Heerlen City Center is a cute spot with attractive historic storefronts and outdoor cafes with flowerboxes. There is a large square and a stone church, Sint Pancratius (Saint Pancras), from the 11th century. The impressive bell tower of the church was built in the late 14th century. You can go inside just the initial entry area of the church, peek into the interior, and light a candle. For two hundred years (1632-1836), the church was shared by catholics and protestants, which is quite positive.

Check out also Glaspaleis, a modernist building built in 1935 by Fritz Peutz. It is on the list of the 1000 most important buildings of the 20th century.
There is also a cheery mall, Corio Center, with a C&A store, a toy store, a bakery, and a cheese shop. It's fun to walk around and take in the youthful atmosphere.
There are two nice coffee shops in Heerlen City Center: Bagels and Beans, and Coasters.
For more of a countryside experience, have a coffee and a beautiful stroll past farmlands, at the Benzenrade neighborhood.
Another beautiful spot in the countryside is Terworm Castle, a great place to walk around, which is now an upscale restaurant, hotel, and cafe/bar.
On sunny days, don't miss the magical Baanrakkertje playground.

Directions

An address you can use in your GPS to find this area is: Saroleastraat 45, 6411 LR Heerlen, Netherlands. There are several paid parking lots in the area that take credit cards.

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