A bike ride around Helmond, Netherlands
A chilly stroll around this attractive university town
(Photos/words © urban75, March 2009)
First settled around 1000, Helmond is a municipality and a city in the province of North Brabant in the southern Netherlands.
Granted city rights as far back as the 1230s, Helmond was once a major textile and metal producing centre but most of the heavy industries have long since closed.
With a population of nearly 90,000 residents, Helmond is one of the five largest cities in the province of Noord-Brabant and has its own
professional football team, Helmond Sport.
We spent a lovely long weekend in the city and were massively impressed by the open air, healthy lifestyle and lack of cars everywhere. Shame about the bars though. They were rubbish!
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-01.jpg) The main shopping street in Helmond.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-02.jpg)
Crazy cube houses (Kubuswoningen) in Helmond, designed by the Dutch structuralist architect Piet Blom in the mid-1970s.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-03.jpg)
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-05.jpg)
Bust of architect Piet Blom who studied at the Amsterdam Academy of Building-Arts as a student of Aldo van Eyck.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-04.jpg)
Facing the courtyard is the entrance to the Speelhuis theatre.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-06.jpg)
Bridge over the the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal which runs through the city.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-07.jpg)
Coffee by the canal. It is customary to get little glasses full of whipped cream with your coffee as well as milk.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-08.jpg)
In the heart of Helmond can be seen this impressive castle, built by Jan III van Berlaer around 1350.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-09.jpg)
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-10.jpg)
Helmond Sport FC football ground. I really wanted to see them play, but unfortunately they had an away game that Saturday.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-11.jpg)
The compact club premises.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-12.jpg)
Level crossing.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-13.jpg)
There's an excellent fruit, veg and flower market in Helmond.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-14.jpg)
Tulips galore!
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-15.jpg)
Steam organ in full blast in Helmond.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-16.jpg)
Fenwick hands over a Euro or two.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-17.jpg)
Bicycle bells galore at this parts stall in the market.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-18.jpg)
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-19.jpg)
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-20.jpg)
Old wagon at the organic farm.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-21.jpg)
Overall view of the organic farm, situated a little way out from the centre.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-22.jpg)
My fellow intrepid travellers!
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-23.jpg)
The Netherlands is fantastic for cycling - not only is it flat, but there's loads of safe cycle lanes.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-24.jpg)
Countryside view.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-25.jpg)
We cycled to an old monastery some 8km out of town and grabbed a coffee in the unexpectedly hoity-toity restaurant next door (I was expecting something a bit more rural and rustic). Still, it gave us chance to dry off and warm up and the coffee was good.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-26.jpg)
Countryside views.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-27.jpg)
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-28.jpg)
View of the nunnery.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-29.jpg)
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-30.jpg)
Gatehouse to Helmond Kate Crony.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-31.jpg)
Farmer advertising apples for sale.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-32.jpg)
Inside the farmer's barn.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-33.jpg)
Buying some vegetables for dinner.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-34.jpg)
Kasteel Croy, parts of which date back to the 15th century.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-35.jpg)
Tomb of the Wesselman family set on an island
in a small lake in a nearby public park.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-36.jpg)
Mass of wires and lights at the level crossing.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-37.jpg)
Helmond sign on top of the railway signal box
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-38.jpg)
Bikes stored by the station.
![A walk around Helmond, Netherlands with photos of landmarks, canals, bars, cafes, tourist sights and more](images/helmond-netherlands-39.jpg)
Waiting for our train back to Blighty.
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