's-Hertogenbosch

's-Hertogenbosch, commonly known as Den Bosch, is a city in the south of the Netherlands and the capital of the province of North Brabant. Understand The population of Den Bosch is approximately 140,000 and with that it is reaching its limits. This because almost all the ground available for building has been used. This does not mean that the whole area is one big city as there are several (big) parks. Likewise, the southern edge of city is totally green as this is a protected natural reserve. Den Bosch can be seen in 9 regions (note: these regions are build up of several neighborhoods): Center includes the whole area inside the city walls. Most sights and places to visit can be found in this area. North is the area between the city center and the A59, which includes the neighborhoods de Rompert, Orthen, Herven and the area around the Prins Hendrik Park. Maaspoort is the area north of the A59. Mostly a residential area with some industry. Hintham is the area around the FC Den Bosch football stadium. South is the area between the city center and the A2 highway to the south. Residential, but with also a large amount of office buildings. West is the area west of the central station. High presence of industry, as wel as the residential neighborhoods Kruiskamp and Helftheuvel. The Brabanthallen can be found here. Engelen is the village of Engelen which is going through the development of Haverleij, a combined residential complex on a golfcourse. Rosmalen, a town to the east of the A2. Empel, small village to the north of Rosmalen. Most visitor attractions are found in the center, except for the footballstadium and the Sportiom. Get in By plane Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the largest airport in The Netherlands, and is serviced by almost every airline in the world. It is located near Amsterdam and there is a direct train link from the airport to the station of Den Bosch. Rotterdam Airport and Eindhoven Airport are smaller, regional airports located near their respective cities. Transavia, KLM CityHopper and Ryanair service these airports from various destinations within Europe. Getting from the airport to Den Bosch is possible by public transport, although it necessary to change modes of transport several times. From these airports a car is best option. By train Den Bosch has a good location within the railway system of the "Nederlandse Spoorwegen" (Dutch Railroads) and almost every city has a direct connection or with a single stopover. Trains depart from Den Bosch main station in city center, which is located at the 'Stationsweg', towards Utrecht-Amsterdam-Haarlem and Utrecht-Schiphol in the north, in the direction of Nijmegen-Arnhem-Zwolle in the east, towards Eindhoven-Maastricht and Tilburg-Breda-Roosendaal in the south. By car Although Den Bosch is along major highways, it is not easy to reach Den Bosch because of traffic jams. The major highway that passes Den Bosch is the A2, generally seen from Amsterdam to Maastricht. This is one of the busiest highways of The Netherlands, and the part along Den Bosch, known as "knooppunt Hintham" and "knooppunt Empel" (intersection Hintham and Rosmalen), is in the top 5 of busiest traffic points in The Netherlands. The other, less busy, highway passing Den Bosch is the A59, comming from Roosendaal (and the A16) towards Nijmegen. This highway is less busy than the A2, although traffic jams might occur when there is a jam on the A2 as the A59 merges into the A2 for a short part. Nevertheless, if staying outside the peak hours, which are roughly from 7AM-9AM and from 4:30PM-7:30PM, Den Bosch is easily accessible by car. By bus The regional buses, operated by the BBA, link Den Bosch with Tilburg and Eindhoven. As these are the regional buses, they do not go directly between these city but stop at several small villages. Therefore, the fastest and advisable way is using the train. By taxi In you want to travel quickly between cities in the region you can also travel by taxi. Prices will vary, but if you use a taxi with more people than this is still a cheap way of transportation in and around Den Bosch. There are several taxi services available, but if you need a good and reliable one call +31 412 484 415 or visit the website [1] Get around Everything within the city center is reachable by foot. Everywhere in the city, so also in the suburbs, are sidewalks. In the city center, most areas are pedestrian only, and traffic within the city is restricted. If you want to go to the suburbs (where there is no reason to, as all interesting places are within the city center), Arriva operates a network of buses throughout the city and towns in the vicinity. All