Car hire Den Bosch

Introduction

Den Bosch is the capital of the province of Noord-Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The city has a large medieval centre around the gothic Sint-Jan cathedral. It is the largest walled area in the country. Much of the city walls has been restored. The city has a unique system of underground waterways. They are tributaries of the river Dieze, which was covered in the Middle Ages. This 'Inner Dieze' is a tourist attraction. The official name of the city is 's-Hertogenbosch, but most people prefer simply Den Bosch.

Population

The city has 135,000 inhabitants. During carnival, the people of Den Bosch are called Oeteldonkers. That name emerged at the end of the 19th century, when stately 's-Hertogenbosch threatened to ban the barbaric carnival.

Location

Den Bosch is located in the south of the Netherlands where the rivers Aa and Dommel come together. The city has by now expanded to such an extent that it now also borders on the river Meuse. This means that the landscape surrounding the city is a typical river landscape. On the Meuse there are beaches that are used in the summer. In Den Bosch itself there are four recreational lakes. The city is located 55 kilometres to the south-east of Utrecht and 35 kilometres to the north-west of Eindhoven.

Economy

Den Bosch at one point had some industry, but not much is left of that. Nowadays, the city is above all a business and financial service centre. The high-class Van Lanschot bank has its roots in Den Bosch. Heineken, the country's leading beer brewer has an important branch office in Den Bosch and in addition many people work in public administration. The shops in historical Den Bosch attract many people from outside, which also benefits, for instance, bars and restaurants.

Airports

The nearest airport is Eindhoven Airport (about 35 km). There are direct flights to some European capitals and holiday destinations in Southern Europe, most of which are carried out by low cost carriers. The national airport of The Netherlands, Schiphol Airport can be reached within an hour via the A2 and A9 motorways, at least outside the rush hour.

Public transport

Den Bosch has an extensive network of city buses. From the central bus station in from of the train station there are also many regional bus services to towns in the surrounding area. There is a special bus service to the Efteling fairytale theme park near Kaatsheuvel.
The city is located at a railway junction. There are excellent railway connections to the north (Utrecht, Amsterdam), to the south (Eindhoven, Maastricht), to the east (Nijmegen) and to the west (Tilburg, Breda).

Traffic and Parking

Den Bosch is located on the A2 (Amsterdam-Maastricht) and A59 (Zeeland-Oss) motorways. The two motorways serve as a virtual ring road around the city. Traffic is regularly congested on them. Work is underway on expanding the number of lanes.

The shopping streets in the centre have been closed off via movable pyramids in the road surface, keeping out car traffic between noon and 5 pm. Only people with appropriate passes can operate the pyramids.
There are six indoor car parks in the centre. There are also some parking areas everywhere in the southern part of the old city. Via the dynamic Parking Route Information System (PRIS) drivers are guided to free parking spaces. Just outside the centre there are three P+R areas: Vlijmseweg, De Vliert and Provinciehuis, from which buses leave for the centre regularly.

Hotels

The city has a reasonable number of hotels. Except in the heart of the city (on the Markt) there are 4 star hotels in the immediate environment of Den Bosch, including in Rosmalen and Zaltbommel. There are also bed & breakfast accommodations. Although some of them are very small and have only one twin bedroom available, they are without exception located in beautiful old houses.

External Sources

For more information about Den Bosch, we recommend Google, and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Den Bosch
• VVV 's Hertogenbosch (Dutch and English)
• Municipality of 's Hertogenbosch (Dutch and English)