Hilversum is where Dutch television is made and where architect Willem Dudok built dozens of buildings from the 1920s to the 1960s that made his hometown a modernist pilgrimage site. The 1931 town hall on Dudokpark is his masterpiece — a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired composition in yellow brick and green tiles, and worth the trip even if you do not care about architecture. The town itself sits in the Gooi, a rare bit of wooded, slightly hilly Netherlands, with proper forest walks and heathland just south of the centre.
This suits architecture enthusiasts, media nerds visiting Beeld & Geluid (the Sound and Vision museum), and anyone wanting a quieter Randstad base with good train links (25 minutes to Amsterdam, 15 to Utrecht). It does not suit anyone wanting classic Dutch atmosphere — Hilversum is a 20th-century town, not a canal town. The centre after 7pm is quiet. If you are travelling with a car and want a base for the whole central Netherlands, Hilversum is genuinely well-placed.
Where to stay in Hilversum
Around the station (Stationsplein, Schoutenstraat) is the most practical, $85-$130. The Media Park area east of the centre has business hotels that get cheap on weekends, $70-$100. Nothing especially charming in the centre — this is not a where-you-sleep town, this is a where-you-base town. Hotel Lapershoek is the historic Amrâth option, closer to the woods and worth $130-$170 for the setting.
Hotels in Hilversum
Free cancellation on most rooms · 1t CO₂ removed per booking
Things to do in Hilversum
- Dudok town hall (Raadhuis Hilversum)Dudokpark 1, guided tours Wed and Sat afternoons, $12, book at the Dudok Museum in the basement (which is $6 by itself). The tower is climbable on tour days. Even from the outside it is remarkable.
- Beeld & Geluid (Sound and Vision)Media Parkboulevard 1, $20, a big interactive museum about Dutch broadcasting history in a striking coloured-glass building. Kids love it; adults find it hit and miss. Two hours.
- Walk in the Gooi woodsEnter Corversbos or the Zuiderheide from the south end of town, marked paths through pines and heather. Free. The Zuiderheide in August-September when heather flowers is properly beautiful. Bus 106 to the trailheads or 20 minutes' walk from the centre.
- Dudok architecture bike routeRent from OV-fiets at the station ($5) and follow the marked Dudok route around 40 buildings by the architect scattered across town — schools, houses, a fire station. Map from the tourist office on Kerkstraat. A half-day of gentle riding.
Getting there & around
Start at the station (also a Dudok building), walk down Stationsstraat to the town hall via Dudokpark, then out to the Vondelstraat schools by Dudok, back through Kerkstraat past St. Vitus church (not Dudok — neo-Gothic, worth a look), and finish at the Sint-Vituskerk tower on Kerkstraat. The Dudok Museum in the town hall basement caps it off.
Intercity trains from Amsterdam Centraal every 15 minutes, 25 minutes, $7. From Utrecht 15 minutes, $5. From Schiphol change at Amsterdam Zuid, 35 minutes, $8. The centre is walkable from the station. Local buses connect the Media Park (bus 3) and the woods (bus 106). Bike rental at the station is the best move if you want to see the Dudok buildings scattered around the town.
Questions answered
Is Hilversum worth a visit if I do not care about architecture?
Not really. The town hall is the main thing and it is a niche interest. The woods are nice but you can find nicer forest elsewhere in the Netherlands. Skip unless you have a reason — either Dudok, Beeld & Geluid, or you are using it as a train hub.
Can I use Hilversum as a base for Amsterdam and Utrecht?
Yes, geographically it is well-placed — 25 minutes to Amsterdam, 15 to Utrecht, 40 to Rotterdam. If you are car-based and want to skip staying in a big city, it works. Hotels cheaper than either Amsterdam or Utrecht centres, and the trains are frequent until midnight.
Nearby areas
Every stay booked through Stay Noord-Holland funds one verified tonne of carbon removal — same room, same price, the climate action already built into checkout.
You're not charged more and the hotel isn't paid less. It's just what happens when you tap Reserve.