Hilversum is the media capital of the Netherlands — most Dutch television and radio broadcasters are based here, and the broadcasting tower is visible from kilometres around. The town is 30 km southeast of Amsterdam in the Gooi region, in an area of heathland and mixed forest.
The architect W.M. Dudok designed around 75 buildings in Hilversum in the early 20th century, giving the town a distinctive modernist character. His Town Hall (1931) is the standout work — a masterpiece of brick modernism set in a garden. The Beeld en Geluid museum on the Mediapark documents Dutch broadcasting history with an extraordinary facade designed by Jaap Drupsteen. The Groest, lined with chestnut trees, is the main street for cafes and pubs, a short walk from the train station.
The Goois Natuurreservaat surrounds the town: heathland in the south covered with purple heather in late summer, forest crossed by cycling and walking paths, and Bronze Age burial mounds at Bussumerheide and Westerheide. It is one of the most attractive nature areas in the densely populated Randstad.