Tilburg
Tilburg [2] is a large city in southern Netherlands. It started to grow during the Industrial Revolution, when wool factories were set up, thus making it the wool city of the Netherlands. Because wool was treated with urine during processing, employees had to bring along a full bottle to work every morning. This gave the Tilburgers their nickname of Kruikezeikers. As of april 1 2011, Tilburg has 206.186 inhabitants. Understand[edit]History[edit]Tilburg already existed in the late medieval period, when there was West-Tilburg and East-Tilburg (Which is now in Oisterwijk). The lordship was known as Greater Tilburg, of which it was first Oisterwijk also with it, later it was Goirle. It was a part of the Bailiwick of 's-Hertogenbosch. Around the late 15th century, Tilburg contained a castle and Herd Places. These small places, streets with houses along it and agriculture between those streets formed the structure of which would once become the city of Tilburg. Going further to the 18th century, slightly the first herd places became filled. In 1809, Louis Napoleon gave Tilburg city rights, after centuries of neglecting by the Dutch politics due to the catholic background of the city. However, the King William II, had found his nice place in Tilburg, and gave the mission to build a palace. Sadly, three weeks before completion in 1849, William II died. The palace is still standing as one of the few who survived the mayor Becht's destruction terror in the '60s. The city expanded rapidly in the coming century, from being not much more than a village, to one of the largest cities in the Netherlands. The industrial revolution meant that hundreds of looms were standing in the city, filling the rest of the former herd places. Wool and textiles from Tilburg were very known at the first half of the 20th century. These times gave Tilburg the name of Kruikenzeikersstad (Jars-pissing-people city). As the 2nd World War was over, Tilburg shortly retained this position until halfway the 1960s. Since then, the economy would implode, that did not happen due to government money to attract Tilburg for modern industries. Many monuments have not survived the renewal terror from Cees Becht in the 1960s. Beautiful historical buildings have made place for wider roads and gray flats. Also the train station was a historical one, but isn't anymore. Culture[edit]Music. Tilburg is home to two concert halls: the Concertzaal in the Schouwburg Tilburg at the Louis Bouwmeesterplein 1, and 013 (being called after the net number) at Veemarktstraat 44, which gives more pop music. On smaller venues, there are a couple cafe's with a music stage in the city. Paradox is the most well known. It's a jazz stage but gives also room for experimental and independent music. Within the jazzscene it's a well known musicpodiun througout the Netherlands. Other bars with musicstages are The Little Devil (metal), Cafe Extase, Hall of Fame (both often local artists) and Cul de Sac. Out of the city center there are more bars with musicstages. Cafe Berlijn at the Korvelseweg and Kaffee Lambiek at the Wilhelmina Park. There are also museums:
In the entire city you'll find many gallerys and local artists. Tilburg is kind for amateur artists. One example is Duvelhok at the Sint Jozef Straat. Museum 'De Pont' is a great museum for modern art. It had a permanent collection and temporairly exibitions. These are often for upcoming and promising artists. There are three theaters known in Tilburg.
Three cinemas are known well throughout Tilburg. All cinemas have movies in English, while Cinecitta has many movies in French, Spanish and Italian languages.
Cinecitta is an arthouse cinema, with arthouse movies, documentaries and is cosy, has no pauses and in a historical building.
Mail: [email protected] Euroscoop is a large cinema in the south of Tilburg, with twelve halls of cinema with many Hollywood movies, has large seats, pauses and automatical ticket sale.
Pathé is also a large cinema, but is in the city center, in opposition to Euroscoop. It has 7 halls, large seats, no pauses and online reservation. Get in[edit]By train[edit]Tilburg is connected to the rest of the country by a twice an hour Intercity service, bound to both Eindhoven - Venlo and Breda - Rotterdam - The Hague. A second intercity goes twice an hour from Flushing-Middelburg-Bergen op Zoom-Breda to Tilburg and goes further 's-Hertogenbosch-Nijmegen-Arnhem-Zwolle. Trains in the Netherlands usually drive from 5.30/6.00 AM up to 12AM. Intercity trains will drive in the night on friday and saturday nights from and to Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Breda/Rotterdam/The Hague from 12AM to 4AM. By car[edit]Tilburg is connected by highway from Breda (with Belgium, Rotterdam-The Hague) and Eindhoven (Limburg, Ardennes, Rhine-Ruhr). To Waalwijk, it goes partially on a highway, It's also directly connected with 's Hertogenbosch but strangely enough not by a highway but through a standard motorway with a lot of traffic lights and speed-controls. Tilburg is also very well connected to Belgian cities like Antwerp and Brussels. By bus[edit]An exception for the buses from Waalwijk, the Efteling, Oosterhout and Turnhout, buses are useless. Tilburg is the largest Dutch city without Eurolines connection! This makes the trains to Breda and Eindhoven useful to go to another destination of Eurolines.
