Discover Hilvarenbeek

When choosing a destination for your hotel stay, Hilvarenbeek offers several distinct highlights: Brick Gothic architecture and local history, museums with special themes, and nature with forests, heathland, streams and pastures. As you plan, you can consider whether architectural history, the development of healthcare, a themed route or outdoor activities should shape your stay. The following examples show different sides of the town.

Architectural history and the town centre

At 75 metres tall, the Beekse Toren is an example of Kempen Brick Gothic architecture. The tower chamber houses a permanent exhibition about the history of Hilvarenbeek and the tower. Climbing the tower takes you to six attic levels, including a viewing platform with views over the surrounding area. The exhibition and the views thus offer two different perspectives on the town and its landmark structure.

Activities have taken place on the Vrijthof since the Middle Ages; the square is also associated with hundreds of festivals and celebrations. The Monumentenroute starts and ends there and is about three kilometres long. It passes through the historic town centre and leads to eleven information stones set into the paving, all within one kilometre of the Vrijthof. The route therefore combines a fixed starting and finishing point with information about local history along the way.

Routes and landscape

In and around Hilvarenbeek’s six village centres—Hilvarenbeek, Diessen, Haghorst, Esbeek, Biest-Houtakker and Baarschot—there are official, well-marked walking, cycling and horse-riding routes. They follow a numbered junction network. Forests, heathland, streams and pastures can also be found in and around these six village centres, offering opportunities for walking, cycling and birdwatching. The options therefore include not only routes for different modes of travel, but also natural features that you can include in your trip planning independently of any particular route.

The Spreekwoordenroute has a different focus from the Monumentenroute: it starts at the Hilvarenbeek Infopunt on the Vrijthof, leads to ten stations with activities and ends there with the opening of a treasure chest. While the information stones in the historic town centre play an important role on the Monumentenroute, stations and activities shape the experience on the Spreekwoordenroute. You can therefore distinguish between the two routes by their respective themes and layouts. As the Spreekwoordenroute is a current visitor offering, check the practical details before setting off.

Museums and local themes

Museum De Dorpsdokter is dedicated to 200 years of healthcare. Its special collection includes instruments used over the past two centuries by village and family doctors, dentists, midwives and physiotherapists. It therefore looks beyond any single medical profession. The museum also offers adult groups the approximately 50-minute presentation “Help, de dokter vertelt” in conjunction with a museum tour. Check the specific arrangements before your visit.

Museumbrouwerij De Roos is considered the only authentic village brewery in the Netherlands and has largely preserved its original 1877 equipment. The museum offers an audio guide in Dutch, English, German and French. It also has a tasting room where visitors can enjoy beer. Various packages are available for groups of ten or more, including tours, beer tastings and a children’s rally. These packages can also be arranged outside regular opening hours. Check the opening arrangements in advance and confirm the availability of group offers.

At Molen De Doornboom, volunteers welcome visitors and explain how wind power is used for milling. They also process locally grown spelt and wheat there. This brings together the use of wind power and the processing of regional grains in one place—another distinct way to experience Hilvarenbeek’s local culture.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Groenstraat, Diessen.

Return to the main travel overview: Hilvarenbeek.