Top 10 Hidden Gems Things to do in North Brabant Province, The Netherlands

If the idea of a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon learning about the history and production of Brabant’s most authentic herb liqueur appeals to you, then visit the Schrobbeler distillery. On an interesting tour under the proverbial smoke of Tilburg, you will learn all about this – by the producer’s own modest account – “valued atmosphere enhancer”. Introduced during Carnival in 1973, Schrobbeler has always maintained a strong link with this fun annual festival. Learn all there is to know about Schrobbeler – with the exception of the family secret of course – on one of the fun guided tours. Smile, warmth and friendship Tickets for one of the open tours at 1.30pm on Saturday or Sunday can be booked at schrobbeler.nl. Groups of fifteen people or more can also book on other days and times. And it’ll be well worth it, as confirmed by one guest: “We had a very enjoyable but also successful afternoon. The staff are friendly and were keen to tell us about the history of Schrobbeler. ''

Bottle Distillery artisanally prepares rum, gin, bierbrand, vodka and liqueurs on a small-scale. You are very welcome to come and meet our potstill with its copper helmet. In our tasting room you can try our products: pure or in one of our specially selected mixes. There is a little shop where you can buy our products. You can arrange a visit, tour, tasting or workshop on any day and time. Just mail or call us for an appointment.

The Overloon War Museum is the biggest WWII museum in The Netherland. Right here, the tank battle of Overloon unfolded in the autumn of 1944. The village of Overloon was totally devestated back then. In order to remember the casualties and victims of that episode the museum was founded in 1946, even before the village was rebuilt. Nowadays over 100,000 people visit the museum every year. The first exhibition is about the occupation of The Netherlands from 1940 till 1945. The second large exhibition, displayed on 10.000 m2, contains over 150 military vehicles and artillery, both from allied forces and German. In addition to these two main exhibitions there are several smaller presentations, of which the Battle at Overloon presentation is definitely worth a visit. A museum restaurant and a shop completes this museum, which can be found in the so called Liberty Park in Overloon.

Camp Vught National Memorial (Nationaal Monument Kamp Vught ) is located on part of the former SS camp Konzentrationslager Herzogenbusch, also known as Camp Vught (January 1943 – September 1944). The museum is spread out over several buildings and outdoor areas. A model of the camp shows the extensive size of the camp and the many buildings it included. The watchtowers, which were built a hundred meters apart, have been reconstructed. The barrack, rebuilt at half the original size, shows how the prisoners lived. The Children’s Memorial lists the names and ages of the 1,269 Jewish children who were deported in June 1943. There is also an authentic crematorium. Audiotour available Dutch/English/German/French (included); free parking. Payment at reception: only PIN/VisaCard/MasterCard/American Express.

This is a national park, close to amusementparc de Efteling and the cities Tilburg and 's Hertogenbosch/Den Bosch. This park is like a desert, surrounded by a small forest. There are 6 main entries, and at each entry there's a restaurant and lots of parkingspace available. The "duinen" (in English it's called dunes) is a great area to walk or cycle around (there is a special cycle path) and there are tracks for mountainbiking and horsebackriding. Children can build sandcastles or treehouses, and dogs love the area, because at certain places they can run around loose. It's sort of a beach without the sea! Also great for picknicking, sunbathing, children's parties, groupgames, etc. A real popular NP in our province!