Free Trip #2 - Street Art Trails
Free Trip #2 - Street Art Trails
Do you want to enjoy free art on the street? In recent years, countless Dutch cities have brightened up their gray walls with lively Street Art. If you're curious about which cities have transformed these gray walls into beautiful works of art, here are some Dutch cities where you can admire the most breathtaking murals.
Street Art in the Netherlands has experienced remarkable growth and popularity in recent years. What started out as illegal graffiti has evolved into a prized art form that beautifies cities across the country. With colorful and expressive murals, paste-ups and stencils, talented artists bring their creativity to the public space.
These vibrant works of art not only provide a visual treat, but also serve as an expression of social and political messages, cultural identity and creative imagination. In this vibrant world of street art, there is always something new and surprising to discover, making every walk through the streets of the Netherlands an adventure full of artistic discoveries.
Rotterdam
Discover Rotterdam's vibrant street art scene with the help of a handy app that guides you through seven different neighbourhoods. Developed by Rewriters , these unique itineraries take you on a captivating journey past breathtaking murals, both old and new.
These routes are mainly composed of works by talented Rotterdam artists, including brand new murals that have been created especially for these routes. The app even allows you to admire 'lost' works by viewing them on your screen.
Centre
One of the liveliest areas in Rotterdam can be found here: the Witte de Withstraat. This bustling street not only offers an abundance of cozy terraces, characteristic Rotterdam establishments such as Hung Kee, and innovative galleries such as Showroom MAMA, TENT Rotterdam and the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, but also an impressive amount of street art per square meter that you you won't find anywhere else.
In the side streets you will not only find the work of internationally renowned Iranian brothers ICY & SOT, but also very personal paintings by Tymon de Laat, who lives in Rotterdam. Nearby, in the atmospheric Leuvehaven, you can admire the boat that was used as a canvas by Antwerp resident SMOK. Under the shadow of the Erasmus Bridge you will find the wall with which Lastplak & Friends won the public award of the Dutch Street Art Awards.
Tilburg
A beautiful street art route of 15 kilometers with 28 murals, composed by Wilko Elsinga. This route can be walked or cycled for free every day at a time that suits you best.
Wilko's street art route starts at the central station, so that even visitors from outside Tilburg who come by train can follow the route. The route also offers an excellent opportunity to get to know the city, as you will pass other Tilburg highlights along the way, such as the Wilhelmina Park, Museum De Pont, the Textile Museum and much more.
You can choose to follow the entire route or walk or cycle parts of it, taking as many breaks as you like.
Mural awarded as the most beautiful in the world
In 2022, a mural in Tilburg has been declared the most beautiful street art in the world. An international audience chose this work from a selection of works from ten different countries.
The mural called "Trashure" is located on the facade of a recycling company on Centaurusweg in Tilburg. It shows a jumping woman in a dress made from plastic waste. The artist duo Niels van Swaemen and Kaspar van Leek were given complete freedom by the property owner to create something unique.
For this artwork they have chosen to use waste material that comes from the recycling company itself. The impressive mural was applied to the facade with the aid of a cherry picker. "With this artwork we want to show that waste does not exist. Every piece of waste can be given a second life," says Van Leek.
Heerlen: Mural capital of the Netherlands
In Heerlen we have an extensive collection of murals, graffiti and street art in the city, especially in the center. Colorful murals, big and small! Discover the mural routes.
On a journey of discovery with the free app
With the free Street Art Cities app, both residents and visitors of Heerlen can go on a journey of discovery themselves. More than 100 large and small street art works are included in the app. In addition to the location, title and artist, there is also a short description of each work. Local street art hunters keep the app up to date.
Murals in the center
If you are in the center and want to see a few murals quickly, you will find a mural on each of the Five Squares in the center:
- Luciushof: Homage to the strong woman (artist: Rookie)
- Morenhoek: Swinging birds (artist: Collin van der Sluijs)
- Beta Square: Other (artist: Troy Lovegates)
- Schelmenhofje: L'étranger (artists: Os Gêmeos)
- Stationsplein: Struggle (artist group: Cyrcle)
- Honigmannstraat: Koelpiet (artist: Super A)
- In addition, you will find various miniature murals scattered throughout the city center.
The collection continues to grow
The municipality of Heerlen pursues a conscious policy in which street art and urban art are given plenty of space, also on large surfaces and clearly visible places in the city. We consider murals as works of art in public space, accessible to everyone and an embellishment of our city! The collection is therefore regularly supplemented with new works.