The Berenkuil (known officially as Insulindeplein) is a

traffic circle A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford Eng ...

in the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

city of Eindhoven, near the campus of the

Eindhoven University of Technology The Eindhoven University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven), abbr. TU/e, is a public technical university in the Netherlands, located in the city of Eindhoven. In 2020–21, around 14,000 students were enrolled in its BSc an ...

. An outer circle for automotive traffic surrounds a second sunken circle for bicycles and motorscooters; ramps from the

bicycle lane Bike lanes (US) or cycle lanes (UK) are types of bikeways (cycleways) with lanes on the roadway for cyclists only. In the United Kingdom, an on-road cycle-lane can be firmly restricted to cycles (marked with a solid white line, entry by motor ...

s along the nearby streets lead into the lower circle via four underpasses. This design for a traffic circle is one that is called a berenkuil (meaning

bear pit A bear pit was historically used to display bears, typically for entertainment and especially bear-baiting. The pit area was normally surrounded by a high fence, above which the spectators would look down on the bears. The most traditional form o ...

) in the Netherlands. Insulindeplein is part of the Eindhoven ring road and connects the center of Eindhoven to the

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-acces ...

to Helmond. It's also the access road in northern and southern directions, and forms the crossroads of many

bicycle paths Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except wher ...

, bicycle crossings and pedestrian tunnels. The Berenkuil is also well known in Eindhoven for another reason: it has been designated a freezone for

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

artists, where they can paint graffiti without interference from the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

. As a result, artists have created several large and impressive works on the walls and the area has become an unofficial

open-air museum An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum. Definition Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere� ...

. On 11 and 12 September 2010, the Berenkuil was the stage for the international graffiti festival "Step In The Arena",. which was held again on 9 and 10 July 2011.

Graffiti

File:BerenkuilArt05.jpg, File:Graffiti at Berenkuil Eindhoven.jpg,

References

External links

Nieuwe graffiti in de berenkuil
photos of graffiti from digitale stad eindhoven {{coord, 51, 26, 49, N, 5, 30, 1, E, display=title, type:landmark_region:NL Transport in Eindhoven Roundabouts and traffic circles