Hilversum

Unlike most of the Netherlands, Hilversum is in a hilly area on sand soil. The town is between the major cities of Amsterdam and Utrecht , and most travellers visit it as a relaxing day off from the urban mayhem. The forests, lakes and heathland surrounding the town can best be explored by bicycle or on foot. Most of these lands are property of the Goois Natuurreservaat Foundation (GNR), a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting the nature reserves. Another goal is to connect nature reserves that have been separated by motorways and other human-made structures. For this end, the wildlife crossing Zanderij Crailo was completed in 2006, and it is the largest wildlife crossing in the world. It connects the Spanderswoud and the Bussumerheide, and is part of a larger programme to connect nature reserves from the Utrechtse Heuvelrug to Naarden.

The city is also green and breezy with trees pretty much everywhere. A total of 660 different types of trees to be exact, the largest variety of species in the Netherlands. Typical for the city is the way forests and city building naturally blend into each other. Hilversum is called a villadorp (villa village) because of its many villas with large surrounding gardens. The botanical garden Pinetum Blijdenstein is the most remarkable one with an enormous collection of rare and endangered trees and plants, some of which are exotic. It is home to one of the most complete collections of conifers in the world. Hilversum is nationally known as the media city, and goes by its nickname Hillywood . It is home to the country's broadcasting industry and has the two largest television studios in Europe within its borders. Every year, the Dutch points given in the Eurovision Song Contest are announced from Hilversum. Many Dutch celebrities live in the area, and their daily lives are often a topic of national interest.

History

Hilversum is one of the firstly inhabited areas of the Netherlands, as shown by earthenware from the early to mid-Bronze Age (1800-1200 BCE). This prehistoric civilisation is called Hilversum culture and is characterised by the use of barrow cemeteries. The urns show similarities with the Wessex culture of Southern Britain, where the population might have migrated from. This people lived in the area from Hilversum to northern Belgium and spoke an Indo-European language of unknown origin, not related to the Germanic language spoken today. In the early Middle Ages, Hilversum was an agricultural area. Around 900, the first bricks were laid, but no official mention of Hilversum was made until 1305. Then called Hilfersheem , ethymologists explain the name of Hilversum to derive from Hilvertshem, which means 'houses between the hills'. First the town was a part of Naarden , which is also worth a visit for its medieval remains, but it received an official independent status in 1424. Daily life was characterised by farming, raising sheep and wool manufacturing.

Economic growth came in the 17th century when Holland became one of the richest trading nations in Europe. Canals were built to indirectly link Hilversum with Amsterdam, though fires in 1725 and 1766 destroyed most of the town. A railway link to Amsterdam in 1874 aided a substantial textile and tapestry industry. Rich traders from Amsterdam built themselves large villas in the wooded surroundings of Hilversum, that still characterise the town. Many of these wealthy families were Catholics, giving Hilversum a relatively Catholic demographic (compared to the Protestant surroundings). As Hilversum never got city rights, locals still refer to the town centre as het dorp ("the village"). In the early 1900s, modern architects W.M. Dudok and J. Duiker from the New Objectivity School placed many remarkable buildings here (and even entire neighbourhoods). Dudok's masterpiece, the Hilversum Town Hall from 1931, features in many architecture textbooks. The transition to a media economy started in 1920, when the Nederlandse Seintoestellen Fabriek (NSF) established a radio factory. Many radio broadcasting organisations settled in the large villas in the leafy areas of the town. The textile industry had by then declined and the last factory closed in the 1960s. Television gave a renewed boost to the local economy and the number of inhabitants grew to 103,000 in 1964. Hilversum became the media capital of the Netherlands, and Dutch television celebrities moved in the leafy neighbourhoods surrounding the town centre. Hilvertshof was opened in 1973 as the first shopping centre of the Netherlands.

In the next decades, there was a decline in the number of inhabitants to an all-time low of 80,000 in 1999. The renovation of the Town Hall, which took place during 1989-1996, almost plunged the municipality of Hilversum into bankruptcy. It took five years to restore the building to its original state, and it was much more costly than originally anticipated. There is a permanent exposition about this renovation in the Dudok Dependance at the Hilversum Town Hall. The decline was further caused by suburbanisation, the economic downturn, smaller households, and the inability to expand as the town is surrounded by protected nature areas. As of the 2000s, there has been a renewed interest in Hilversum. With financial issues a matter of history, many new infrastructure projects and parks have been built. Its main train station has expanded from 3 to 5 tracks and regained Intercity status. Urbanisation has made Hilversum an attractive target for yuppies, who appreciate the town's new hip bars and boutiques, and its image as a green and affluent media town. Nowadays, Hilversum scores highly on national "best town to live in" polls.

