Hilversum offers several distinct reasons to stay: interactive media, the architecture of Willem Marinus Dudok, and trails through woods and heathland. When looking for a hotel and planning your days, start by asking yourself: would you like to focus on museums and architecture, or also set aside time for walks and nature? The places and activities each offer a different focus.

Experience media and discover photography

The interactive Media Museum of Beeld & Geluid shows how media influence visitors and how visitors influence media. The focus is therefore not only on the medium itself, but also on the reciprocal effect between media and audiences. The museum is accessible via Hilversum Media Park NS railway station. If you are travelling by train, check the timetable in advance.

Hilversum’s Media Park is also part of the city’s media profile: it is Europe’s largest media cluster and is home to more than 100 media companies. Around 6,000 people work there every day. Hilversum Photography Museum offers a different cultural focus. It specialises in photography and explores its boundaries by bringing photography together with other art forms.

Talks, guided tours, masterclasses and special children’s activities are regularly held alongside the Photography Museum’s exhibitions. The specific dates that fall within your travel period may vary, so check the programme for the days you plan to visit. The different formats offer insight into the exhibitions, so a museum visit need not be limited to simply looking at photographs.

Dudok’s architecture in Hilversum

Completed in 1931, Hilversum Town Hall is considered a highlight of Willem Marinus Dudok’s work. A guided tour of the Town Hall takes visitors into the particularly remarkable rooms of this listed national monument, which remain largely authentic. If you would like to see these interiors, check the tour booking details in advance.

At Landgoed Zonnestraal, you can experience the estate’s buildings and natural surroundings on a walk or bike ride: the trails pass the buildings and wind through the surrounding countryside. Guided tours with a professional guide take place there on the last Sunday of each month. As dates may change, check the current tour date before your visit.

The exhibition “Zonnestraal, Schip op de heide” offers another perspective on the estate. It presents the history of the world-famous Hilversum sanatorium designed by architects Jan Duiker and Bernard Bijvoet. At Landgoed Zonnestraal, you can therefore choose to focus on the sanatorium’s architecture and history, or on walks and bike rides around the estate.

Woods, heathland and trails in the countryside

The 26-kilometre Voetstappenpad runs around Hilversum through woods and heathland. You can also walk it in sections instead of planning to cover the entire distance in one go. This lets you tailor the walk to the distance you want to cover, without requiring you to commit to a specific stage length.

Walking, cycling and horse riding are all possible in Spanderswoud. Since 1981, nature there has largely been allowed to take its own course, and dead trees are left where they fall. Spanderswoud provides a habitat for numerous woodland birds and various species of bat. The area’s description thus combines practical activity options with a distinctive approach to nature conservation.

Choose Hilversum as your overnight destination

If you are interested in media, the interactive Media Museum is a specific place to visit; architecture enthusiasts can include the Town Hall and the exhibition at Landgoed Zonnestraal in their plans. For time outdoors, the Voetstappenpad lets you choose between the full route and individual sections. Check the dates for guided tours and museum programmes to match your travel period. This way, you can coordinate your accommodation search with the activities you actually plan to do, without having to set a fixed daily schedule in advance. Discover more destinations:

Go to the main travel overview: Hilversum.