Category: Netherlands

What To Do When Your GPS Gives you the Choice of "Not So Great" and "Worse" Routes!

9/21/2014

What to do when your GPS gives you two road direction choices “Not so Great” and “Worse”!

Jim and I were to be dismayed to be in this position as we tried to take the picturesque Netherlands back-roads from ‘s-Hertogenbosch back to Amsterdam. Blissfully driving along, we were in heaven as we wound our way through miles of green fields dotted by graceful windmills and stopped in tiny hamlets.

But.....Jolting us out of the personal reveries into which had fallen as we took in the stunning Netherlands countryside, our GPS dinged loudly demanding attention.

It asked us: Which route did we wish to take…. The “Ferry” route or the “No Ferry” route?

Naturally, we immediately punched in “No Ferry” since we had no idea how the procedure for Dutch ferries worked and just like a typical tourist, the very idea made us anxious. So we turned around as directed relieved that we had a “No Ferry” choice.

Three minutes later, heading back the way we had just come, we finally began to wonder where we would be turning and checked our new projected distance to Amsterdam. Ahhhg! GPS (in this case Tom Tom) wanted us to go back over a hundred miles from whence we came before heading north again!

Pulling off to the side of the road, and discussing this new dilemma, we came to terms with the fact that we were going to have to take the “Ferry” route. No way were we going to add over a hundred miles to our journey.

Resolutely turning around and back onto the road Jim assured me that everything would be fine. Being from Southern California, ferries were not a particularly familiar mode of transportation for me and I began to think about what might be ahead of us. How big would the ferry be? Where did we pay… at an office or on board? Would anyone speak English if we screwed up something? My fantasies of disaster grew as we drove closer to the Ferry launch.

As we sat and watched the Ferry slowly pull toward us from across the river I saw other cars pull up behind us which filled me with relief. You know.... safety in numbers? Fears of lacking a ticket began to rise again, but I didn’t mention my apprehension and we drove onto the Ferry.

As with most imagined fears, mine turned out to be pointless. The ferry ride was easy! The attendant came to our car and held up five fingers to signal how many Euros we would need to hand over. After that quick transaction we were free to relax and enjoy the ride and the view as we crossed over to the other side.

Sometimes, fate forces us to face our fears and especially when traveling, can lead us to fantastic new experiences we would otherwise have missed. I’m all for pushing through!

We were on our way again through the beautiful Netherlands.

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Following Pilgrims to Saint Servaas Basilica in Maastricht

9/18/2014

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The Basilica of Saint Servaas (Servatius) which is located on the large, beautiful Vrijthof Square in the historic center of Maastricht, has been an important pilgrimage place since the remains of Saint Servaas were buried on the site in Maastricht in A.D. 384 and for one rainy day, we joined those who make a pilgrimage to the beautiful basilica.

Saint Servaas (Servatius) was an Armenian missionary who became Bishop of Tongeren. The Tungri (or Tungrians) were a tribe, or group of tribes, who lived in the Belgic part of Gaul, during the times of the Roman Empire. As one of the early missionaries of the Christian church, and later a bishop, he played an important part as a diplomat during the development of church doctrine and he took part in many of the debates and councils held during that time.

above Portrait Bust of St. Servaas

As a Bishop, Servaas is believed to have been the founder of several early Christian churches in and around Maastricht (Tongeren) and was greatly venerated at his death.

Over the centuries legends accumulated around the Saint Servaas including that he was the cousin of John the Baptist, and therefore a distant relative of Jesus. At the end of the 12th century the poet Henric van Veldeke wrote a new legend of Saint Servaas, adding several more miracles and emphasizing Saint Servaas' saintliness.

Under the Basilica of Saint Servaas, excavations in the 1990s revealed the remains of a 6th-century church built by bishop Monulph. At its center is a late Roman structure, possibly the tomb of Servaas.

According to tradition the saint's remains now lie in the 6th century crypt. His tomb has been a place of pilgrimage for many centuries. Among the many Emperors, Dukes and Counts who prayed in the basilica, famous visitors, include Charles Martel, Charlemagne, Holy roman Emperor Charles V, and King Phillip II of Spain.

