Geleen

Geleen is a city in the southern part of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. With over 30,000 inhabitants, it is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. Until the end of the 19th century, Geleen was a small village. The remains of one of the oldest prehistoric farms in the Netherlands were found here. In the 20th century the exploitation of coal mines in this area brought a fast population increase. During the 1960s and 1970s all Dutch coalmines, that were all located in this part of this province, were closed. The State mining company DSM (privatised in 1989) however remained active in Geleen, now purely as a chemicals producer.

• VVV tourist information point, Raadhuisstraat 15, ☏ +31 900 5559798. 

Geleen is located near two highways, the A2 and the A76, which makes the city easily accessible by car. The city is served by two train stations, served by regional trains. Station Geleen-Oost has direct trains to Heerlen (18min) and Sittard (7min) while station Geleen Lutterade has connections to Maastricht (17min) and Sittard.

Buses in the region are operated by Veolia, and connect Geleen to nearby Sittard and other destinations. Lines 11, 12, 15, 16 all connect to Sittard, while line 42 connects to Hoensbroek, 59 to Maastricht and 49 to Gulpen.

Maastricht-Aachen airport is located 8 km south east of Geleen. Take the E14 and then E25, or bus 59 (45 min.)

Buses run from the busstation, located near the city center, to most of the city and to surrounding areas. Renting a bike is a good way to get around the city center or explore the surroundings. If you'd rather rent a car, consider renting a colorful 2CV (available from Weekendjeweg, from 99 EUR per day )

A few historic sights in and around Geleen are worth listing.

• Jansgeleen Castle, St. Jansgeleen 2, Spaubeek. Although in fact located in the village of Spaubeek, this castle is just 3 km from Geleen and therefor easy to include in your sightseeing efforts. In the 16th century, it was the first seat of the former County of Geleen. Although originally named after one of the 15th century owners, Lord Jan Rode van Opsinnich, it was later erroneously renamed after St. John the Baptist and now also often referred to as Sint-Jansgeleen. 
• Sint Janskluis, Kluis 1, ☏ +31 46 4759769. This 17th century religious hermitage is now a praying chapel. 
• Biesenhof, Biesenweg 1, ☏ +31 46-4432003. First records of this historic farm date back to the 13th century. The nicely restored building is now a restaurant and hotel. 

• Foroxity Filmarena, Rijksweg Noord 330, ☏ +31 88 7444411. Foroxity is the one of the largest cinemas in the province and has the usual (mostly Hollywood) productions on show. 
• Geleander Kirmes. There's a fairly large annual town fair in late spring. It hosts dozens of large and small attractions and draws visitors from the wide region. Rides on larger attractions cost €2 while children's attractions are usually €1. The fair can be found all around the market squares and along the Rijksweg. 
• Laco Geleen, Glanerbrook, Kummenaedestraat 45, ☏ +31 46 4746988. A sport and leisure centure, with possibilities for swimming, ice skating, fitness etc. 

As a rather large town, Geleen has a good variety of shops and stores. You'll find most around the market square and adjoining streets. Large parts of the shopping area have been renovated and modernized in 2008, and a parking garage has been created under the main market square for better reachability. Where Sittard markets its shopping area as a historic centre, Geleen chose a more modern approach.

On Thursdays, shops are open until 21.00h. On Saturdays there's a colourful weekly market, open 11.00 to 17.00.

Most restaurants are to be found at the Rijksweg. The city center offers several places for quick bites, with a number of good places around the market square.

• Danas, Rijksweg Centrum 4, ☏ +31 46 4752754. All kinds of Mexican and Tex-mex food. 
• Restaurant Lalique, Rijksweg Centrum 24, ☏ +31 46 4742263. French cuisine 
• 't Kleine Verschil, Peschstraat 50, ☏ +31 46 475 10 30. A small restaurant in the old town, serving local dishes. 

The bars are concentrated around "de Markt" in the city center. On the first Saturday of each month local bars organize music night, with live music acts.

• Bastion Hotel Geleen, Rijksweg Zuid 301 (near the highway and the city center), ☏ +31 46 4747517, fax: +31 46 4748933. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. This hotel is part of a Dutch chain of decent hotels. €65. (updated Jan 2019)
• Cornerhouse Hotel, Markt 2/3, ☏ +31 6 45436780, info@cornerhouse.nu. The rooms of this hotel/café are simple but the location on the market is great. 
• De Biesenhof, Biesenweg, ☏ +31 46 4433464, hostellerie@biesenhof.nl. This apartment is situated on the edge of a park in a renovated farm. Biesenhof is the ideal starting point for various walking and cycling trips in the surroundings of Geleen. €75. 

There are plenty of interesting towns in the rest of South Limburg. Historic city Sittard is just next door, and Maastricht is not that much further. Visit the picturesque castle of Hoensbroek or ski down the slopes of the large indoor ski resort of Landgraaf.

Just across the Belgian border is Maasmechelen, which is home to a large shopping outlet centre. The city of Roermond is just 15 minutes to the north.