Things to do on your own

There is so much to do in Den Bosch and the area around! Read on for some ideas: In den Bosch, Around den Bosch and Further Afield.

We are keeping it short, the internet is there for you with all details. The locations below that are marked (Tour) will also be offered by us as organised tours, see Local Excursions and Full Day Excursions.

In Den Bosch

Jheronimus Bosch Art Center. Weird art by famous painter Jeroen Bosch in a beautiful church. Included is the lift to the top of the tower for great views.

Noord-Brabants museum. Go here to see a collection of old masters and some other exhibitions. They even have some Van Gogh paintings but to see the good ones you need to go to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam or to Kröller-Müller in the Veluwe Park (see Full day excursions).

Design Museum. Next-door. Some fun stuff but pretty small.

Museum Slager. Realistic art.

Nationaal Carnavalsmuseum. Small museum about the famous carnaval in Den Bosch.

Groot Tuighuis. History of Den Bosch.

Bastionder is a small milary museum with some ramparts.

Binnendieze. Small boats show you the city from the water. Part of the canals are covered, they call them underground.

The cathedral is large and impressive. Entry is free, but there is a charge if you want to climb the tower.

Town Hall. Good-looking from the outside, only accessible with prebooked tours.

The Citadel and the Fort. Nice green area but you cannot go inside.

Paleiskwartier. Modern architecture, just behind Central Station.

Prins Hendrikpark has a few animals, fun for kids. Stroll around the IJzeren vrouw lake.

Bolwoningen. 50 white spherical houses dotted along a stream. Nice for a quick look, no entry.

Bossche Broek is a nature reserve , right at the edge of town.

Stadsstrand is there as well, a great beach to cool off.

Climbing. Go to Bossche Boulders (co-owned by a Go player). And yes, this is a word play on the famous .....

Bossche Bol. Eat the most famous local specialty, a giant pastry ball, filled with whipped cream and covered in dark chocolate. Bakery “Jan de Groot” is the most famous place for this but you really find them everywhere. Visit the small museum at the town hall https://bosschebollenbelevenis.nl/ or join one of several places that organise workshops to make your own.

Snoeperij Tum Tum is a historical place with old-fashioned and modern candy.

Sportiom offers water fun, wellness, fitness, minigolf, bowling and more. The outdoor area is small and not always open.

Around Den Bosch

Outdoor Swimming. For pools go to Run in Drunen or Kwekkelstijn in Rosmalen.
For lakes with beaches, try the Stadsstrand in Den Bosch, Ijzeren man in Vught or Engelermeer (also has a nudist area).

Castles. Go east to visit Heeswijk castle, or west to visit Ammersoyen Castle.

Nationaal Monument Kamp Vught is a WO II war memorial and museum at the site of a former concentration camp.

Efteling started with fairy tales, then grew into the largest amusement park of the Netherlands with roller coasters and so many other attractions that you will not be able to cover it all in one day.(Tour)

Evoluon looks like a huge flying sauce. It houses exhibitions about the future and is great for kids and aults.(Tour)

Beekse Bergen is a large zoo. Drive your own car through the Safari park or join a boat or bustour.

Loonse and Drunense Duinen is a national park with sand dunes and woods for leisurely walks.

Moerputten is a nature reserve with wetlands, boardwalks and a very long bridge.

Doloris maze is a 3D maze with filled with art. They let you in on your own and you explore the rooms, stairs and passageways on your own. Great adventure for a rainy day.

Further afield

So many options here that we can only give a few suggestions. Ask the info desk if you are looking for anything special.

Amsterdam is one hour by train. Famous museums are the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, Anne Frank or try the Temple of Venus (adults only). Walk around to see the canals or take a boat tour from Central Station. Vondelpark is great, and according to your preferences you might visit the Leidse Plein with dozens of great terrasses, a coffee house (which is not about coffee) or the Red Light district. (Tour)

Rotterdam houses the largest port in Europe. Take a boat tour through the industrial areas and be dwarfed by the enormous container ships.

The Hoge Veluwe is the largest national park where you can ride around for free on the famous white bikes. Inside is the Kröller-Müller museum which has the world's best collection of Van Gogh paintings (even better than the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam). (Tour)

Giethoorn is a water village that feels like an open air museum. The thatched houses are only accessbile by the water (or so it feels).

Kinderdijk has 19 windmills in a polder. Even if it does not look that way, you can really walk around for free. But most visitors do buy a ticket so they can also go inside some of the mills and the museum, and support this Unesco site in general. (Tour)

Scheveningen (The Hague beach) is a seaside resort with beaches, a pier, a boulevard, the famous Kurhaus hotel and a casino.