Whether Tilburg is the most beautiful city in the province of North Brabant is a matter of taste. One will absolutely love Breda, Eindhoven or Den Bosch, while another swears by Tilburg. The fact is that Tilburg is above all a pleasant city. The presence of students ensures that there is almost always something going on in the Tilburg hospitality industry. Furthermore, thanks to the extensive shopping options, Tilburg is an excellent city for a day of shopping. The Heuvelstraat is the main shopping street of Tilburg. Whether it’s the best is debatable. Because, just like in so many large cities, it is mainly the chains that determine the face in these types of A locations. For local shops and boutiques you have to look more in the side streets.
Anyone looking for the nicest and most interesting sights and attractions in Tilburg should pay attention. Because many of the lists that are published on the internet make the city a lot bigger than it is. Because although the Beekse Bergen and the Efteling are indeed not far from Tilburg, in our opinion, these types of parks do not belong in a top 10 of Tilburg’s attractions. We have even seen Slot Loevestein, which is at least 50 minutes by car from Tilburg, in a top list of Tilburg sights. The author of that article may have looked too deeply into a glass of Schrobbelèr during his visit to Tilburg! The city has plenty of its own attractions,
We held two events outside the top ten of Tilburg: the carnival party, where Tilburg turns into Kruikenstad, and the annual fair. This is the largest fair in the Netherlands and takes place in the summer (July). Definitely worth a visit, but too temporary for a mention in the top 10 sights of Tilburg.
Top 10 sights of Tilburg
#1. wandering area
Something every city needs is a nice neighborhood that can be labeled ‘hip’. It doesn’t matter what label you give it to us. The fact is that the Dwaalgebied is the nicest collection of streets in the center of Tilburg. No garish neon advertising of well-known brands here, but shops and restaurants with their own identity. In line with the trend in hip neighbourhoods, the terms organic and sustainable belong to many of the companies located here. As a visitor, you can simply enjoy the nice streets that are worth exploring. Dive into a specialty shop, enjoy the terrace or admire the special buildings that you will find here, such as Villa de Vier Jaargetijen or the Tilburg synagogue. Pay particular attention to the small details that you see on facades in the Dwaalgebied. Or enjoy the artwork on the walls. As far as we are concerned, a visit to Tilburg is not complete without having strolled through the streets of the Dwaalgebied.
#2. Rail Park
Urban renewal sometimes creates interesting new places. This also applies to Tilburg. Here, a former shunting yard has been converted into a fascinating, playful park that fully meets the needs of our time. In Railway Parkyou can relax, enjoy nature or be sporty. The on-site catering industry ensures that you are provided with something to eat and drink. Perhaps what makes it so special is that it is a citizens’ initiative. This has ensured that a park has been created by the people for the people. The location near the center and the central station of Tilburg ensures that tourists also know how to find their way to this special park.
#3. DePont museum
Thanks to art lover and entrepreneur Jan de Pont, Tilburg has a fascinating museum for contemporary art: the De Pont Museum. The entrance is an attraction in itself. You go through a number of linked passages to a relatively small entrance. Next to the entrance is what we think is a beautiful piece of art: “Sky Mirror” by Anish Kapoor. Inside, you’ll find even more installations by this British/Indian artist. “Sky Mirror” reflects the sky. It immediately attracts attention as soon as you enter the forecourt of the museum. The museum, which opened in 1992, now has an area of more than six thousand square meters. In the building, a former wool spinning mill, you can admire the works of various renowned artists from the Netherlands and abroad.
#4. Saint Joseph’s Church and the Hill
According to etaizhou.info, one of the landmark buildings of Tilburg is the St. Joseph’s Church. This neo-Gothic Catholic church is also called the Heuvelse church. This is due to its location at the Heuvel. That is the central square of Tilburg. Until 1898, the Heuvel was the only place in the city where the people of Tilburg could get their drinking water. Now it is mainly beer and other drinks that attract the inhabitants to the Heuvel. Nowadays, the Heuvel, together with the Korte Heuvel opposite it, forms the main nightlife area of Tilburg. The church is therefore surrounded by terraces, which fill up quickly in good weather.
