The city has recently been promoting its links with the world-famous painter, Hieronymus Bosch, and each year organises a wide range of cultural and sporting events such as Jazz in Duketown, The Boulevard Theatre Festival, the Tennis Trophy in Rosmalen, the gourmet festival Bourgondisch ’s-Hertogenbosch which used to be known as the Proeverij and the Liberation Festival.

 
In addition, ’s-Hertogenbosch has been and is to be the venue for top-class events, such as the start of the Tour de France, the Davis Cup, the Erasmus Festival, the Tour Feminin in 2002 and the annual World Cup Horse Show Indoor Brabant. It is an active city, that owes its present to its past....

The city cherishes that past, its breathtaking Gothic St. John’s Cathedral, the authentic river De Binnendieze that flows through the city and the old city walls. From the time it was founded, in the twelfth century, ’s-Hertogenbosch was the most important fortress on the border of the northern and southern Netherlands and proved to be impregnable and unconquerable for centuries. Things took a different turn in the seventeenth century, but the strength of the city's fortifications remained undiminished. A lot of the features of ’s-Hertogenbosch reflect this and will continue to do so in the future. The large-scale, fifteen-year long development project Versterkt Den Bosch (Fortified Den Bosch) is the ambitious result of various aspirations, its most important goal being the restoration of the fortifications of ’s-Hertogenbosch in a way that will enable people to enjoy them. This is being achieved by means of architectural attention, and an integral approach, to public areas, with special attention for greenery, and forms of cooperation between the local authority, the residents, organisations and the business community. In addition, the widely supported plan focuses on the application of new technologies, contemporary designs and improving the quality of life and atmosphere of the city centre and its suburbs. The development plan consists of as many as 98 sub-projects. Well over € 100 million is to be invested during the next 6 years. Eventually, the fortifications will be just as vital to the city's image as St. John’s Cathedral and the Binnendieze river. In any event, there is plenty going on!

As many as 18 interest groups are working together to fulfil the objectives set with regard to the city's fortifications. They joined forces to present a phased plan. The first stage of the plan Versterkt Den Bosch concerns the southern periphery, bordering on the Bossche Broek nature reserve. The projects involve the Groote Hekel, the Kruisbroedershekel, the Bastion Oranje landing stage, the Stoomgemaal (steam-driven pumping station) Information Centre, the Kanonkelder (cannon cellar) Bastion Oranje, the bridge across the Dommel, the passageway across the Vughterstuw (dam) and the footpath across the Bossche Broek dyke and the fortress garden. This stage will be followed by nine other sub-areas. If you would like to find out more, please refer to www.vestingwerken.nl

’s-Hertogenbosch and its fortifications: take up the challenge and pay us a visit. The quickest way to visit is via this link 's-Hertogenbosch (Dutch and  English version of the site are available  but we would, of course, much rather meet you in person…