Den Bosch — officially 's-Hertogenbosch — is one of the most attractive cities in the south of the Netherlands. It was a major religious and political centre in the Middle Ages, and that heritage shows in its outstanding Sint-Janskathedraal, a masterpiece of Brabant Gothic that took two centuries to build. The flying buttresses crawling with fantastical stone figures are unlike anything else in the country.
The compact old centre is easy to explore on foot. Narrow streets around the cathedral are lined with shops, restaurants, and bars, and a network of canals runs beneath the buildings — you can take a boat tour through the underground waterways of the Binnendieze, a genuinely unusual experience. The Markt square anchors the centre and hosts a market several days a week.
Den Bosch is the birthplace of Hieronymus Bosch, the 15th-century painter of surreal, nightmarish visions. The city celebrates him proudly: Het Noordbrabants Museum has several original works, and you will spot references to his imagery all over town. The Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, in a restored Gothic church, provides context for his work.
The Brabant region is known for its convivial culture, and Den Bosch lives up to it. The Burgundian tradition of good food and drink runs deep — try a Bossche bol, an oversized chocolate-covered cream puff that is the city's signature treat, best from bakery Jan de Groot. For the city's military past, the Bastionder museum in the underground Spanish-built bastions tells the story of the famous 1629 siege.