Fontys University of Applied Sciences - Venlo Campus

Services & Facilities

The international Campus in Venlo is a young and ultra-modern campus with an old history. At first, on the grounds of the former country estate De Wylderbeek (in whose forest one still can find protected artifacts from Roman times) the Venlo University of Applied Sciences was established, which joined the Fontys network in the late nineties.

The campus is beautifully located between the nature reserve Maasduinen and the river Maas (Meuse), very close to the city centre of Venlo.
The campus has excellently equipped laboratories and workshops, modern and cheerfully designed lecture halls and classrooms as well as a full range of modern teaching and communication technology. The student accommodation is not on the campus itself, but in Venlo and Kaldenkirchen (in Germany).

The City of Venlo and the Netherlands

Venlo is a border city in the south of the Netherlands, close to the German border, without any barriers or passport control. It is also 50 kilometres from the Belgium border and it is a 5-hour bus trip to Paris. That makes it very easy to visit countries such as Germany, Belgium and France. Venlo has about 100.000 inhabitants making it a large city. It attracts many German visitors which give the city a little German touch. The geographical proximity makes Venlo a popular shopping spot for Germans, but also for visitors from Belgium. In this regard, a large and diverse retail sector has established itself in Venlo. Currently, Venlo is preparing for the Floriade, the World Horticultural Exposition that in 2012 will take place in Venlo.

Venlo is located at the nature reserve Maasduinen on both sides of the river Maas (Meuse). The Maasduinen (Meuse Dunes) offer unique landscapes with waterways, lakes, wandering dunes and forest areas. They are a protected area for flora and fauna and an important ecological link between the Netherlands and Germany. Next to the river Maas Venlo has a beautiful old town with large and small shops, which are called in Dutch “Winkel”. In and around the city centre with its beautiful City Hall and the bustling market there are cafes and restaurants everywhere inviting you to linger. Venlo is characterized by well-maintained quiet residential neighbourhood, beautiful parks and lots of greenery and even the university campus is centrally located in the countryside. Due to its location by the river Maas, it was able to develop into a thriving place of commerce. Venlo is a centre of transport and logistics. It is a city with an intercultural tradition, located centrally within Europe and easily accessible. Folk culture plays a significant role in Venlo, with carnival as the most important event. The theatre plays a leading role in folk culture here and it also provides an important podium for music and dance. In the summertime it is nice and warm, about 25°C. In the wintertime it can be cold: temperatures of -10°C occur, but are not common. Dutch, a Germanic language, is spoken everywhere in the country. A lot of people in The Netherlands speak at least two foreign languages and nearly everyone understands and speaks English. Venlo is a sporting city with a lot of attention for broad-based participation. The Venlo Football Club, VVV Venlo, which is playing in the highest division of the Netherlands ranks among the sport highlights in Venlo. At the Venloop, the annual half marathon, top runners from all over the world as well as lots of enthusiastic amateurs compete against each other. Venlo is also a very social student city; approximately 3,500 students are studying in Venlo at the moment. There are many bars and other places of entertainment. The city offers you a lot of fun in your free time. You’ll certainly enjoy a great college life in the city. Studying in Venlo is not “all work and no play.” That is why we also have an International Student Union, who plan extra-curricular activities and offer the opportunity to meet other students. The city of Venlo also has a lot of entertainment to offer: theatres, cinemas, pubs and bars. And interesting towns such as Roermond, Eindhoven and Maastricht are very close by and await your exploration.

The Netherlands covers around 41,000 square kilometres, and has a population of around 16 million. With a rich cultural heritage, the country boasts many of history‘s most famous names in the fields of art, literature, philosophy and science. It also has a long history of international trade, forging links with countries across the world from as early as 1600, bringing together new knowledge, skills, business and ideas. The warm welcome we give to the rest of the world has earned us a well-deserved reputation for openness in business, as well as culturally and socially.
Holland, or the Netherlands? The country’s formal name is ‘Nederland’ (the Netherlands), meaning the ‘low country’ or the ‘lowlands’. ‘Low’ because much of the land is at or below sea level. Holland is in fact the name of the western part of the country which is the most heavily populated of all the provinces, encompassing Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. However, Holland is also commonly (and mistakenly) used to refer to the Netherlands as a whole, including all 12 provinces that make up the country. The south of the Netherlands is bordered by Belgium and Germany, with the rest of Europe within easy reach by car or the country’s excellent public transport system. Our multinational population presents a rich mix of different cultures, each characterised by the tolerance for which the Dutch are famous. When you study in the south of the country, you will quickly learn that we have so much more to offer than windmills, tulips, cheese and clogs. Of course you should take time to explore those aspects too!