VVV Hilversum ,

Kerkbrink 6 ,

+31 35 544-6971 .

M-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 12:00-17:00 .

Visit the tourist office if you have plans for biking or hiking as plenty of useful maps for the area are on sale. It's not necessary to understand Dutch as the routes are clearly marked. They also have other leaflets available, either free or for a few euros.  

Get in

By train

Because of the central location of its train station, Hilversum can best be reached by the NS railway service. Trains run roughly every 15 minutes between 05:00 and 01:00 to and from Amsterdam , Schiphol Airport , Utrecht , Amersfoort and Almere . The smaller train stations Hilversum Media Park and Hilversum Sportpark are within walking distance of the main train station.

Every day, six international trains to and from Berlin and Hanover stop in Hilversum. You can reserve seats at NS International . This is not required, but can be advised as prices are lower and rush hours can be crowded.

By car

Hilversum can be reached by motorways A1 , A2 and A27 . From the northwest and east ( Amsterdam and Amersfoort ), take A1 exit 9 at Laren , drive south on N525 and follow the signs. From the west ( Schiphol Airport and Leiden ), get on motorway A2 and take exit 4 at Vinkeveen. From there, drive east on N201. From the north and south ( Almere and Utrecht ), take motorway A27 and exit 33.

The provincial roads can be used to get to Hilversum as well. By driving on these smaller roads, you see more of the forests and rural areas around the town. N524 is a ride through the Spanderswoud from Bussum in the north. Two other forest rides are N525 from Laren in the northeast and N415 from Baarn in the east. From the south, the rural road N417 makes its way through farm fields and villages. N201 from Vinkeveen in the west goes through flat farmlands as well.

By plane

Hilversum Airport .

The town's airport in the southwest. It's only used for recreational flying and training purposes.  

The closest international airport is Schiphol Airport ( AMS   IATA ). From 06:00 till 00:00, a train leaves for Hilversum every 15 minutes from platform 3. The journey takes about 30 minutes with the direct Intercity train. The Sprinter train takes about 45 minutes and a transfer at the Weesp train station is required. You can also come to Hilversum from airports in Eindhoven and Rotterdam , but expect train journeys to be 1.5 to 2 hours.

Get around

On foot

As nearly all stores, restaurants and bars are in the centre, walking is a good way to get around Hilversum. From the main train station, it's a short walk through the Leeuwenstraat to the centre and most of the attractions. The streets in the centre are pretty much free of cars and bicycles, except for the Groest on which bicycles and a limited number of cars are allowed.

By bike

If you want to see more of the city than just the inner city core, cycling is the way to go. Hilversum is very safe to explore by bike, as all arterial roads have designated bike lanes, which can be recognised by their reddish-purple appearance. Bikers should follow the red and white signs for directions. Bicycles can be rented for €3.15 per day at all three train stations.

OV-fiets Hilversum ,

Stationsplein 1

( at the main train station ).

M-Th 04:45-01:50, F 04:45-02:45, Sa 04:45-02:50, Su 04:45-01:50 .

€3.15 per day .  

OV-fiets Media Park Infocentrum ,

Sumatralaan 45

( opposite the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision ).

M-F 08:30-16:30 .

€3.15 per day .  

OV-fiets Media Park Noordzijde ,

Leen Jongewaardweg

( close to Parkeerterrein C between NOS and RTL ).

24 hours daily .

€3.15 per day .  

OV-fiets Sportpark ,

Soestdijkerstraatweg 33

( at train station Hilversum Sportpark ).

M-F 09:30-22.00, Sa Su 11:00-22:00 .

€3.15 per day .  

By bus

Connexxion offers bus connections from Hilversum's main train station to the surroundings. You can plan your trip door-to-door using 9292.nl , though results vary. Especially in the evening, buses run infrequently and, for close destinations, walking is often faster than waiting for the bus to arrive. Bus transportation can best be used if you want to visit sights in the outskirts or in the surrounding villages. Fares are €3 for city trips, €5 for regional trips. Having an OV-chipkaart saves money.

