One week to discover Brabant by train
Why choose Noord-Brabant?
I might be a bit biased, but I think Noord Brabant is perhaps the most underrated province in the Netherlands. It’s where I grew up and lived for a long time so I know where to find the best spots. It only makes sense that this would be my first one-week itinerary. So if you have one week to discover Brabant by train, what should you not miss?
Itinerary to discover Brabant by train in one week
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Day 1 in Brabant : Eindhoven
Eindhoven is the first city on the list. It is also the most modern town on this itinerary. It’s the perfect place to start this trip because you may be a bit tired from traveling there. Perhaps you decided to fly to the Netherlands and arrived at Eindhoven airport. Or maybe you took an international train. Either way if Eindhoven is your first stop, you’ll be happy to learn the train station has lockers available for you to leave your luggage in while you go explore.
Areas to discover
And for you to explore the city I recommend you start by wondering around the area called ‘de Bergen‘. It is an older part of the city and full of the coziest and coolest restaurants, bars and shops. Including a really, really, REALLY good comic book store called Eppo. If you are into comics or anything related to that, make sure to visit them. The staff there is super open, knowledgeable and helpful.
Strijp-S used to be an industrial/business park for Philips. But since they moved their production elsewhere it has been completely changed into a cool urban destination. It is now a cultural hotspot. You can also find some really good second hand shops and great spots for a drink or lunch here. If you love industrial architecture or would like to learn more about the history of this fascinating area, I highly recommend you can book a guided tour.
Where to eat & drink in Eindhoven
There are so many great options in Eindhoven. Because the city is home to many tech companies it also is home to people from all over the world, and all their cuisines. But I highly recommend trying a typical Dutch “worstenbroodje” (sausage roll). I recommend getting them at Houben Worstenbrood. This bakery in the city center has vegan versions as well as the traditional meat versions.
My personal favourite place is a ramen restaurant though. It’s called Takumi and they have 3 different vegan ramen as well as a variety of sides and appetizers. To me this is the place to go after a long trip.
Day 2 & 3 in Brabant: Den Bosch / Vught
I suggest you stay in Den Bosch for 2 days. One to see Den Bosch itself and one to visit Vught. Den Bosch is also called ‘s Hertogenbosch and that is also the name of the train station you will travel to. Vught can be easily reached by taking a train for one stop from Den Bosch or by taking a beautiful walk.
photo by Johan Bakker, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Den Bosch
Den Bosch or ‘s Hertogenbosch is a charming city. It has many small streets in the city center where you can find some really cool shops and eateries. I highly recommend visiting the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, which is located in a former church.
After that you can take a boat tour through the super narrow canals, but do make sure the one you book is available in English, since not all of them are.
Also worth a visit is the Sint-Janskathedraal, a gothic cathedral. It’s even possible to climb it’s many stairs with a guide who will explain all about the internal workings like the clock and the bells. And after climbing 43 meters (141 feet) you get to enjoy the view from the roof.
Den Bosch is also well known for it’s Bossche Bol. A cream filled pastry covered in chocolate. I haven’t been able to find a equally good plant based one yet, but if that’s not a problem for you, try one from Jan de Groot (close to the station).
Vught
Vught is a cute small city just next to Den Bosch. It is also an important historical site. In the otherwise beautiful area just outside of it’s city center lies the site of a world war 2 concentration camp. This place and it’s monuments are free to visit and worth it as a reminder to not let history repeat itself. There is something very surreal yet deeply impressive about one second walking through a beautiful forest and then being confronted with a place where so many innocent people were killed. Take your time here.
Day 4 in Brabant: Tilburg
Tilburg is one of those cities that has undergone rapid change in the last few decades and is now quite cool. It definitely isn’t the most beautiful city on this list, though it has some amazing new modern architecture.
For a long time Tilburg was an industrial city, and when the industry went, so did many of the nice things in the city. But in the last few years it’s been revitalized and there are so many new places to discover.
Spoorzone
Right next to train station is the new library. The building used to be a big factory hall where locomotives were made. If you are interested in architecture I highly recommend requesting a tour. If not you can just have a look around the library and even enjoy a coffee and a snack there. They left some of the industrial equipment so if you are a train lover, it’s a must see. In the same area you can now find a nightclub, skatepark and a theater, all in former warehouses and factories. I also suggest you go visit the foodmarket in the polygon shed. A big building that is now mostly glass and used to be where trains got repaired.
photo by: HT-boek, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A super fun and one of kind experience is the Doloris Meta Maze. I won’t tell you too many details because it is something you have to experience to understand it. The very simple version is the following: It’s a maze you go into to discover different rooms created by a variety of artists. It feels like you have fallen down the rabbit hole, like Alice in Wonderland. Not great if you are afraid of the dark or claustrophobic. Wear comfy clothes and sturdy shoes.
