"Holland for his own": Hertogenbos. Walk with monsters and chimeras

A fortress city, a stronghold of the Catholic faith, the birthplace of one of the most famous, mysterious and crazy artists in the history of mankind. But also the city of enveloping coziness, narrow medieval alleys, underground canals and fairy tales with a good ending. Hertogenbos is considered almost the most beautiful city in the country. But if we had to describe it in one word, we would choose the word "amazing." You will always be surprised while walking. And travel in time, from the Middle Ages to the present, from the New time to the future, you will begin to consider the matter ordinary and self-evident.

Of course, the first association with the city is the great master and famous madman Jerome Bosch. It was here that he lived and painted paintings that still excite minds, delight, surprise, outrage, scare, and the most insightful, sometimes, and quite amusing. In Hertogenbos there are many events dedicated to the artist, sometimes extremely unusual. You can guess the time and get, for example, to the circus for a performance dedicated to the heroes of Bosch’s paintings, or to a light show. But even on the most ordinary day, you can get acquainted with the characters of the Boschian: their figures are found all over the city in the most unexpected places. Walking through the medieval streets, we will find the most interesting of them. And to fully feel the atmosphere of mild insanity, we look into the Bosch Garden and the world-famous art center of the artist.

But in addition to the heroes of Bosch in the city a huge amount of genre sculpture. And how many characters inhabit the Cathedral of St. John! And each figure has its own story! Where are these old men almost jumping? Where are the dragons in town? Why did a man drag a heavy bag onto the roof? We will!

We will try to make friends with some characters. They say that they are able to give luck and solve problems. This is never too much! :

Let's try to guess why the city needed underground canals and what secrets they keep. And if you want, we will ride a boat under the squares, houses and streets. Let’s see what kind of whim made the medieval residents build their houses “backwards”, what purpose the bridge houses serve and what other oddities are characteristic of the townspeople.

Meet the spirit of Thiel Ulenspiegel. Together with him, we will see the shadows of the legendary battles and bonfires of the Inquisition, medieval fairs and a jester bursting with laughter, great beggars and miserable rulers. And at the same time, we learn what a ridiculous misunderstanding in the Netherlands, the hero of Charles de Coster is much more popular than in Belgium, the writer’s homeland.

Wandering through the narrow medieval streets, we will look into cozy courtyards and unusual shops. There is no better city to wander aimlessly, looking at the fascinating details, watching how the Brabants live and, of course, looking at the most cute shops and amazing cafes.

In the center, on the market square, we will see several buildings preserved from the XIII-XVI centuries - the oldest brick house in the country, a medieval well, the workshop of Bosch and the Town Hall. On Tuesdays and Thursdays in the middle of the square lies the city market, where we will try local cheeses, "kibbeling" and delicious Dutch herring. We will do it in a very special way.

On the way to the breathtaking grandeur, scale and subtle work of the Cathedral of St. John, we learn how to confuse the devil. Some residents of the city are said to have succeeded. We will talk about the amazing history of the cathedral, get acquainted with the most curious of the creatures inhabiting the cathedral, find Russian icons among them.

Take a look at the building of the former church of St. Joseph of the XIX century and find out what it is used for now. Let's talk about what you can find in Dutch cathedrals. We will see the most beautiful building in the neo-Gothic style of the Brotherhood of Our Lady, which exists since the XIV century. Its members were very famous people. What? We'll find out when we walk.

Hertogenbos is also a great place to shop. And it's not just about clothes. Whether due to the influence of a great compatriot, or because of some mysterious composition of the air, but crazier and more creative designer shops and showrooms can not be found in almost all the Netherlands. And if you don’t try the local specialty – Bossche Bol cake – you’ll probably regret it for the rest of your life. Moreover, the correct recipe is preserved in only one store in the world. Just like you'll regret not going to the local bars and pubs. Let’s say in secret that the atmosphere of the city is called “Burgundian”. And not in vain - checked! And the best whiskey shop in the country, and cheese.

We will finish our walk in a new area of the city, where we will see that amazing modern architecture is not only in Rotterdam.

What we'll see:

• Dragon Fountain.
• Old Canal Binendise
• Town Hall
• Statue and Workshop of Hieronymus Bosch
• Medieval well
• The oldest brick building
• St. John's Cathedral
• Former St. Joseph's Church
• Museum of the Brotherhood of Our Lady
• Hieronymus Bosch Art Center
• New Armada district

And also:

• Let's try the local Bosch Bollen sweet.
• Take a walk in the unusual park of the city
• We'll see some amazing graffiti.
• Let's get acquainted with the heroes of Bosch paintings closer
• Let's try calling an angel.
• Let's swim through the old Binendise Canal
• Visit the city market and try farm cheese, caramel waffles, Dutch herring and "kibbeling" (Tuesday, Thursday)
• Included in price:
• Visit to St. John's Cathedral
• Commemorative photographs
• Cheese tasting
  

In addition:

• Visit to the Carnival Museum;
• Visit to the Art Center of Hieronymus Bosch;
• Visit the North Brabant Museum with Van Gogh's works
• Walk through the underground canals under the houses and streets of the city