By car

The road network of Hilversum used to be a nightmare, and still is difficult to navigate through with its one-way roads, traffic congestion and limited parking space. Roads and directions often change, which make old maps unreliable. The roads operate in a double ring system . The outer ring around the city has two-way traffic, while the inner ring around the centre only has one-way traffic. If you miss an exit, you will have to drive around the whole inner ring again for a second try.

Free parking options are available between the inner and the outer ring, but it's a 10- to 15-minute walk to the centre. The closest free parking area can be found at the Wandelpad between the main train station and train station Hilversum Sportpark. Be careful not to leave any valuables behind in this area. Parking at the parking lots is more convenient. Signs along the inner ring display which of the following parking lots have space available:

City Parking ,

Noordse Bosje 19-21 ,

+31 624-8656 .

M-Th 08:00-22:30, F 08:00-19:30, Sa 08:00-18:00 .

€1 per 30 minutes, €9.50 for a full day .  

Parkeergarage Gooiland ,

Koningshof 1 ,

+31 35 622-9612 .

24 hours daily .

€0.10 per 3 minutes, €8

[... truncated ...]

By train

Because of the central location of its train station, Hilversum can best be reached by the NS railway service. Trains run roughly every 15 minutes between 05:00 and 01:00 to and from Amsterdam , Schiphol Airport , Utrecht , Amersfoort and Almere . The smaller train stations Hilversum Media Park and Hilversum Sportpark are within walking distance of the main train station.

Every day, six international trains to and from Berlin and Hanover stop in Hilversum. You can reserve seats at NS International . This is not required, but can be advised as prices are lower and rush hours can be crowded.

By car

Hilversum can be reached by motorways A1 , A2 and A27 . From the northwest and east ( Amsterdam and Amersfoort ), take A1 exit 9 at Laren , drive south on N525 and follow the signs. From the west ( Schiphol Airport and Leiden ), get on motorway A2 and take exit 4 at Vinkeveen. From there, drive east on N201. From the north and south ( Almere and Utrecht ), take motorway A27 and exit 33.

The provincial roads can be used to get to Hilversum as well. By driving on these smaller roads, you see more of the forests and rural areas around the town. N524 is a ride through the Spanderswoud from Bussum in the north. Two other forest rides are N525 from Laren in the northeast and N415 from Baarn in the east. From the south, the rural road N417 makes its way through farm fields and villages. N201 from Vinkeveen in the west goes through flat farmlands as well.

By plane

Hilversum Airport .

The town's airport in the southwest. It's only used for recreational flying and training purposes.  

The closest international airport is Schiphol Airport ( AMS   IATA ). From 06:00 till 00:00, a train leaves for Hilversum every 15 minutes from platform 3. The journey takes about 30 minutes with the direct Intercity train. The Sprinter train takes about 45 minutes and a transfer at the Weesp train station is required. You can also come to Hilversum from airports in Eindhoven and Rotterdam , but expect train journeys to be 1.5 to 2 hours.

Get around

On foot

As nearly all stores, restaurants and bars are in the centre, walking is a good way to get around Hilversum. From the main train station, it's a short walk through the Leeuwenstraat to the centre and most of the attractions. The streets in the centre are pretty much free of cars and bicycles, except for the Groest on which bicycles and a limited number of cars are allowed.

By bike

If you want to see more of the city than just the inner city core, cycling is the way to go. Hilversum is very safe to explore by bike, as all arterial roads have designated bike lanes, which can be recognised by their reddish-purple appearance. Bikers should follow the red and white signs for directions. Bicycles can be rented for €3.15 per day at all three train stations.

OV-fiets Hilversum ,

Stationsplein 1

( at the main train station ).

M-Th 04:45-01:50, F 04:45-02:45, Sa 04:45-02:50, Su 04:45-01:50 .

€3.15 per day .  

OV-fiets Media Park Infocentrum ,

Sumatralaan 45

( opposite the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision ).

M-F 08:30-16:30 .

€3.15 per day .  

OV-fiets Media Park Noordzijde ,

Leen Jongewaardweg

( close to Parkeerterrein C between NOS and RTL ).

24 hours daily .

€3.15 per day .  

OV-fiets Sportpark ,

Soestdijkerstraatweg 33

( at train station Hilversum Sportpark ).

M-F 09:30-22.00, Sa Su 11:00-22:00 .

€3.15 per day .  

