Almelo, Netherlands

Almelo is a charming city located in the eastern Netherlands, with a population of around 72,000 people. The town is situated in the middle of the rolling countryside of Twente, with its neighboring cities Enschede and Hengelo. Almelo is rich in history and culture, with many attractions to explore. The city was granted city rights in 1394 and within its limits lies the castle of the Counts of Almelo. Despite being closed to the public, Huize Almelo, a castle built in 1662, is an impressive sight to behold in the city center. Visitors can enjoy the mosaics that decorate the walls of the tunnel close to the railway station. Almelo is also home to the local association football club Heracles Almelo, which plays in the second-highest football league in the Netherlands. Almelo has a mix of industrial centers and tourist towns like Ootmarsum, Delden, and Markelo. At the end of the 19th century, the textile industry emerged as a major employer and drew many workers to Almelo. Workers from Spain and Turkey later came to the town in the 1960s. The first mosque of the Netherlands was built in Almelo in 1976 for the Turkish population of the city. The town also has a sizeable number of Armenians who built their own Armenian Apostolic Church in 2003. Almelo has a strong economy with major employers such as Urenco Nederland, a uranium enrichment plant, Bolletje, an industrial bakery, Malvern Panalytical, a hospital, and the regional court. There are two railway stations in Almelo: Almelo railway station and Almelo de Riet railway station. The main station is Almelo and offers links to Hengelo, Enschede, Amersfoort, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Utrecht, Gouda, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Zwolle. Visitors can also take a train every 2 hours into Germany, serving cities such as Osnabrück, Hannover, and Berlin. Almelo is also known for its sports, including football and cycling. Heracles Almelo, a professional football club, is based in the city. Since 1983, Almelo has organized the Profronde van Almelo, an elite men’s and women’s professional road bicycle racing event. The city has many notable figures, including Wubbo Ockels, a physicist and astronaut of the European Space Agency, and Herman Finkers, a comedian known for his friendly, dry-witted humor. Experience the rich history, culture, and sports of Almelo on your next trip to the Netherlands!