Saint Servaas is said to have brought many of the relics now kept in the Basilica Treasury, to Maastricht. The basilica has continued to aquire pieces over the centuries and all these fabulous treasures are amazing to see today.

The 12th-century gilded reliquary chest in the treasury, containing the saint's relics, became known as the Chest of Distress ("Noodkist") and it was carried around town in times of distress. A procession carrying the reliquary shrine still takes place every seven years (called the Heiligdomsvaart).

The reliquary is a major work of “Mosen” art. Mosen art is a Romanesque regional art from the valley of the Meuse River in the Low Countries of what are now Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. This style of art reached a high level of expertise in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries.

Objects that are associated with the saint, such as his crozier, his pectoral cross, a chalice, and a symbolic key to heaven are also kept on display in the treasury.

The church you visit today is believed to be the fourth church that was built on the site and was built in several stages over a period of more than 100 years.

Due to the close ties to the Holy Roman Empire, the Romanesque church was built with many German Imperial stylistic elements, but as with the reliquary, the church also exhibited details in the local Mosan art style.

above Big Bell by Willem and Casper Moers 1515

The sculpted Bergportaal, (the Royal Entrance) at the south side of the church, was begun around 1180 and transitions the late Romanesque and early Gothic styles. The sculpted tympanum and the two inner archivolts date from around 1180 and are Romanesque is style, the rest of the portal dates from around 1215 and is in the Gothic style.

The Labrinth on the floor is from the 19th century. From each corner which signify the "corners of the earth", a pilgrim can reach the center which signifies "Celestial Jerusalem".

The nave was built in the first half of the 11th century, the transept in the second half of the century, and the choir and westwork were built in the 12th century.

As we wandered the graceful lofty space, we could see several ages of artistic style blend into one another to create a beautiful harmony.

above East Choir (Vault painting 16th c. restored in 18th c.)

above Organ 18th-19th century

All the chapels along the side aisles are Gothic from the 14th and 15th centuries, and so are the vaulted ceilings of the nave and transept.

above Pieta 15th century

above Baroque Altar circ. 1750 Painting - Christ on the Cross and Mary Magdalene, Flemish

Ornate confessionals by Daniel van Vlierden (Hasselt, 1700), were brought to the basilica from a Dominican Church of Maastricht.

Next door to the Saint Servaas Basilica, the comparatively petite but beautiful St. John's, named after St.John the Baptist, projects upward with its tall spire.

It was originally built in the 12th century as a baptistery for St. Servaas. The tower was built in the 15 century in the style of the cathedral tower in Utrecht. In 1633, after a short period when it was an autonomous parish church, it came into Protestant possession as a Dutch Reformed Church.

As with many Low Country churches; the interior of the Saint Servaas Basiica incurred extensive damage through the years of religious and state conflict.

The basilica was partially restored between 1866 and 1900 and again from 1982-1991. Through the efforts of these preservationists, we were able to experience the historic beauty of this peaceful collection of spaces considered sacred for so many over the centuries.

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Grand Cafe Au Mouton Blanc in Maastricht - Our Rainy Day Refuge!

9/15/2014

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Dodging raindrops can lead you to some surprising results and we were delighted to find ourselves ducking into The Grand Café Au Mouton Blanc in our efforts to reach shelter just before the heavens opened up with a blast of cold pelting downpour.

The cozy establishment seemed so welcoming after an afternoon of chilly exploration in the historic center of Maastricht. Since it was very early in the evening the place was only lightly occupied and we settled in at the bar where a friendly bar-tender kept us company as she performed her duties.

photo above courtesy of http://aumoutonblanc.nl/index.php/99-aumoutonblanc/slideshow/297-trancy-chapman-photos

It was from our bartender that we learned that the chef-owner of Mouton Blanc was also the chef at our hotel The Hotel Britannique. Talk about coincidence…..

The cafe offered up other surprises also. It is housed in what was Maastricht’s original 13th century town hall. City government moved on to later more grand Town Halls and the structure was used for other purposes to finally end up centuries later as the home of Au Mouton Blanc. How wonderful is that!

