Attractions in North Brabant

Have you heard of the fortress city of Willemstad, the "little Rome" Oudenbosch, the fantastic Blind Walls Gallery with street art in Breda, or the De Biesbosch National Park? No? Then keep reading, because on my road trip through North Brabant, not far from the German border, I visited these wonderful places.

After already exploring Eindhoven and the Van Gogh village Nuenen, I wanted to see more of Brabant. So, I set off with my camper van and bicycle to explore more of this province. The mix of unspoiled nature, historic towns, art, culture, and outdoor activities makes this region an ideal vacation destination.

Here are the highlights and attractions of my North Brabant road trip in an RV, enjoy reading and following along. I've also included further points of interest in North Brabant that you can discover on a quick trip.

Eindhoven is the capital of "Dutch Design," featuring futuristic architecture with remarkable buildings and lots of street art. De Blob, Van Abbemuseum, and the Philips Museum are just three highlights you must visit.

You can explore the city perfectly over a weekend. Especially in November, it's worth a trip because the GLOW event takes place, illuminating all the futuristic buildings with light installations.

Another attraction in North Brabant is the quaint village of Nuenen. As soon as we entered the town, I was amazed and found myself repeatedly saying, 'Oh, how beautiful it is here!' Incredible.

You should stay in one of the oldest houses in the town: Het Kostershuisje. The restored house reflects the style of Van Gogh. This is how the famous artist lived when he made Nuenen his home. Another attraction is the Vincentre, a modern museum dedicated to Vincent van Gogh. In Nuenen, you can also see the Van Gogh church, the former home of his parents, and his monument depicting the potato eaters.

A little outside of the village stands the watermill in Opwetten (a popular motif of Van Gogh) where you can dine excellently, and the Van Gogh-Roosegaarde Cycle Path, which begins to glow at dusk.

The idyllic fortress city of Willemstad in North Brabant is one of the eleven fortress cities of the Zuiderwaterlinie (Freshwater Line). As soon as we arrived at the campsite, we grabbed our bikes to ride into the town. The shape of the town, as a seven-pointed star surrounded by five forts, is impressive and one of the most well-known attractions in North Brabant. You can explore this waterside town by bike or on foot along a path by the water.

The historic fortress city lies along Hollands Diep, where the rivers Rhine and Meuse converge. I found it absolutely charming and beautiful here. The houses, the alleys, and the windmill by the harbor were the perfect start to the road trip.

Note: Watch for the spire of the church in the harbor!?‍♀️

Oudenbosch is primarily known for its former pastor, Willem Hellemons, who was a big fan of Rome and its churches. The town itself is typical of the Netherlands. But as we walked along the streets, we immediately noticed the Roman columns adorned with sculptures.

Moreover, the basilica towers over all the buildings. It is a smaller replica of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, only four times smaller and one of North Brabant's top attractions. You can visit the dome-similar to St. Peter's, but it only requires climbing 144 steps (compared to 551 at St. Peter's).

A second dome that rises from the silhouette of Oudenbosch is that of the St. Louis chapel. Once, this area housed the famous boys' boarding school St. Louis, which is quite impressive for this idyllic town and definitely worth a visit.

Another highlight is the observatory. It served as a backup during the Apollo 11 mission for Houston when they were on the "dark side of the moon" and communication was cut off. You should definitely plan a visit. In the evening, you can view particularly close images of the sun through the telescope (including solar storms). Other highlights include the Arboretum Botanical Garden and the Zouavenmuseum, where you can learn more about the Pope's volunteer army.

Oudenbosch is definitely worth a visit. The town was so beautiful and unique that it deserves more tourists! Be sure to add Oudenbosch to your North Brabant itinerary.

The lively student city surrounded by water lures us with street art, nice cafés, and restaurants, as well as historically significant landmarks. The city's landmark and most famous attraction is visible from all corners of the city: The Grote Kerk Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (translated: Church of Our Lady). Sadly, it was under scaffolding during our visit.

However, Breda wouldn't be Breda if its residents didn't creatively transform the Blind Walls (blanco walls) into colorful murals.

Take at least half a day to see the artworks of the Blind Walls Gallery either with a guide or on your own by foot or bike. The website offers various tours to help you navigate easily. You will find QR codes on the murals that provide quick access to more information about the artists and the artwork. Well done!

Here you can find a map marking all murals

In Liesbos, located close to Breda, you can hike or bike in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh. I had planned to bike the route, but unfortunately, the weather had other ideas. Here you can find the Van Gogh Bike Route Etten-Leur - North (32 km) available as GPX data for your navigation.

Hike in Mastbos Breda (5 km)

One of the top nature hiking trails can be found in Mastbos. Over 500-year-old coniferous trees line the way and lead you along the river Mark to the stunning water castle Bouvigne from the 15th century.

Here you can find the link with more info and GPX data for your hike.

The De Biesbosch National Park is one of the last and unique freshwater tidal areas with willow flood forests and narrow channels in Northwest Europe. In this swamp area, you can hike, bike, or, like us, paddle on the channels in a canoe. It's also perfect for stand-up paddling. For birdwatchers, it's an ideal area to spot white-tailed eagles, kingfishers, or Ospreys.

The relaxation factor and tranquility here are immense. I truly enjoyed it.

You can rent canoes directly at the campsite. You will get a map and a brief briefing on which routes are available. Tip: Beavers are nocturnal, so the best time for a tour is around 6 AM with the first rays of sunshine. Unfortunately, it was so foggy for us that we left later. Although we didn't see beavers, we experienced a stunning nature with geese, ducks, and various other waterfowl. I have rarely canoed in such idyllic surroundings. Highly recommended.

The De Knotwilg nature campsite is located in the Biesbosch nature reserve. Here you can truly enjoy the peace and quiet. The spots are quite spacious, and there is electricity and water available. The internet is even excellent, which is something you can't always say for remote areas in Germany.

The Dutch love camping. Therefore, you will find an RV park in every city. Campsites (especially beautiful sprawling nature campsites) are also found throughout Brabant. Check out Camping.info or Pincamp (feel free to also use the ADAC Camping 21 and ACSI CampingCard apps, as I possess their Camping discount cards).

In Breda, for example, there is a beautiful RV parking spot right by the water, not far from the city center. In Willemstad and the De Biesbosch National Park, we stayed at beautiful campsites surrounded by nature (see the respective places for the exact name of the site).

The ideal travel times for me are the months of April, May, September, and October. The best time for a city trip is from May to September. We traveled in May and in Eindhoven in September. Both are ideal months for the North Brabant region.

In the Baedeker travel guide for the Netherlands, there are a few tips and info for Breda and Willemstad. Also for other places like Eindhoven and Nuenen, which lie in Brabant and I enjoy visiting very much.

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This post was created in collaboration with Visit Brabant.