North Brabant

South of the great rivers, a different Holland begins: shaped by Catholicism, sociable, with carnival, Burgundian joie de vivre, and forests instead of polders. A vacation in North Brabant takes you to cities such as Eindhoven, Breda, Tilburg, and 's-Hertogenbosch, through heathland and sandy landscapes, and to one of the oldest theme parks in the world.

Landscape and Location

North Brabant, officially Noord-Brabant, is the second-largest province in the Netherlands by area. To the north, the Maas (Meuse) forms the boundary, and to the south lies Belgium, with which the province shared the old Duchy of Brabant until the 19th century. Instead of marshland, sandy soils prevail here, supporting pine forests, heath, and small streams. The De Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park between Tilburg and 's-Hertogenbosch surprises visitors with an open expanse of drifting sand that resembles a desert. In the west, the Biesbosch, a freshwater tidal area with willow forests and canals, ranks among the most important wetlands in Western Europe; you can explore it by canoe or whisper boat. The southeast around Eindhoven gives way to the Kempen and the Peel, a once barren landscape of bog and heath.

Cities and Towns

's-Hertogenbosch, called Den Bosch by locals, is the capital and perhaps the most atmospheric city in the province. The Gothic St. John's Cathedral (Sint-Janskathedraal) with its quirky stone figures on the flying buttresses, the triangular market square, and the Binnendieze, a covered waterway that you can travel by boat beneath the houses, define the center. Hieronymus Bosch lived and painted here, and the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center is dedicated to him. Eindhoven, the largest city, owes its rise to Philips; in the 20th century the company turned a village into an industrial city. Today it is a center of design and technology, with the annual Dutch Design Week in October and the Van Abbemuseum art museum. Breda has a history as a fortress city, a large Grote Kerk, and an old town with plenty of café terraces, while Tilburg has the Textile Museum and a lively music scene centered on the Poppodium 013. Bergen op Zoom, Roosendaal, Helmond, and Oss round out the network of mid-sized cities.

Sights in North Brabant

The Efteling near Kaatsheuvel, opened in 1952, is the most visited theme park in the country; its fairytale forest was created by the illustrator Anton Pieck. To the north lies the fortress town of Heusden, whose star-shaped ramparts have been reconstructed. Vincent van Gogh spent two years in Nuenen near Eindhoven and painted The Potato Eaters there; hiking trails lead to his motifs. One curiosity of the province is Baarle-Nassau on the border: Belgian and Dutch enclaves are so intertwined here that the border runs right through houses.

Culture and History

For a long time, Brabant was governed from Holland as a so-called Generality Land, and the Catholic majority was disadvantaged. Only after 1795, with the Batavian Republic, did it gradually gain equal rights, and the province itself took shape in the 19th century. To this day, the mentality differs markedly from the Calvinist north. This is most visible during carnival in February: Den Bosch becomes Oeteldonk, Tilburg becomes Kruikenstad, and for days parades with brass bands move through the streets. In World War II, parts of the province were liberated early, in 1944, and memorials such as Kamp Vught recall the occupation.

Food and Drink

Brabanders love hearty cuisine: Worstenbrood, a sausage baked in bread dough, is the province's specialty. In Den Bosch, the Bossche Bol is a must: a cream-filled choux pastry ball dipped in chocolate. Beer plays a big role, for example from the Koningshoeven Trappist abbey near Tilburg, which brews La Trappe. In spring, asparagus is harvested around Bergen op Zoom.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Eindhoven Airport is an important hub for low-cost airlines. The province is well served by rail; the line from Venlo and Cologne leads to Eindhoven, from where Intercity trains run to Den Bosch, Tilburg, and Breda. May through September is the best time for bike tours through heath and forest; if you want to experience carnival, come in February, and design enthusiasts should visit in October. The network of numbered-junction cycling routes is dense, and many farms rent out simple rooms or campsites. In summer, the markets of Breda and Den Bosch are full of café terraces, and at festivals such as Breda Jazz on Ascension Day, music is played under the open sky.