium, but if you’ve followed us lately, you know that Antwerp<\/a> is another hip up-and-comer, which may be the closest comparison as a trendsetter.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Eindhoven was crowned<\/a> the \u201cleast stressful city in the world\u201d, which some visitors in the past have surmised to be boring, but that’s not the case.<\/p>\n

Between wandering Strijp-S, checking out the Philips Museum or Van Abbemuseum, browsing design-forward shops, eye-catching art installations, and ending the day at a lively cafe or brewery, Eindhoven has more than enough to keep things interesting.<\/p>\n

Why Eindhoven Is Perfect For Digital Nomads<\/p>\n

\"Woman\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

Since Amsterdam hasn\u2019t exactly been rolling out the welcome mat, that doesn’t mean the Netherlands isn’t great for remote workers to call home.<\/p>\n

But first, it’s always wise to check entry requirements<\/a> and our real-time safety status<\/a> before venturing off to another country, especially for nomads.<\/p>\n

What many may not realize since The Netherlands has been on the wrong side of headlines in terms of hospitality, they do indeed offer their own version of a digital nomad visa, officially known as the \u201cSelf Employed Residence Permit\u201d, which is valid for 2 years.<\/p>\n

\"Street\"Street<\/a><\/p>\n

Being a major tech hub, Eindhoven is arguably the best spot in the country to plant roots.<\/p>\n

With a thriving expat community, lower cost of living than Amsterdam, and a fast-growing innovation economy, laptop warriors can settle in comfortably while still using the city as a springboard for weekend trips \u2014 whether that means Brussels by train someday soon or even braving Amsterdam when the mood strikes.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Sam Sears<\/a><\/p>\n

Sam, our Senior Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 44 countries and written over 1500 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share The Article Out of all 1,500 articles I’ve written for Travel Off Path, what we’re revealing today…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62444,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[199,34313,200,33194,34314,4448],"class_list":{"0":"post-62443","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-amsterdam","8":"tag-amsterdam","9":"tag-eindhoven","10":"tag-netherlands","11":"tag-new-tourism-records","12":"tag-new-trains","13":"tag-trending"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@dk\/116414916287919078","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}