buses arrive and depart from the central station, although for some lines it is along the line. Travelling on these buses is around €1,20 per zone, and you have to purchase at least 2 zones. You can either pay cash at the driver, or but a 'strippenkaart', a sort of multiple journey card, for this. The last one should only be considered of you intend a lot of traveling, or travel with multiple persons. The city counsel is trying to get the city center car free, so it is bringing up all kind of measures to deter people from taking the car into the city. Cars can still be parked in the city center, but on Saturdays and Thursday evening these garages are packed. Parking is also available just outside the city center and from there buses are available every 15 minutes for only €1. The best means of transportation is, just as in the rest of The Netherlands, by bicycle. If you want to have a Taxi call +31 73 644 60 10 or visit the local Taxi Site[2] See 's-Hertogenbosch is a medieval city and among the oldest cities in the Netherlands. When the Netherlands were still young it was a fortified city that served for the protection of The Netherlands. Especially on the south side of the city, a lot of these fortifications have been saved and over time restored. Start at Bastion Vught and walk northwards via the Parklaan, Spinhuiswal, Zuidwal and Bastion Oranje and Hekellaan until you reach the bridge over the Zuid Willemsvaart. This way you covert the best part of the old fortifications. In 2004, the city was awarded European Fortress of the year. The Sint Jans Cathedral is one of the most prominent landmarks of Den Bosch. Building on the cathedral as we know it right now started in 1380 and is built in Gothic style. Because the exterior of the building is deteriorating fast due to toxic rain they started in 1998 with the restoration of the exterior. It will take years to restore the full church, but the first sections are already finished and can be seen at this moment. This restoration only applies to the exterior. The Moriaan is the oldest brick building in The Netherlands, built in the 13th century. It is located on the market square and currently houses the Tourist Center (VVV), and in the basement rockcafe Plein79. Another place on the market square that is worth a visit is the Town Hall. It is located on the south side of the square next to the V&D department store. It was built in the 17th century and reflects Dutch classicism. In the north of the city center, outside the boundaries of the northern fortifications is the Citadel. This fortress was added to the city later and is not directly included in the fortifications but sort of pasted on. It held the garrison to protect the city or, if necessary, to counter an uprising in the city. It is now part of the national archive. Opposite the Citadel is the Kruithuis, or powder arsenal. It is an hexagonal building and one of the last in its kind. It is currently used as a museum for art. As the city center is protected there are still a lot of medieval buildings to be found. Wander around and see the traditional building style. Hidden below the old city is a canal network called the Binnendieze that once spanned 22 kilometres. It started out as a regular river, the Dommel, running through the city in medieval times but due to lack of space in the city, people started building their houses and roads over the river. In later times it functioned as a sewer and fell into disrepair. In recent decades, the remaining sixth of the old waterway system has been renovated, and it is possible to take several guided subterranean boat trips through it. Do Efteling Park [3], a family theme park. It is not in Den Bosch, but a 15-20 minute drive from the centre. It does have some number of thrill rides, and also kids rides, which makes it fun for everyone. Learn Work Buy There is a beautiful market on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the center of the city (in the Markt sqare). You can find fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, fish, textiles, and various other things. There is throughout a very laid back atmosphere. You can also enjoy a beer or a meal at one of the many restaurants with open air terraces in the market. Eat Bossche Bol is a local sweet or dessert, quite unique to Den Bosch. It is a chocolate ball filled with cream, the size of a tennis ball; surely makes it an interesting 'must try once' item. It is available at many of the cafes and will go nicely with a coffee after having spent the afternoon walking around the city. I enjoyed my first Bossche Bol in the market square with a nice cup of coffee. Definitely a must try when you are visiting Den Bosch. Bossche Koek, a traditional, regional variant of the standard cake found in the Netherlands, with spices and conserved fruits, is also highly recommended. More can be read about it here [4] (in Dutch). Budget De Roosekrans, Hinthamerstraat 40 (From the market square, head east along Hinthamerstraat, it is 100m on the left), ☎ 073-612 46 47, [5]. Small chocolaterie, selling many kinds of chocolate creations, cakes (including those which are the local traditions) and also coffees and other hot drinks. Excellent quality, friendly staff, takeaway is possible. Coffee €2, Bossche Bol €3.20.  