Helmond offers different ways to explore the city’s past and present: industry and crafts, historic buildings, contemporary architecture and nature. When planning a stay, you can choose a focus of your own—for example, exhibitions, a walk featuring public art or landscapes beyond the built-up area.
Industrial history and traditional crafts
The Industrieel Atrium Helmond presents the history of local industry and manufacturing and craft culture. Its permanent exhibitions cover four themes: textiles, metal, printing and graphic arts, and energy. Visitors interested in production and working culture can explore different aspects of local industrial history here.
At the Jan Visser Museum, the original focus on agricultural history extends to mechanisation. The museum also displays machinery and tools from traditional trades, including those of butchers, blacksmiths and shoemakers. It also houses historic materials from Helmond’s municipal fire brigade and various industrial fire brigades. A visit therefore covers the agricultural past as well as the history of crafts and firefighting.
Castle, church and architecture
Kasteel Helmond was built in 1325 and is the largest moated castle in the Netherlands. Another architectural landmark is the Kubuswoningen, built by Dutch architect Piet Blom in the 1970s. St Lambert’s Church is neo-Gothic; it was built between 1856 and 1861.
Smaller architectural landmarks also tell stories of Helmond’s past. In the Ketsegangske, a picturesque side street off the market square, several renovated workers’ houses dating from 1869 stand side by side. They now house traditional shops. Together, these buildings span the period from the 14th-century castle, through the 19th-century church and workers’ houses, to Piet Blom’s architecture of the 1970s.
City walks and public art
The City Walk Helmond is a four-kilometre urban walk past distinctive historic landmarks and contemporary architecture. The three-kilometre Street Art Route passes murals whose stories are inspired by the city. Comparing the two helps you choose: the City Walk combines historic landmarks with contemporary architecture, while the Street Art Route focuses on murals and their stories. The Street Art Route is shorter than the City Walk.
The Statue Route Helmond features around 70 statues and five “Open galleries” in the city centre. On a guided city tour, knowledgeable guides lead visitors past notable landmarks. The Statue Route may evolve as public art changes; the content of the textile route may also be updated. So check the current description before setting out.
Nature and routes in the surrounding area
Groot Goor is a forest and nature reserve east of Mierlo-Hout, located between the Eindhovens Kanaal and Helmond’s built-up area. The landscape includes reed beds, meadows, a large apple orchard and an old, varied wet woodland; there is a beech forest to the north. The central area covers 30 hectares and belongs to the city of Helmond. These details refer to the central area, not the total size of the nature reserve.
For a wider perspective, take the Land van de Peel textile route “Made in Brabant”. It starts at Helmond Castle, passes leading international textile manufacturers and follows the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal to Aarle-Rixtel. From there, it runs through the ’t Gulden Land nature and water experience area and continues to Gemert-Bakel. This route therefore connects textile-related sites with several stops outside Helmond.
Getting around
VVV Helmond offers personal advice, guided city tours, city maps, walking trails and cycling routes. Helmond has four railway stations: Helmond, Helmond Brouwhuis, Helmond 't Hout and Helmond Brandevoort. For your specific journey, it is worth checking which station is most suitable and looking up current connections. This lets you choose cultural highlights, walks and nature spots for your stay without combining different routes and places into a single itinerary.
For the broader travel overview: Helmond.
