Visiting Philips de Jongh Park, Eindhoven, The Netherlands: greenery and recreation in an industrial city

Philips de Jongh Park (Dutch: Philips de Jongh Wandelpark; the Dutch word 'wandelpark' would usually be translated into English simply as 'park') in Eindhoven, The Netherlands is an urban area of lush greenery donated by Anton Philips (1874-1951), former head of the Philips electronics giant which has been based in the city since 1891, and by Anna Philips de Jongh, his wife, This gifting was made in the year 1920 to the municipality.

The Park is quite heavily wooded, with mainly deciduous trees. In the centre of the Park is a pavilion.

To the Philips family there may be attributed some interesting genealogies. Anton Philips was son-in-law to Gerrit de Jongh (1), director of Rotterdam municipal works and responsible for building a substantial proportion of Rotterdam's tree-lined avenues. Another interesting — even amazing — family connection is that Anton Philips's father, Frederik Philips, co-founder of the Philips concern, was a first cousin of Karl Marx. (While cousin Karl predeceased the founding of this huge, capitalist success, one wonders what he would have thought of it?)

In any case, the Park is one of the many amenities which the Philips family and electronics company have given the citizens of Eindhoven over many decades.

The Philips de Jongh Wadelpark adjoins the Oirschotsedijk, in Eindhoven's suburb of Strijp. Eindhoven is located in North Brabant (Dutch: Noord-Brabant), one of the southern provinces of The Netherlands.

February 7, 2013

Note

(1) Thus, Philips de Jongh Park and its contribution to the greening of Eindhoven may in some ways also be interpreted as a kind of implied tribute to Gerrit de Jongh's work in the greening of Rotterdam.

Also worth seeing

In Eindhoven itself, there are many visitor attractions and points of interest. The Constant Rebecque Barracks, now a national monument is situated not far from the Park. statue of Anton Philips may be viewed at Eindhoven's Central Station. Others include the DAF museum, which, through many exhibits and various presentations, gives a interesting history of this Dutch company; in the city, there are various, architecturally distinguished church buildings, including the Catharinakerk .

At Oirschot (distance: approx. 18 kilometres) there is significant wildlife on Oirschot Heath (Dutch: Oirschotse Heide).

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How to get there: Airlines flying to Amsterdam Airport from New York include Delta Airlines and KLM. For North American travellers making the London, England area their base, Eindhoven Airport is served by Ryanair from London Stansted Airport, by VLM from London City Airport, and by Aer Lingus from London Gatwick Airport. The Dutch railroad company NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) maintains rail services from Amsterdam to Eindhoven. There is car rental availability at Amsterdam and Eindhoven airports. Please check with the airline or your travel agent for up to date information.

MJFenn is an independent travel writer based in Ontario, Canada.