A day in Oisterwijk: 5 things to do »

Noord-Brabant is a province in the Netherlands, offering a diversity of nature reserves and lively cities. When you’re traveling to the Netherlands, Noord-Brabant is absolutely worth a visit! Last week, I enjoyed a weekend in the province. In Oisterwijk to be exact. In this article, I’d like to share with you a list of 5 things to do when traveling to Oisterwijk and Noord-Brabant.

1. Wander around the Oisterwijkse bossen en vennen

Located near Oisterwijk, you can find the beautiful Oisterwijkse bossen en vennen (Oisterwijk’s forests and fens). Like you can see in the photos above, we didn’t had great weather, but the landscapes in this nature reserve is beautiful! You walk through forests with atmospheric fens and heathlands. You also come across beautiful lakes, which I’m personally fan of.

Next to the parking place, you can find the visitor center of Oisterwijk, where you can get some more information about the hike- en bike trails. There are also some possibilities for families: you can book an excursion with a forester for example. There also is an eatery named the Groot Speijck where you can eat or drink something (note: at time of writing the visitor center and eatery aren’t open due to Covid-19).

Parking: Van Tienhovenlaan 4, 5062 SK, Oisterwijk

2. Go on safari in the Beekse Bergen

Safari Park Beekse Bergen is the largest wildlife zoo of the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) region. The zoo offers the possibility to explore the park in several ways: you can go on a walking safari, on a safari by car, by bus or by boat. During your safari, you come across all kinds of animals: from gorilla’s to lions and from elephants to rhino’s.

Another nice fact: you can stay the night at the Safari Resort, where you sleep ‘between the wild animals’. You can also enjoy a stay at the holiday resort with its beautiful, natural environment.

A visit to Safari Park Beekse Bergen is fun for all ages! Would you like to get more information? Please have a look at the official website of the park.

3. Mountainbike in the Loonse & Drunense duinen

In the Loonse en Drunense Duinen you’ll find, next to forest and heather, lots of sand. The nature reserve is one of the biggest drifting sand areas of Western Europe. It’s the perfect nature reserve for a beautiful and unique hike or having an afternoon of relaxation in the sands. Thanks to the fact that the temperature can be really different between day and night, the nature reserve features a unique flora and fauna. You don’t see it a lot in the Netherlands.

The Loonse and Drunense Duinen are also the place to be for mountain bikers. The imposing sand dunes are a real challenge for them! Besides, there are special mountain bike paths where it’s prohibited to walk.

Next to the parking you can find Café – Restaurant Bosch & Duin, where you can enjoy a drink or something to eat (note: at time of writing, the restaurant is closed due to Covid-19).

Parking: Schoorstraat, 5071 RC, Udenhout

4. Pay a visit to the city of Tilburg

Near Oisterwijk you can find the city of Tilburg. The city has a rich history in textiles & industries and nowadays it’s mostly well-known for its university and therefor lively center. Tilburg absolutely is worth the visit for the day to go shopping, have a nice dinner or visit one of its museums (for example the Textile Museum, which is located in the former textile factory of the firm C. Mommers & Co.). Throughout the year, there are also lots of events organized in the city. It’s recommended to have a look at the event calender, so you can decide on what day it’s best to visit Tilburg.

5. Hike through the nature reserve Kampina

The Kampina is a magnificent nature reserve with a diversity of landscapes, hiking- and biking trails. There are several parking places where you can start your route and on most of the parking places you can find a big sign with the trails you can do from that point. It’s all very well indicated by colors and signs, at the beginning of the route as well as on the way.

At the Kampina you can find wet heather with fans, scented thickets of Myrica gale, meadows, deciduous forests and grasslands. There’s also a rich amount of flora and fauna. A must visit for every nature lover!

Parking: Annadreef, 5281 TH, Boxtel

Have you paid a visit already to the province Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands? I’m really curious, are there other places you really loved? Let me know in the comment section below!

Author: Tamara