Editing Tilburg (section)

== Getting there and around ==

=== By train ===
Tilburg is easy to reach by train[http://www.ns.nl] 
Direct trains from 
* Roosendaal - coming from [[Belgium]]
* [[Den Haag]], [[Delft]], [[Rotterdam]] or [[Breda]]
* [[Eindhoven]], [[Venlo]]
* [['s-Hertogenbosch|Den Bosch]], [[Utrecht]]

and just 1,5 hours from [[Amsterdam]] or Schiphol

=== By car ===
* A58 from [[Eindhoven]]
* A27-A58 or N282 from [[Breda]]
* N65 from [['s-Hertogenbosch]]
There are 7 public car parks in Tilburg, but if your CouchSurfer doesn't live in the middle of the city center there are probably some free parking lots in the direct neighborhood.

The city is also easy to reach for [[Hitchhiking|hitchhikers]], since Tilburg's ring roads are linked to high ways.

=== By bus ===
Busses are easy to use. Just buy a prepaid ticket (a 'strippenkaart') in the kiosk on the station and GO! If you just need one bus ride it might be smart to buy a single ticket in the bus though. To check out routes and timetables check out [http://www.9292ov.nl www.9292ov.nl]

''Strippenkaart: A paper ticket with strips which gets a stamp every time you travel. The amount of 'stamped off strips' depends on the length of your journey. You can buy a 'strippenkaart' with 15 strips for 7,60. You can use your 'strippenkaart' in busses, trams and metros.''

''OV Chipkaart: this is the new way to pay in buses and trains. You can get an anonymous card at the railway station''

=== By bike ===
A bike is great. You can ride it everywhere and you just park it close to other bikes. Remember to bring a strong lock and to lock your bike to something that isn't movable.

If you don't have a bike and still want to cruise around in Tilburg you have two (legal) options:
* Rent a bike at the main train station. It'll cost you €6,50 a day and a €50,- warranty
* Ask your CouchSurfer (maybe in advance) if he/she could burrow you a bike.

There are lots of cycling lanes within Tilburg and even more (beautiful ones) just outside of Tilburg.

=== By foot ===
And of course you can.. walk! Tilburg is relatively small, all the cool bars and shops are in walking distance of each other.
If you arrive by train you can get a free street map at the blue machine just outside the train station. It can also guide you to your CS-address, since it can print you a route.

=== Old catholic churches ===
* Heuvelse Kerk (Heuvelring)
* Broekhovense Kerk (Broekhovense weg)
* Kerk Dionysius (Stadhuisstraat)

=== Touristic attractions in Tilburg ===
* Natuurmuseum Brabant (Spoorlaan 434 / 5038 CH Tilburg / 013-5353935 / [http://www.natuurmuseumbrabant.nl Natuur museum Brabant])
Over 10 thousand objects collected about nature, so a big museum with a lot of information.
Open: Thursday till Friday from 10.00 to 17.00. Saturday and Sunday from 12.00 till 17.00.
Entrance:  € 6,00

* Museum de Pont (Wilhelminapark 1 / 5041 EA Tilburg / 013 - 543 8300 / [http://www.depont.nl Museum De Pont])
De Pont has been named after the attorney and businessman J.H. de Pont (1915-1987), whose estate provided for the establishment of a foundation to stimulate contemporary visual art in 1988. 

Opening hours: Tuesday through Sunday 11 am-5 pm
Every third Thursday of the month also open from 5-8 pm, with free admission (not in July and August).
Closed on Monday, but open on Boxing Day, Easter Monday and Whit Monday. Closed on December 25, January 1 and King's Day (April 27).

* Dierenpark De Oliemeulen  (Reitse Hoevenstraat 30 / 5042 EH Tilburg / 013-4630026 / [http://www.oliemeulen.nl Oliemeulen])
Reptiles, amfibies, predators and falconry (demonstration). You can hold a real snake and a tarantula.
Open: daily from 10.00-18.00 hour. / Entrance: adults € 8,00, children 3 till 12 year € 7,00, 65+ € 6,00.

=== Touristic attractions around Tilburg ===
* [http://www.nationaalpark.nl/ldd/ Loonse en Drunense Duinen] A unique nature residence within the Netherlands. Sand dunes surrounded by forest and ‘venne’ but without any sea or lake.
*Safaripark Beekse Bergen 
Beekse Bergen 31 / 5081 NJ Hilvarenbeek / 0900-2335732 / www.beeksebergen.nl
Animal park with over a 1000 animals and 125 different species. You can walk through the park, use the Safaribus or boat, or drive through the park with your own car. 
Open: January 10.00-16.00 hour, February 10.00-16.30 hour, march till June 10.00-17.00 hour, July and august 10.00-18.00 hour, September en October 10.00-17.00 hour, November 10.00-16.30 hour, December 10.00-16.00 hour. The pay desk and the car safari are closing 30min earlier. 

* [http://www.efteling.nl De Efteling] ( A Theme Park about Fairytales. )

* Nationaal Monument Kamp Vught
Lunettenlaan 600 / 5263 NT, Vught / 073-6566764 / www.nmkampvught.nl 
This was one of the three concentration camps in The Netherlands during WO II. These days are exhibits telling personal stories, but you also can walk through the barracks and the watchtower. The barrack is build again and shows how the prisoners were living. The execution site was a shooting place from the army before the war. Here were 329 men killed. On the model you can see how big the place was and how many buildings there were. On the monument for the children are the names and ages of the 1.269 Jewish children who died in 1943.
Entrance: free (but a donation is always welcome)
Open: all year from 10:00 till 17:00. Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 12:00 till 18:00


=== Parks ===
* Oude Warande
* Het Wandelbos
* Leijpark: Leypark (in the south) is a beautiful transition area between town and country. It is the venue for several special events each year, including the Festival Mundial.
* Reeshofpark
* Stadspark Oudedijk
* Tivolipark
* Wilhelminapark
* Quirijnstokpark
* Midden Brabant Park
* Kromhoutpark

=== Forest ===
* Oude Warande
* Dongevallei: [http://www.dongevallei.nl/ info about the Dongevallei ( only Dutch )]
* Reeshofbos 
* Mussersbos
* Noorderbos
* Drijflanen: This area got a marked route named Reeshofroute (5,8 km) [http://natuurpunttilburg.web-log.nl/natuurpunttilburg/2009/08/drijflanen-natu.html Information and Pictures ( only Dutch )]
* Wilmabos

=== Special Events ===

February:
* Carnaval (four days of drinking and partying; big parade)

March
* [http://http://www.deathfests.com/event/ndf-2017 Netherlands Deathfest] (The first Metal festival of the year. this even can be in February or in March, it's a death metal festival mosly)

April:
* [http://www.roadburn.com the Roadburn Festival] (underground festival for psychedelic, avant-garde, doom or any other variation of leftfield sonic pleasures that push the boundaries of music)

May:
* [http://www.neuroticdeathfest.com Neurotic Deathfest] (Biggest indoor Extreme Metal festival)
* [http://www.meimarkt.nl Meimarkt] (May market: 24 hour flea market all over the city)

June:
* [http://www.festivalmundial.nl Festival Mundial] (world music)

July:
* Whoohaa festival
* [http://www.t-parade.nl T-Parade] (intercultural fest with a parade through the city)
* [http://www.tilburgsekermis.com Tilburgse Kermis] (biggest carnival/fair of the Benelux and one of the biggest of Europe)

September:
* [http://www.incubate.org Incubate] (independent culture festival)
* [http://tilburgculinair.nl/ Tilburg Culinair] This is a food event for several days in the center of the city.

=== Others ===
* [[Casa Merode]]