As far as we are concerned, the facade is the most impressive part of St. Joseph’s Church. The two 72-meter high towers define the church’s appearance. What attracts a lot of attention, especially in sunny weather, is the gilded statue of Saint Joseph that stands on the gable between the two towers. Another statue that attracts attention is the Sacred Heart statue that has been standing in front of the church since the year 1921.
#5. Textile Museum
Tilburg is the second city within the province of North Brabant, if you look at the number of inhabitants. The fact that Tilburg has been able to grow into a city of this size is mainly due to the textile industry. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the many textile factories provided a lot of employment and thus a growth spurt for Tilburg. The more than one hundred wool fabric factories that were active in Tilburg at the end of the 19th century earned it the nickname ‘wool city’.
The textile industry lives on in Tilburg in the form of the Textile Museum and the associated Textile Lab. The TextielLab is a working workshop where artists and designers can produce their designs. It is seen as the beating heart of the Textile Museum. In the Textile Museum you can also view the history of textile manufacturing and there are changing exhibitions that shed light on different angles of textiles. The museum, located in a former textile factory, won the Museum Prize in 2017.
#6. Doloris Meta Maze
In the Spoorzone of Tilburg you can participate in a unique experience. Doloris Meta Maze is an amazing maze that stimulates all your senses and cannot be compared to any other attraction. Soon after the opening in 2019, Doloris Meta Maze shot through to the top lists in terms of sights and attractions in Tilburg thanks to the rave reviews. Doloris Meta Maze is challenging, captivating, exciting and bizarre. It’s not an escape room, but a real maze. The entire trek is physically and visually challenging.
The creative complex in which Doloris Meta Maze is located also has a great rooftop bar. To enjoy the beautiful view of Tilburg from this atmospheric place, no entrance tickets are required. For access to the maze, yes. You can buy these online from the official partner Tiqets.com.
#7. Piushaven
The Piushaven is a place in Tilburg that is especially worthwhile during the summer season. This largest city port in Brabant was once a place that was mainly surrounded by industry and other companies. At the beginning of this century, the Piushaven was transformed into a museum harbor where living and recreation now form the most important elements. In good weather you can enjoy supping or sailing on the water. The catering industry, which is now amply present, with the associated terraces, provides extra liveliness in the Piushaven.
#8. Brabant Nature Museum
Another museum in the list of top 10 attractions in Tilburg: the Nature Museum Brabant. The name already gives away a bit of what you can expect here. Here you can get acquainted with the nature and landscape of the province of North Brabant. The museum is located in the former villa of a cloth manufacturer. You can view permanent and temporary exhibitions over a total of three floors. For children aged 4 to 8, the ‘experience’ BOS (Experience Discover Together) is worthwhile. This experience changes with the seasons. The Nature Museum Brabant is always very popular with families.
#9. Palace-Town Hall
Architecturally, Tilburg is catching up. Where functionality was the most important last century, nowadays you see more attention for design. A building that has long deviated from its surroundings in terms of appearance is the former palace of Willem II. The specially designed monumental building was built in the mid-nineteenth century. Although the then King Willem II still laid the first stone, he never lived there. He died 22 days before the completion of the palace. Since then, the building has had several functions. Nowadays it is part of the town hall of Tilburg. That is why it is now called Paleis-Raadhuis.
#10. Zoo de Oliemeulen
The Beekse Bergen is regularly mentioned as a top attraction in Tilburg. That park is not in Tilburg. What can be found within the built-up area of Tilburg is Dierenpark de Oliemeulen. This small zoo is located in and around a former farm that has since been swallowed up by the city. De Oliemeulen Zoo is not big, but it is fascinating. In total you can admire more than 150 animal species such as monkeys, parrots, all kinds of birds of prey and reptiles such as snakes and lizards. The great thing about Dierenpark de Oliemeulen is that you don’t need a whole day for this. It is an educational and maintained zoo where you can enjoy yourself for a few hours.
