Culture
Steyl monastery village
Monasteries, a double church and a botanical garden
Steyl monastery village at a glance
20 minby car
19.2 kmdistance
- Location
- Steyl (Venlo)
- Address
- Missiemuseum, Veerweg 6, 5935 BK Steyl
- Open
- Missiemuseum Tue to Sun 11:00 to 17:00
- Admission
- Missiemuseum € 9, Jochumhof € 4.50 (2026)
- Parking
- plenty of space around the museum
The Mission House and the double church
Steyl lies on the Maas near Tegelen. In 1875 Arnold Janssen started a worldwide missionary movement here, because monasteries in Germany were banned during the Kulturkampf. The St. Michael Mission House became the mother house of his congregation, which today counts more than ten thousand missionaries.
The double church of the Mission House is unique in the Netherlands. The lower church, with the tomb of Saint Arnold Janssen, is open to all during the day; the neo-Gothic upper church can be seen on a tour by the Kerkwacht volunteers, from May to October on Sundays between 13:30 and 16:30. On the Kloosterstraat live the pink sisters of the Holy Spirit Convent; their chapel has an area for visitors.
About the Mission House on kloosterdorpsteyl.nl (opens in a new tab)
The Missiemuseum
The Missiemuseum (mission museum) on the Veerweg shows an ethnographic and a natural history collection, with objects from all over the world and mounted animals, in wooden display cases that have not changed since 1934.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 17:00. A ticket costs € 9 for adults (2026); with the Museumkaart admission is free. There is plenty of parking space around the museum.
Jochumhof botanical garden
On the Maashoek lies the Jochumhof botanical garden. The oldest parts date from 1799, when a country house stood here; in 1933 Father Peter Jochum started a botanical garden here for the monastery's biology teaching.
You stroll through a rock garden, scented garden, Mediterranean garden, native plant garden and herb garden, past monumental trees and a greenhouse with cacti. Admission is € 4.50 per person (2026).
Tip from reception
Don't come on a Monday, as the Missiemuseum is closed then. On a Sunday from May to October you can join the tour of the upper church between 13:30 and 16:30. Check kloosterdorpsteyl.nl beforehand to see which parts of the monastery gardens are open.
Reception team, Parkhotel Horst
Good to know
MissiemuseumTuesday to Sunday 11:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays. € 9 for adults, free with the Museumkaart (2026).
Upper churchTour by the Kerkwacht volunteers on Sundays between 13:30 and 16:30, from May to October. The lower church is open to all during the day.
Monastery gardensNot all parts are always open. Check kloosterdorpsteyl.nl beforehand to see which parts are accessible.
ParkingThere is plenty of parking space around the Missiemuseum on the Veerweg.
Photos: Kleon3 (CC BY-SA 4.0; also monastery garden); Ben Bender (CC BY-SA 3.0); via Wikimedia Commons; parking sign Georgia de Lotz via Unsplash.
Make a day of it
From the breakfast buffet to the monasteries of Steyl, and back to your own wellness.
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Start the day at the breakfast buffet of Parkhotel Horst.
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20 minutes from the hotel you stroll beneath monumental trees in the Jochumhof, a garden with parts dating from 1799.
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Back in Horst, the indoor pool, saunas and wellness lounge are waiting, free for hotel guests.
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End the day with dinner at restaurant BØFF.
Your room, wellness included
Six rooms, from the Comfort room to the Apartment. With every room you use the pool, saunas, steam room and lounge free of charge.
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Getting there
From the hotel it takes about:
Missiemuseum Steyl, Veerweg 6, 5935 BK Steyl
Frequently asked questions
Any other questions? Call reception: +31 77 397 6000What is there to see in Steyl?
The Missiemuseum, the Jochumhof botanical garden, the double church of the St. Michael Mission House and the monastery gardens. Kloosterdorp Steyl also lists the Wereldpaviljoen (World Pavilion), the Ketelhuis, the Keramiekcentrum (ceramics centre) and the Limburgs Schutterij Museum, among others.
When is the Missiemuseum open?
From Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 17:00. The museum is closed on Mondays, except on Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday and Ascension Day.
Is Steyl a good half-day trip?
Yes. With the Missiemuseum, the Jochumhof and a look inside the lower church of the Mission House, you can easily fill a morning or an afternoon. Combine it with Venlo city centre for a full day.
How far is Steyl from the hotel?
The Missiemuseum in Steyl is about a 20-minute drive from Parkhotel Horst, some 19 kilometres. There is plenty of parking space around the museum.
Can you visit the tomb of Arnold Janssen?
Yes. The tomb of Saint Arnold Janssen is in the lower church of the St. Michael Mission House, which is open to all during the day.
Who are the pink sisters of Steyl?
The Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, founded by Arnold Janssen in 1896 and named after their pink habit. They live in the Holy Spirit Convent on the Kloosterstraat; the chapel has an area for visitors.
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Photos: RomkeHoekstra (CC BY-SA 4.0); Kleon3 (CC BY-SA 4.0; also Missiemuseum, rock garden, Jochumhof); via Wikimedia Commons.
After Steyl: pool, wellness and dinner at BØFF
Twenty minutes from the monasteries, you sleep surrounded by greenery, with your own wellness under the same roof.