By bus

Connexxion offers bus connections from Hilversum's main train station to the surroundings. You can plan your trip door-to-door using 9292.nl , though results vary. Especially in the evening, buses run infrequently and, for close destinations, walking is often faster than waiting for the bus to arrive. Bus transportation can best be used if you want to visit sights in the outskirts or in the surrounding villages. Fares are €3 for city trips, €5 for regional trips. Having an OV-chipkaart saves money.

By car

The road network of Hilversum used to be a nightmare, and still is difficult to navigate through with its one-way roads, traffic congestion and limited parking space. Roads and directions often change, which make old maps unreliable. The roads operate in a double ring system . The outer ring around the city has two-way traffic, while the inner ring around the centre only has one-way traffic. If you miss an exit, you will have to drive around the whole inner ring again for a second try.

Free parking options are available between the inner and the outer ring, but it's a 10- to 15-minute walk to the centre. The closest free parking area can be found at the Wandelpad between the main train station and train station Hilversum Sportpark. Be careful not to leave any valuables behind in this area. Parking at the parking lots is more convenient. Signs along the inner ring display which of the following parking lots have space available:

City Parking ,

Noordse Bosje 19-21 ,

+31 624-8656 .

M-Th 08:00-22:30, F 08:00-19:30, Sa 08:00-18:00 .

€1 per 30 minutes, €9.50 for a full day .  

Parkeergarage Gooiland ,

Koningshof 1 ,

+31 35 622-9612 .

24 hours daily .

€0.10 per 3 minutes, €8

[... truncated ...]

On foot

As nearly all stores, restaurants and bars are in the centre, walking is a good way to get around Hilversum. From the main train station, it's a short walk through the Leeuwenstraat to the centre and most of the attractions. The streets in the centre are pretty much free of cars and bicycles, except for the Groest on which bicycles and a limited number of cars are allowed.

By bike

If you want to see more of the city than just the inner city core, cycling is the way to go. Hilversum is very safe to explore by bike, as all arterial roads have designated bike lanes, which can be recognised by their reddish-purple appearance. Bikers should follow the red and white signs for directions. Bicycles can be rented for €3.15 per day at all three train stations.

OV-fiets Hilversum ,

Stationsplein 1

( at the main train station ).

M-Th 04:45-01:50, F 04:45-02:45, Sa 04:45-02:50, Su 04:45-01:50 .

€3.15 per day .  

OV-fiets Media Park Infocentrum ,

Sumatralaan 45

( opposite the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision ).

M-F 08:30-16:30 .

€3.15 per day .  

OV-fiets Media Park Noordzijde ,

Leen Jongewaardweg

( close to Parkeerterrein C between NOS and RTL ).

24 hours daily .

€3.15 per day .  

OV-fiets Sportpark ,

Soestdijkerstraatweg 33

( at train station Hilversum Sportpark ).

M-F 09:30-22.00, Sa Su 11:00-22:00 .

€3.15 per day .  

By bus

Connexxion offers bus connections from Hilversum's main train station to the surroundings. You can plan your trip door-to-door using 9292.nl , though results vary. Especially in the evening, buses run infrequently and, for close destinations, walking is often faster than waiting for the bus to arrive. Bus transportation can best be used if you want to visit sights in the outskirts or in the surrounding villages. Fares are €3 for city trips, €5 for regional trips. Having an OV-chipkaart saves money.

By car

The road network of Hilversum used to be a nightmare, and still is difficult to navigate through with its one-way roads, traffic congestion and limited parking space. Roads and directions often change, which make old maps unreliable. The roads operate in a double ring system . The outer ring around the city has two-way traffic, while the inner ring around the centre only has one-way traffic. If you miss an exit, you will have to drive around the whole inner ring again for a second try.

Free parking options are available between the inner and the outer ring, but it's a 10- to 15-minute walk to the centre. The closest free parking area can be found at the Wandelpad between the main train station and train station Hilversum Sportpark. Be careful not to leave any valuables behind in this area. Parking at the parking lots is more convenient. Signs along the inner ring display which of the following parking lots have space available:

City Parking ,

Noordse Bosje 19-21 ,

+31 624-8656 .

M-Th 08:00-22:30, F 08:00-19:30, Sa 08:00-18:00 .

€1 per 30 minutes, €9.50 for a full day .  

Parkeergarage Gooiland ,

Koningshof 1 ,

+31 35 622-9612 .

24 hours daily .

€0.10 per 3 minutes, €8

[... truncated ...]