Philips Museum

No visit to Eindhoven would be complete without finding out more about Philips, the innovative company that literally and figuratively lit up the city (and elsewhere in Europe) and was responsible for much of Eindhoven's prominence during the Industrial Age. Gerard Philips and his father, Frederik, bought an empty factory in 1891 to mass-produce incandescent light bulbs. Today that building is part of the sleek Philips Museum.

Comprehensive exhibits cover the gamut from a 19th-century workshop to the future of Philips, which now focuses heavily on healthcare and medical technology. The museum is open from 11am to 5pm every day except most Mondays and holidays.