North Holland · Netherlands
Where to stay in Hilversum
Hilversum is a city in North Holland, Netherlands, home to about 91,000 people. This guide covers 1 hotel in Hilversum, with about 162 rooms between them.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 1
- Best months
- May to July and September
- Nearest airport
- AMS30 km · Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
- Currency
- EUReuro
- Time zone
- Europe/Amsterdam
- Language
- Dutch
About
About Hilversum
Hilversum is a city and municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is the largest urban centre in that area.
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.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Hilversum
See
There are many modern architectural masterpieces in Hilversum, but finding these buildings scattered across the town can be a frustrating experience. The modern architect W.M. Dudok shaped most of 20th-century Hilversum and approximately 75 buildings still bear his stamp. Dudok's distinctive mix of styles is heavily influenced by the New Objectivity style, a radical movement in urban architecture in the Netherlands, Germany and France in the period 1915-1960. The best way to explore Dudok's designs is by walking or biking the W.M. Dudok Architectural Route, as explained in the Do-section. Start your journey in the world of modern architecture with his masterpiece, the Hilversum Town Hall.
- Costerustuin
- Hilversum Town Hall
- Landgoed Zonnestraal
- Museum Hilversum
- Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision
- Pinetum Blijdenstein
- Zanderij Crailo
- Boombergpark
- Laapersveld
- Grote Kerk
- Oudkatholieke kerk
- Regenboogkerk
Do
Once called the Garden of Amsterdam, most tourists come to Hilversum for a relaxing day off from the hectic city. The best way to spend your time is by hiking or biking in the forests and heathlands surrounding the city.
- De Vorstin
- Filmtheater Hilversum
- Golfpark Spandersbosch
- Hilversumsche Golfclub
- Vue Cinemas
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Hilversum
1 place to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay | Rooms |
|---|---|
| Hotel Hilversum - de Witte Bergen hotel | 162 |
Schematic: the city centre in orange, each place to stay as a dot, distance rings in kilometres.
Where to stay
More hotels in Hilversum
5 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Hotel Gooiland | 1936 | 0.9 km |
| Amrâth Hotel Media Park Hilversum | 0.4 km | |
| Gooiland Hotel | 0.9 km | |
| Hotel Ravel Hilversum | 1.1 km | |
| Hotel Villa Trompenberg | 1.4 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Hilversum
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Hilversum are May to July and September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; December is the wettest, with about 86 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Hilversum: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), about 30 km from the city centre in a straight line; Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM, 59 km) and Eindhoven Airport (EIN, 88 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
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.
Getting around
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. If you want to see more of the city than just the inner city core, cycling is the way to go.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
AMS · Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
RTM · Rotterdam The Hague Airport
EIN · Eindhoven Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Hilversum
Eat
Because of its affluent population and status of "media city", Hilversum is known for its "see and be seen" bar/restaurants. These establishments have a luxurious indoor appearance and it's possible to both eat and drink. Outdoor seating is available for warm summer nights. Of course, prices are higher than the other establishments in town.
Drink
Most bars and nightclubs in Hilversum are centred around the Groest. There is something for everyone's taste, from youth bars to bars for older ages, and from dive bars to upscale cosmopolitan places. On weekdays and Sundays, bars are open till 01:00, while some nightclubs will be opened till 03:00. On Fridays and Saturdays, bars open till 03:00 and nightclubs till 05:00. Always bring your passport or official identity papers, as many bars and nightclubs require you to show it upon entry. Also keep in mind that smoking is only allowed in designated smoking areas, and that bar employees won't serve drinks in these areas.
Stay safe
There is not much to worry about in Hilversum. The town sometimes makes headlines with cases of vandalism. Be more cautious when bars and nightclubs close, particularly on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Large amounts of intoxicated people gather on the streets, which can lead to fights.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Hilversum: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Hilversum?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Hilversum are May to July and September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; December is the wettest, with about 86 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Hilversum?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), about 30 km from the city centre in a straight line; Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM, 59 km) and Eindhoven Airport (EIN, 88 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Hilversum?
euro (EUR).
Nearby
Destinations near Hilversum
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.