By boat[edit]No timescheduled ferries come along the Wilhelminakanaal, but if you've got your private owned boat, you can reach it from Eindhoven and the Meuse on the Wilhelminakanaal. Get around[edit]Tilburg has three railway stations, and around ten city bus lines, going through all of the city, so every neighborhood is connected easily with the city centre. Some night buses drive through Tilburg, but not in every neighborhood. Tilburg is a very bicycle-friendly city, and has, like many other Dutch cities, red bicycle lanes. Bicycling might be faster than driving in a car or bus, and brings you much closer to many places. On the Heuvel, Pieter Vreedeplein and at the train stations are bicycle parkings. See[edit][add listing]
Parks
Herdgangen (the once old villagecentres, now known as Tilburg. These are the best places to see how Tilburg used to be before it has became the city of today.
Do[edit][add listing]Museums
Other things to do:
Sports:
Learn[edit]Tilburg has one university, known as Tilburg University in English or Universiteit van Tilburg (UvT) in Dutch. There are dozens of English-language only programmes. 8% out of 13,000 are foreign students. It specialises in Social sciences, Economy and Law. Unlike many other universities, it is not owned by government (Rijksuniversiteit). There are also other schools with the bachelor/master system, such as Avans and Fontys. Also they offer many programmes in English. For the younger travellers: there are also secondary schools (American: High Schools) which offer a largely English-language programme. Work[edit]Tilburg is the headquarters for:
Tilburg also is home to distribution centre's for these brands:
Buy[edit][add listing]Tilburg is not that one shopping city, it has even been worse in the past, though. Now there are more chains of shopping since the opening of the renewed Pieter Vreedeplein. There are shops in the Heuvelstraat, the Pieter Vreedeplein, the Pieter Vreedestraat, the Emma Passage, the Stadhuisplein and also the Schouwburgpromenade Because Tilburg is not seen as a tourist city, there are no souvenir shops with products dedicated to Tilburg Tourist Information VVV Tilburg Nieuwlandstraat 34, 5038 SN Tilburg 0900 2020815 http://www.vvvtilburg.nl Emma Passage and Piusplein
Heuvelstraat
And many clothes and fashion shops Pieter Vreedeplein
Eat[edit][add listing]Restaurants in Tilburg are mostly concentrated on the Heuvelplein, the Piusplein, Piusharbour, the Oude Markt, Radiopleintje, 'Dwaalgebied' towards the train station and in the Spoorzone. Different shops in the city center provide food, mostly for lunch to eat on multiple places. There are supermarkets selling lunch to eat en route such as AH to go (near the central train station) and places where you can eat en route as well as inside, such as Bakker Bart (in the Heuvelstraat). Budget[edit]Tilburg is a really cheap city to get some food. A lot of bars have cheap deals during the week, aimed at luring in students. Look around at the korte heuvel or at the heuvelplein for some good deals. In general it's possible to have a decent meal including drinks for under €20 a person in most places. Most bars employ students as bar and service personnel. Be prepared for some badly trained personnel and below average service. If you really want to have a cheap dinner the following places will fill your tummy for less than €10 including a -drink.
Mid-range[edit]
Mid-High range[edit]The following restaurants are a bit more expensive for Tilburg standards but are still quite affordable
Splurge[edit]Despite being the sixth city in the Netherlands, Tilburg hosts none of the (around 90) Michelinsta and one of the top 100 "Lekker gids" restaurants. That being said these are considered the best gourmet/haute cuisine restaurants in Tilburg.