Cradled comfortably in an atmosphere of modern café with historic touches, and warmed by our drinks, we looked over the menu and made our choices.

I had the most yummy, flavorful French Onion Soup. Definitely one of the best I have had in a very long time! It was covered with lots of strong, melted cheese covering a robust, onion soup within which a hunk of French bread soaked up the deep rich flavors.

Jim ordered the smoked salmon on fresh baked brown bread with an assortment of greens, capers, onions and a creamy dressing to pile on top of the slices of salmon.

While our meal was a simple early evening snack, it was delicious and created a memory we still fondly talk about when we remember our time in Maastricht and The Grand Cafe Au Mouton Blanc.

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Mystical Romanesque Beauty: Basilica of Our Lady in Maastricht

9/11/2014

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The impressive medieval Basilica of Our Lady (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek) is a Romanesque church in the historic center of Maastricht and is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. The church was elevated to the rank of minor basilica by Pope Pius XI on 20 February 1933.

Though there is no archeological evidence remaining, there was probably a church on the site long before the current basilica was built. The basilica sits inside and ancient Roman Castrum (a military defensive position) and near an ancient religious shrine dedicated to Jupiter.

Construction of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwebasiliek began around the year 1000 and the oldest part of the basilica is the towering west façade (called westworks) with its turrets. Some spolia (re-used building materials from earlier structures) probably from the former Roman Castrum were used on the lower parts of the westwork.

The nave and transept followed shortly after the construction of the tower facade along with a crypt. The clergy lived in a communal style within cloisters until around 1200 when cannon’s houses were built nearby.

photo above by Kleon 3 via Wikimedia Commons

A 13th-century gothic portal, rebuilt in the 15th century, provides access to the church as well as to the Mérode chapel (also called the Star of the Sea chapel)

photo above via Wikimedia Commons

In the 12th century, a choir and chancel (the space around the high Altar in the east end of a traditional Christian church building) was built over the crypt. Eventually, the basilica ended up with two choirs and two crypts when the second crypt was added in the 13th century.

In the 13th century the nave also received graceful Gothic vaults and in the 16th century, new cloisters were built in the Late Gothic style, replacing the original cloisters.

Unfortunately, during the French Revolution, the town's religious institutions were dissolved in 1798 and many of the church treasures were lost. The church and cloisters were used as a blacksmith shop and stables by the military garrison. This continued until 1837 when the church was restored to religious practice.

photo above by Kleon 3 via Wikimedia Commons

The basilica interior sustained many changes through the turbulent centuries fortunately, much of the Romanesque interior was restored due to the efforts of the 19th century architect Pierre Cuypers.

Since most of the medieval furnishings were lost after the French Revolution, the current Baroque altars and furnishings were taken from former churches during the restoration of the basilica. All the stained glass is from the 19th and 20th century.

The large pipe organ was built in 1652 by André Severin.

The highlight of a visit to The Basilica of Our Lady, is the Mérode Chapel where the 15th century statue of Our Lady, Star of the Sea is located. This statue was originally made for a Franciscan monastery and was moved from the parish church of St. Nicholas to the church of Our Lady in 1837.

In 1903 it was placed in the Gothic chapel near the main entrance where it remains today and where it is visited daily by hundreds of worshipers. The statue is paraded through the streets of Maastricht during religious holidays.

This beautifully restored Romanesque basilica has the amazing effect of transporting you into the same original, dark, mystical atmosphere that must have impressed, awed, and inspired humble parishioners centuries ago. We certainly felt its impact.

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Hotel Britannique - A Small Gem in Maastricht Netherlands

9/8/2014

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Our hotel choice in Maastricht Netherlands was another charming small hotel, The Hotel Britannique Brasserie and it is definitely going onto our "Hotels We Love!" page.

The Hotel Britannique is situated on a beautiful square called The Vrijthof, a perfect location for exploring the historic center of Maastrict, within walking distance to the Stadhuis, St. Servaas Church. Also nearby are Basilica of Our Lady and Natural History Museum.

After parking our car in a nearby underground parking lot, we walked the short block on a rainy, blustery day, to the hotel where we were greeted by the friendly staff and checked-in at the art-nouveau style brasserie/bar filled with carved wood, decorative mirrors and crystal chandeliers.