Where to eat & drink in Tilburg
Have dinner at focus foodbar, an all plant-based restaurant. Everything I have ever tried there has been delicious, but if you are new to Dutch food I highly recommend trying a “Borrelplank” especially if you are strictly plant based, since these typical Dutch snacks can be hard to find in their vegan versions.
If after all that you still have energy left after a busy day I recommend going for a drink and a game of boules at NondeJeu.
Day 5 in Brabant : Breda
I’ll keep this one short because I already wrote a full city guide to Breda.
But the short version is this: Spend some time wandering around the city center, have a drink with a view of the ‘grote kerk’. Get a guided tour to learn all about the fascinating history of how this city and it’s waterworks were used to defend the rest of the country. As well as the ties the city has to the Dutch royal family. Have some lunch at Sowieso, a plant based cafe.
Day 6+7 in Brabant: Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom is highly underrated and much smaller than the other cities on this list. Spend a couple of hours discovering the old city center. A visit to the ‘Markiezenhof’ is a must where you can learn all about the local history and stories.
Discover the area
The main reason I recommend spending 2 days in this small city is so you can also explore the surrounding area. You can rent a bike (or E-bike!) at lots of different places so you can discover the area known as the ‘Brabantse wal’. There are plenty of great and safe bike routes suitable for the whole family. Ride your bike through forests, by the beach, passing manors and windmills. I especially recommend going to the windmill in Huijbergen, where you can also get a drink and a tour of the windmill (usually open on Wednesdays and Thursday mornings as well as on the weekend. If you pass the windmill and the flag is out, it’s open!)
Where to stay?
If you want to stay in one of the cities and travel to the other cities from a central point I recommend choosing either Tilburg or Breda. Either of these gets you to the other cities on the list in less than an hour.
Budget option
Roots hostel Tilburg
Very close to the train station, great atmosphere and clean.
Value options
mercure hotel Tilburg
Right in the city center of Tilburg and in walking distance of the train station. Professional staff and lots of amenities for the price.
Intercity hotel Breda
Right next to the train station in Breda. Modern, simple and clean.
Luxury option
Hotel Nassau Breda
In the city center of Breda, located in a beautifully restored former convent.
Ideas if you have more time
If you have a bit more time to spend than 1 week to discover Brabant by train (or you want to skip one of the suggested days), here are some more ideas!
Efteling for a day
If you are travelling with kids or are a child at heart yourself, you should visit Efteling. Efteling is a theme park based around classic fairy tales and simply the most beautiful theme park I have ever visited. I love it so much that I try to visit once a year, even though I no longer live in the Netherlands. I personally think that everyone needs a little magic and whimsy and their lives, and Efteling is the place to find that.
NS wandeling
The Dutch railways (NS) offer a variety of hikes from station to station (or sometimes in a loop). For some reason these are not available on the English language version of their website. But if you click through you can find maps and GPX files that should be useable by everyone. In addition to this, the signage on these hikes is always really good and clear. Simply look for the arrows that have the NS logo on them
The most beautiful NS hike I’ve ever done is from Boxtel to Oisterwijk station (on the line between Eindhoven & Tilburg).
You can find the map and GPX file here.
This is one isn’t the best if you don’t do much hiking though. While it’s mostly flat, like everything else in the Netherlands, it is mostly unpaved and can get quite muddy. With a length of 18 kilometers (11 miles) and not many rest stops I recommend you pack accordingly if you want to give this one a go.
It takes you through the Kampina, a protected nature reserve. You will walk through forests, heathlands and around marshes and fens. You may even run into some large grazers, if you do, please leave them be and admire them from a distance.
Visit Antwerp
From either Breda or Roosendaal (between Breda and Bergen op Zoom) you can take a train that takes you to center of Antwerp. This second city of Belgium is really close and worth a visit.
If you have less time
In case you have less than one week to discover Brabant by train, here are some suggestions to shorten your trip. First of all, if one on these cities doesn’t appeal to you as much, simply skip it! Industrial heritage not your thing? Don’t stay in Eindhoven.
A lot of the cities mentioned have city centers small enough that if you only want to have a quick look everywhere to see the highlights and grab a bite to eat, you can totally combine 2 cities in one day.
I hope this itinerary has been helpful and has inspired you to give this underrated province a chance! If you’d like to read more about train travel in the Netherlands or other destinations in the Netherlands make sure to click those links.