Drink[edit][add listing]Since Tilburg has a University [28] with several undergraduate and graduate schools, this college town boasts lots of places where people congregate for a drink. Cafés to drink are allowed to be opened until 4AM, where in the last hour before closure time, only may come people out and not in. To neutralize the effects of alcohol, the municipality decided that bread-selling shops, shawarma/kebab tents and equivalent places are allowed to open up to 5AM. These opening times mostly will only be applied on friday and saturday nights. A typical drink for Tilburg is the Schrobbelèr. This is a liquor with an alcoholic percentage of 21.5%, and is an herbal (and bitter) liqueur, although being sweeter than most bitter liqueurs. The drink is sold throughout the year, although more popular when it's carnival. They are sold in many restaurants and liqueur stores, also national stores in the city.
Most out and about places are in and around the city center, in three areas, all of them within one kilometer radius:
Specific non-alcoholic drinking places
Beerculture[edit]As a North-Brabant City, and lying just a few kilometers from the Belgian border Tilburg has a strong traditional beerculture. Most bars will serve a decent amount of specialty beers.
Tilburg hosts one of the few Trappist breweries in the world, and the only one in the Netherlands. The Abbey where the famous La Trappe beers are brewed lies just outside of the city and is definitely worth a visit, even if you don’t drink beer. Also a Great place to lunch if the weather is nice. Buy a la Trappe quadruppel oak aged if you really want to try something special. It's easy to reach by going by bus from the central station
The most famous beercafe in Tilburg. Has a selection of more than 300 beers. It's always busy here, it attracts an adult and relaxed crowd who come here to enjoy a good drink and have good conversation.
A slightly alternative bar with a diverse crowd (The name is translated as outsider, and that's the type of people you'll find) with a very good selection of beers. A lot(!) cheaper than Kadinsky. Might actually be the cheapest bar for specialty beers in all of the Netherlands (and no.. this isn't verified) Sleep[edit][add listing]Budget[edit]When there is a festival or other big events, there is a pop-campsite. Mid-range[edit]
Splurge[edit]
Stay safe[edit]Tilburg was in 2012 the third most criminal city in the Netherlands. In 2013 it was the seventh most criminal city, so things are getting better. Most of the crimes are in the suburbs though. Just take normal precautions in the city centre and you will be fine. Avoid the area's Tilburg North (a mostly poor area) and Jerusalem (the poorest area of Brabant in 2007, although renovated since, still a dark and unsafe area, especially at night). Also parts of the area Broekhoven should only be entered with a little care at night. Like many other cities at the outer provinces, never say you're in Holland. It causes disgust, because Brabant and Tilburg have, according to locals, an own identity and are not part of Holland but rather of the Netherlands. Contact[edit]Internet[edit]In the Netherlands generally, mobile internet via your mobile phone may cost no more than EUR.3,50/Mb, and from july 1 2012 the law allows no more than EUR.0,90/Mb Internet and Wifi locations: At the central library on 10, Koningsplein (King's Sq), there's internet, with payment. At the McDonald's, free WiFi at four locations: Piusplein 75, Zuid at Mina Krusemanweg 4, West/Reeshof at Aphroditestraat, and (December 2011) at the Kreitenmolenstraat, close to Udenhout and Oisterwijk. The uppermost floor of the V&D offers paid WiFi, at Heuvelstraat 33, at the La Place Post[edit]Since the modernizing of the post system, no post office will (ever) serve Tilburg (anymore). To send post, you have either to do it via small points in supermarkets, unmanned, which are faster than the previous offices, and mostly open for longer hours too, since the shops where they are also keep open until 6, 8, 9 or even 10PM on some days and on some specific sundays too. To find a location, you can go to a web site of PostNL: [37]. Type in: Tilburg and click at Postkantoor van PostNL. Cope[edit]Tilburg is home to two hospitals: St. Elisabeth Ziekenhuis Tilburg Hilvarenbeekse Weg 60, 5022 GC Tel:(31-)013 539 1313
Dr. Deelenlaan 5, 5042 AD Tel:(31-)013 4655655
Inner City police station: Stationsstraat 22 5038 ED Tilburg For the City Center and the southern part of Tilburg
Ringbaan Zuid 498a 5026 PA Tilburg For Tilburg southeast and Hilvarenbeek
Karel Boddenweg 9 5044 EL Tilburg For everyplace west of the 'Ringbaan West'
Wilhelminapark 6 5041 EA Tilburg For the northern half of inner Tilburg
Brucknerlaan 18 5011 DM Tilburg For everyplace north of the Wilhelminakanaal Get out[edit]
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