edit Mid-range Splurge Drink Nightlife in Den Bosch is as you might expect from a city alike: not as extravagant as Amsterdam or Rotterdam, but nice, with a friendly crowd attending and a nice atmosphere. The places most worth visiting: De Drie Gezusters (One of the most popular places in Den Bosch, it has 3 areas: Pub, Apres Ski and Club with different music and appearance. Can't miss it on Friday and Saturday as there will be a line outside.), Karrenstraat, [6]. Opens at 21.00, but the scene starts at around 23.00. Open until 04.00. Entrance €4, coatcheck €1.  edit Cinq (Formerly known as the ''Cuba Libre'', it turns into a nightlife scene after 23.00. On busy nights hard to get in.), Parade, ☎ (073) 6900768. Entrance depends on attendance. Busy nights require around €2 entrance to be paid..  edit De Carrousel (Place to attracts a crowd of mainly 25+. Is sometimes open slightly longer than the other places.), Karrrenstraat, ☎ (073) 6900311. starts at around 10PM until 4AM, sometimes later..  edit Silva Ducis (Next to Cinq, same attendance.), Parade, ☎ (073) 6130405, [7]. 10AM-4PM.  edit ' Sleep Golden Tulip Hotel Central (Located in the city center, this is one of the best hotels to visit the city if you are willing to pay a little more.), Burg. Loeffplein 98 (Go to the Markt (market square) which is easily found from within the city center. Here the hotel will be on the north side, easily recognized as a white building), ☎ (+31 73)6926926 (info@goldentuliphotelcentral.nl, fax: (+31 73) 6145699), [8]. around €140.  edit Mövenpick Hotel 's-Hertogenbosch (Hotel located outside the city center. Easy accessed by car, but has a bad public transport connection to the city center. Walking is an option though, and would take about 20 minutes.), Pettelaarpark 90 (Near the highway A2. Take exit 22, where signage will guide you to the hotel.), ☎ (+31 73) 6874674 (hotel.s-hertogenbosch@moevenpick.com, fax: (+31 73) 6874635), [9]. checkin: 3PM; checkout: 12PM. around €140.  edit Best Western Euro Hotel (Located in the city center. Cheaper hotel, but overal it is in a bad shape. Renovations has been done from Dec. 06 until Mar. 07, so there might be some improvement.), Kerkstraat 56 (Near the St. Jans Cathedral opposite the main post office.), ☎ (+31 73) 6137777 (fax: (+31 73) 6128795), [10]. checkin: 14:00; checkout: 11:00. €95.  edit Campanile Hotel 's-Hertogenbosh (Cheap hotel located in the northern suburb 'Maasport' and adjacent industrial area), Goudsbloemvallei 21-25, ☎ (+31 73) 6422525 (denbosch@campanile.com, fax: (+31 73) 6410048), [11]. €59.  edit Bark Hotel 's-Hertogenbosch.  edit Mercure Hotel Rosmalen (Located outside the city center along the A2 highway), Burg. Burgerslaan 50, ☎ (+31 73) 5219159 (H2112@accor.com, fax: (+31 73) 5216215), [12]. €120.  edit van der Valk Hotel Vught (Large hotel located in the town of Vught, about 10 minutes by bus to 's-Hertogenbosch.), Bosscheweg 2, ☎ (+31 73) 6587777 (vught@valk.com, fax: (+31 73) 6587700), [13]. €80-100.  edit Contact Den Bosch uses the area code 073. This means that all calls from outside the Den Bosch area have to be preceded by 073. Stay safe Den Bosch is in general a safe city. Even the neighborhoods considered dangerous by the locals are still quite safe during daylight (Hambaken, Graafsewijk and Kruiskamp). If a traveler uses his common sense he will be alright, also during night. The only time the crowd can get a bit rough is during Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. These are the general party nights, so people sometimes drink too much. Nevertheless, there is a lot of police around, and you will be safe if you just take care and mind your own business. Get out Den Bosch is a fantastic place for shopping, especially at weekends as there is a big market in the square. There are shops for young and old people, and they are all close by to each other, which is useful. Routes through 's-Hertogenbosch Amsterdam ← Culemborg ←  N  S  → Eindhoven → Maastricht This article is an outline and needs more content. 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