Sightseeing in Roermond - what to see. Complete travel guide

The Dutch city of Roermond is situated close to the border with Germany. The population of this settlement is only sixty thousand people. Even though Roermond is a center of a municipality, it has a countryside atmosphere. It is incredibly pleasant to take a stroll here, looking at the display windows of numerous shops with all kinds of goods. Many tourists visit Roermond with the sole purpose of shopping. The city is usually calm and never crowded on weekdays but the local outlet is very popular and brings people from the nearby municipalities to Roermond. The city has managed to keep its antique look and atmosphere. There are not many modern buildings in the city center, so tourists can admire architectural landmarks and medieval houses here.

The name of the city can be translated as “Roer’s horn”. Of course, the city’s name is not random. The Dutch settlement is built in the place where two rivers – the Maas and Roer – merge. The first mention of Roermond dates back to 1204. According to historic documents, the town was destroyed just ten years after its foundation when the German troops tried to capture it. It took several decades to restore the ruined buildings and architectural landmarks.

In this Limburgish provincial city, tourists can visit the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary or simply Munsterkerk. This church is a truly unique building because this is the only surviving Late Romanesque church in the Netherlands. It was built in the 13th century in the territory of the Cistercian abbey. The land belonged to Gerard III. He was the founder of the abbey that opened its doors in 1218. When the count died, he and his deceased wife were built in the church. Their tombs are still located in it. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Munsterkerk still features an old altar that remains the major historic treasure of the shrine. The main nave of the church was built in the 30s of the 13th century. Thirty years later, it was decided to add a façade to the west part of the building. In the 18th century, Munsterkerk got Baroque towers. The church underwent a major restoration in the 60s of the 19th century. After that, the towers of Munsterkerk got a new look and their height reached fifty meters.

Sint Christoffel Kathedraal or St. Christopher's Cathedral is one more notable religious landmark that deserves the attention of tourists. The construction of this sacred building started in 1410 and lasted almost two hundred years. The result was truly spectacular – a Gothic church that was both beautiful and durable. St. Christopher's Cathedral got its cathedral status only in 1661. The religious landmark suffered much damage during World War II because of the numerous air bombings. Moreover, the German troops blew up the cathedral’s tower one day before the liberation of Roermond by the Allied army.

The 78-meter-tall tower turned into a pile of stones. When World War II ended, the city’s authorities decided to restore the sacred landmark of Roermond. Architects were successful in recovering the original look of the tower. Unfortunately, the cathedral suffered much damage again during the earthquake in 1992. The restoration works started in 2005 and lasted two years. Nowadays, the cathedral hosts masses and church music concerts.

How about visiting an aristocratic estate? In Roermond, tourists can visit Mansion De Forain that belonged to a noble Dutch family. This is a tall and narrow building that has three stores. The mansion is made from red bricks and has a sloping roof with attics on the sides. There is a tower at one of the edges. Built in the 15th century, the mansion was rebuilt and renovated several times over the next centuries. Numerous redesigns turned the estate into a disproportionally shaped building.

Residential buildings surround Mansion De Forain. As the nearby houses are quite small, the mansion looks like a true giant. This part of the city has a charming and serene atmosphere because there are a water basin and a picturesque park nearby. When visiting this attraction, tourists need to keep in mind that the mansion is private property.

The train is the most comfortable means of transport to get around in the Netherlands. That is why it is the most comfortable to reach Roermond by train. There are several trains a day that connect it to another Dutch city – Eindhoven. A train ride lasts only half an hour in this case. This is the shortest route. It is also possible to reach Roermond from Dusseldorf but the journey time will be two hours when traveling by train and approximately one hour and ten minutes when traveling by bus.