TILBURG - In Your Pocket

E36 WHAT TO SEE
Tilburg has more history and more old buildings than most
Dutch people are aware of. Indeed, there may not be any
canals with accompanying canalside houses like they have
them in Utrecht and Amsterdam, and no prehistoric megaliths
like in Drenthe. But Tilburg still has many old things
which grace the town. Tilburg especially owes King William
II and Pater Donders much for the tourist attractions they
left behind. And there are also plenty of amusement parks
in the area with Efteling being number one, followed by
Beekse Bergen, Oliemeulen and Dierenpark Nuenen.
Essential Tilburg
Koningshoeven Abbey (Abdij Koningshoeven)
J-5, Eindhovenseweg 3, tel. (+31) 135 40 85 08, info@
koningshoeven.nl, www.koningshoeven.nl. If you think
that only monks live in silence and spend the whole day
praying, take a look at the Trappist farm Onze Lieve Vrouw
van Koningshoeven. Here they’ve been working hard every
day brewing one of Europe’s best beers since 1884. This is
still the most important source of income for the monastery,
partially thanks to exports to the United States where the
beer is sold under the name of ‘Koningshoeven Trappist Ale’.
Nine special beers are brewed here under the close supervision
of the clergymen themselves. Visitors will get a great
impression of the whole brewing process in an audiovisual
tour or a proper guided tour of the abbey where 16 monks
between the ages of 24 to 81 live and work. Even if you don’t
like beer, you’ll still enjoy a visit, as the peaceful surroundings
and the impressive complex with its characteristic towers are
certainly worth a look. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00. K
Buildings & Squares
013 D-2, Veemarktstraat 44, tel. (+31) 134 60 95 00,
informatie@013.nl, www.013.nl. Pop Stage 013 is a
combination of three concert halls and is the largest music
temple in southern Holland. The large Dommelsch Hall alone
can offer space for at least 2,200 visitors. The building itself
stands out because of the round shapes on its exterior that
make it look like it’s covered with hundreds of CDs. 013 is
conveniently located right on Korte Heuvel, which means that
many of the bands that play here have a beer or whisky in one
of the nearby cafés after a gig. The Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Moby
and members of Faithless have all been spotted at pubs and
clubs not far from here. Q PJUEGX
Kids love the fairy tales at the Efteling
Learn about Peerke Donders at his museum
Fontys Rock Academy (Rockacademie) C-4,
Zwijsenplein 1, tel. (+31) 877 87 41 66, rockacademie@fontys.nl,
www.rockacademie.nl. Fontys Rock
Academy is but one of the six academies that comprise
the Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts. Students
receive ‘higher vocational education’ in pop music here.
The academy has brought forth a number of well-known
Dutch pop musicians including the rock band Krezip, Leaf
and Intwine. The distinctive building itself is worth a visit.
Q PJHREW
King Willem II Stadium I-6, Goirleseweg 34, tel. (+31)
135 49 05 90, www.willem-ii.nl. The stadium where
Tilburg’s William II professional football club plays has only
existed in its current form since 1995. At the time it was a
state of the art building, as most Dutch stadia were standing
room only prior to its completion. The club itself was
founded 100 years earlier and was once quite prestigious.
In fact, William II was the first Dutch professional club and it
won the league in the first year, a feat they only managed on
two other occasions. 10 years ago Willem II’s players even
faced the best of European football in the Champions League,
but, unfortunately, since then things have gone from bad to
worse. The team has been relegated to the first division and
the stadium is now considered to be rather outdated, but it’s
still worth a visit if you’re in town and into the beautiful game.
A number of exhibitions detail the glory days of old and if you
ask the right person, you’ll be able to have a look inside the
stadium. QOpen 13:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. HL
Palace-Town Hall (Paleis-Raadhuis) C-4, Stadhuisplein
130. Many Tilburg wedding photos have been taken on
the stairs of the Palace-Town Hall. King William II had the place
built in 1847 as a country retreat in his favourite town, but he
died in 1849 only 22 days before its completion. In 1864 the
Rijks Hogere Burger school was established in the palace and
its most famous student was none other than Vincent van
Gogh, who studied there for two years. In the south wing of
the palace you’ll find a reconstruction of Vincent’s art room.
Between the years 1934 and 1936 it was converted into the
Town Hall. As the building had several purposes throughout
the years, there’s not much left of the original design. Windows
were replaced and the entrance has been decorated
in Art Deco style. Today it’s part of the Town Hall and it’s
connected by a footbridge to the black box. A marble statue
of King William II is located in the main entrance hall and an
Art Deco staircase with stained windows can also be seen.
A large book market is held on the square in front of the
palace each year on the last Sunday of August. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. J
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