Noord Brabant & Limburg
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© Lonely Planet 267 Noord Brabant & Limburg The Dutch southeast belies most clichés about the Netherlands: tulips, windmills and dykes are scarce. Although there’s still plenty of beer. However the Belgian and German influences are felt. Even the French have influence, especially in the wider array of culinary treats on offer. Noord Brabant is primarily a land of agriculture and industry peppered with a few pleas- ant towns, such as Den Bosch. It’s also home to the Netherlands’ most popular domestic tourist draw, the Efteling theme park, and the biggest street fair in Benelux, the Tilburgse Kermis. It’s striped by rivers which make for curvaceous – and bodacious – cycling along their banks. Meanwhile, Limburg is home to beautiful Maastricht, contender for the title of Finest Dutch City, as well as – drum roll – hills. The one outstanding attraction in these two provinces, NOORD BRABANT & NOORD BRABANT & Maastricht, is as diametrically different from Amsterdam as it is geographically distant from it except in one key area: its people are just as irreverent and just as interested in fun. LIMBURG Neither province has its roots in the asceticism of the north, a fact made obvious during carnaval, when the streets fill with bands and impromptu parties, with fireworks overhead. And both provinces’ proximity to Belgium and all those indulgent Catholic monasteries – most of which double as excellent microbreweries – mean there are many chances to imbibe. In fact, the Dutch call the southeastern lifestyle bourgondisch: like the epicurean inhabitants of Burgundy in France, people in these parts love to eat and drink heartily. HIGHLIGHTS Thrill to the good life in Maastricht ( p274 ), a world apart from the north Den Bosch Go bonkers at Maastricht’s Carnaval ( p277 ) Breda Explore the unusual canals and charming cafes of lively Den Bosch ( p268 ) Hop off your bike or train to tour Breda ( p272 ) and its boffo church Maastricht 268 NOORD BRABANT •• Den Bosch (’s-Hertogenbosch) lonelyplanet.com 040km NOORD BRABANT & LIMBURG 020miles Ede ‚ ‚ To ‚ To #\ Monster #] To Delft Amsterdam Zwolle Apeldoorn #] (44km) (105km) (24km) #\ Arnhem To Rhenen GELDERLAND Oberhausen #^ Tiel (55km) Rotterdam #\ /·E35 k #\ ‚ Le Leerdam #\ /·A15 Nijmegen Woudrichem #] Slot l A50 Gorinchem #\ /· Loevestein Rhi ;" #\ Waa n Groesbeek e Dordrecht #] Zaltbommel #\ ZUID #\ Oss Maas HOLLAND #\ A16 Cuijk /· e Maas Bergs #] Den Bosch #\ Oude #\ /·A59 Tonge Willemstad ##\ /·N277 /·A4 Efteling Kaatsheuvel /·A77 ‚ Overloon To A17 #\ Duisburg /· #] Breda (44km) #] A2 Tilburg /· #\ Venray #\ Roosendaal /·A58 M A73 a /· a #\ Bergen s To #\ Zundert Helmond op Zoom #\ NOORD Duisburg BRABANT #] Eindhoven (38km) ‚ Venlo ‚ /·A4 /·A1 /·E34 #\ To /·N1 Middelburg A67 (32km) 0¸ /·A2 #] Turnhout /·A73 LIMBURG /·N273 ‚ /·A21 #\ #\ Weert To Achel Mönchengladbach Roermond (10km) #^ BELGIUM #\ Antwerp #\ Thorn 0¸E313 #\ Bree #] Lier Maaseik #\ al a an K GERMANY a Sittard A2 n #\ /· Geilenkirchen #\ #\ LIMBURG LIMBURG #] Diest ulia Aarschot J Maasmechelen #\ #] Heerlen Hasselt #\ NOORD BRABANT & NOORD BRABANT & 6 #\ Valkenburg #\ #] Leuven Kerkrade #] Maastricht #_ 0¸E313 Brussels #] Tienen Lanaye #] #\ Drielandenpunt Aachen # /·A3 !0 /·A2 #] 66#\ Liège Eupen It has fun cafes and unique tunnel canals you NOORD BRABANT can explore. The significance of the city’s full name held The country’s largest province, Noord Brabant, true in the 12th century when there was a castle spans the bottom of the country, from the 66 and large forest here. Both are long gone. It water-logged lands of the west to the hilly lands was hotly contested during the Eighty Years’ of the east. Den Bosch is its main city and an War and you can still see where the lines of interesting place to spend the day. Breda is also fortifications followed the shape of the canals. worth a look. However, despite its size, Noord It’s the birthplace of the 15th-century painter Brabant won’t fill your schedule. It’s primarily Hieronymous Bosch, who took his surname a land of agriculture and industry. from the town. Today, Den Bosch (den boss) is DEN BOSCH (’S-HERTOGENBOSCH) a regional shopping and industrial town. %073 / pop 137,800 The full name of Noord Brabant’s capital is Orientation ’s-Herto genbosch (Duke’s Forest), which is The town’s pedestrianised centre is based understandably not used often. Den Bosch around the Markt, 600m east of the train has a remarkable church and a good museum. station..