The municipality of Venray consists of 14 towns over an area of 165 km2 (64 sq mi), with 43,494 inhabitants as of July 2016.[4] About 30,000 of those inhabitants live in the city of Venray; the other 13,000 live in one of the 13 surrounding towns.[5]
In 1905, the Sint Servatius mental hospital for men was built by the Brothers of Charity. The first patients arrived in 1907. In 1906, the Sint Anna mental hospital for women was built by the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary. The first patients arrived in 1909. In 1969, management of the mental hospitals was transferred to two separate foundations. Both mental hospitals have a continuing impact on Venray from cultural, religious and employment perspectives. Nowadays, both mental hospitals are managed by GGZ Noord- en Midden-Limburg.
Venray also hosts one of 12 mental hospitals in the Netherlands, De Rooyse Wissel, that houses people assigned to mental treatment as a court measure.
Towards the end of World War II there were several battles in and around Venray, damaging large parts of the center of Venray. These include the Battle of Overloon from 30 September to 18 October 1944,[6] one of the largest tank battles between the Germans and western Allies. Venray town was not liberated until 1945. It has the only German War Cemetery in the Netherlands. 31,598 German soldiers are buried here.
The western section of Venray, the villages Vredepeel and Ysselsteyn, was reclaimed from the Peel peat bogs in the early 20th century. Parts of the peat bogs remain and have been transferred to a national park. The western section of Venray is also straddled by part of the Peel-Raam Line, defensive works consisting of a canal and bunkers dating to the World War II period.
Venray, near Geijsteren, also has a forest and sand dune area, that is one of the few locations in the Netherlands that is home to common juniper.
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