Tilburg is not a postcard city and does not pretend to be. There is no canal ring and very little that is old. What it has instead is a set of very large industrial buildings and an unusually good record of doing something worthwhile with them. If you like seeing what a city becomes after its industry leaves, this is one of the best examples in the Netherlands.
The TextielMuseum
Tilburg was the wool town of the Netherlands, and the textile museum sits inside a former mill. What makes it unusual is that it is not only a museum: the TextielLab in the same building is a working studio where designers and artists come to make things on industrial looms and knitting machines, and you can watch them doing it. The machines are running, the noise is real, and the difference between that and a display case is enormous.
De Pont
A museum of contemporary art in a former wool spinning mill, and one of the best-judged conversions in the country. The main hall is huge and top-lit; along one side are the old wool storage rooms, small brick cells now used as intimate spaces for single works. Walking from the big hall into one of those rooms and back is the whole point of the building.
The Spoorzone and the LocHal
Behind the station lies the Spoorzone, the old railway workshops, now a quarter of workspaces, cafés and events. Its centrepiece is the LocHal: a vast hall where locomotives were once repaired, converted into the city library. The steel structure and the gantry crane were kept, enormous fabric curtains divide the space, and there are stepped seating terraces where people work and read. Go in even if you have no interest in libraries.
The kermis
For ten days each July the centre is taken over by a funfair, billed as the largest in the Benelux, which runs the length of the main streets and turns the whole city out into the evening. If you want to see Tilburg at full volume this is the week. If you want a quiet look at the museums, come at any other time.
Kruikenstad
During carnival Tilburg renames itself Kruikenstad, jug city, and its people are the kruikenzeikers. The name comes from the wool trade: urine was collected in stone jugs and used to degrease wool, and households sold theirs to the mills. The city turned a slightly humiliating nickname into its carnival identity, which tells you something about the place.
Water and green
The Piushaven, the old inland harbour, has been rebuilt as a waterside quarter with terraces and moorings, and is the pleasantest place in Tilburg to sit outside. South of the city the Brabant landscape starts almost immediately, heath, pine and sand, and it is easy to reach by bike.
Nearby
The Efteling, the largest theme park in the Netherlands, is about twenty minutes away at Kaatsheuvel. It is a genuine day out rather than a stop, so plan it as its own day rather than an afternoon addition.
Seeing the city on foot
Tilburg's interest is spread out and needs explaining, which building did what, and what replaced it. A city game gives you a route of puzzles that links the station quarter, the old mills and the harbour, and tells you the story at each stop rather than leaving you to guess from the brickwork.
New to it? Read how to play first.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tilburg worth visiting?
Yes, if you come for the right reasons. It is a city of good museums and excellent industrial conversions rather than of historic streets, and on that basis it is one of the most interesting in the south.
How long do I need in Tilburg?
A day covers the TextielMuseum, De Pont and the LocHal, which is a strong day. Two if you want the Piushaven and the surrounding countryside.
What is Tilburg known for?
Its wool and textile past, its July funfair, its university, and the reuse of its factories as cultural buildings.
Is the Efteling in Tilburg?
No, it is in Kaatsheuvel, about twenty minutes away, and easily reached from Tilburg. Treat it as a separate day.
When is the Tilburg funfair?
Ten days in July. Dates shift slightly each year, so check before booking a hotel, the city fills up.
Does Tilburg work for a company outing?
Very well. The industrial venues are built for groups, the distances are walkable, and there is plenty of space to eat afterwards. See the options for companies and groups.
Look at the buildings and ask what they used to be
Start at the LocHal, walk to the mills, and end at the harbour. Want help choosing the right game for your group? Get in touch. Doing more of Brabant? Our guide to things to do in Eindhoven covers the same story with a different industry.