The hotel is small and located on the floors above the Brasserie. It doesn’t have an elevator, so for mobility impaired folks, a first floor (second in U.S.) room would be a must and this hotel might not work well for anyone in a wheelchair. But for Jim and I, the trek to the top floor was no problem and the hotel’s young friendly and strong staff hauled our luggage up for us!

The climb was well worth it! Our room, which was literally in the rafters, was modern, spacious and very clean and the view from the window was spectacular. We looked out over the tree-lined historic town square and across to the tall spires of the St. Servaas Basilica. My personal obsession has always been the hotel beds. They must be soft and comfortable, and this one met both requirements to perfection.

Our room had a large bathtub at one end of the room, and as it turned out, I was SO glad that it was there after a busy day of walking through the historic district in the blustery rain. Chilled to the bone, I was able to slide into the hot bath-water and thaw out, relaxing my weary muscles while watching TV. It doesn’t get any better than that! The room also had a shower for Jim, so were both perfectly satisfied with the bathroom arrangements.

After we had checked in, we headed outside for a snack under one of the many umbrellas in front of the hotel that protected the undeterred diners from the rain. Since we were in Maastricht in the spring, I had to try the local favorite, Early Spring Asparagus Croquet. It was really flavorful and refueled me for an afternoon of exploration.

When we returned that evening, the hotel bar was a warm and welcoming refuge for a last drink before heading off to bed.

The next morning, we ate breakfast in the same lovely bar area turned breakfast room and were so impressed and happy to find a selection of pastries, jams, meats, cheeses, and a delicious yogurt. We had to try the omelets made from local ingredients and of course, they were fabulous.

Our stay at Hotel Britannique Brasserie was so comfortable and pleasant, that I would highly recommend this boutique hotel to anyone visiting the ancient city of Maastricht.

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One Blustery Day in Maastricht Netherlands

9/7/2014

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Why did we pick Maastricht as one of our stops on the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Road Trip? Well, impressively, Maastricht's has no less than 1,677 national heritage sites, which is the second highest amount for a Dutch town, after Amsterdam. It has also become known, by way of the Maastricht Treaty, as the birthplace of the European Union, European citizenship and the single European currency, the Euro.

Maastricht originated as a Belgic settlement and during antiquity in the Gallic Wars (58 BC to 50 BC) it was conquered by the Romans. By the Middle Ages, it was, part of the heartland of the Carolingian Empire and the town was an important center for trade and manufacturing as it sites on both sides of the Meuse River.

The important strategic location of Maastricht resulted in the construction of an impressive array of fortifications around the city from the 16th through the 19th century and the town was fought over and occupied alternately by the Spanish and Dutch for centuries.

(Above) Archeological Excavations - Onze Lieve Vrouweplein,
Museum Derlon Plankstraat 21 Maastricht
photo by Otter via Wikimedia Commons

(Above) Medieval Maastricht - Drawing by Philippo Bellomonte via Wikimedia

After the rule of Napoleon ended, Maastricht, in 1815, became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and it was made the capital of the newly formed Province of Limburg (you know…home of Limburger Cheese!).

This dramatic history brought fantasies to mind involving lots of historic sites to explore.

As with all great plans, nature threw her monkey-wrench into the works and we arrived during a driving rain which soaked the dark historic pavements, dripped off the umbrellas which were losing the battle of protecting what on any other day would have been a festive outdoor seating area. The tall spires of the Basilica across the huge square were dark and gloomy and we feared that our grand exploration plans for Maastricht were to be washed away.

But as often happens with spontaneous travel changes, the fact that we had to narrow our visit to an area nearer our hotel offered up what turned out to be a wonderful one-day experience in the historic center of Maastricht, and to be perfectly honest, I think it saved us from trying to see too much, slowing us down (which we really needed!) and forcing us to savor our afternoon in this ancient city.

Soggy and misty, Maastricht was still beautiful.

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Hieronymus Bosch - Painter of Nightmares and Dreams in 's-Hertogenbosch Netherlands

8/1/2014

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As a bit of a museum purist, I don’t usually like to visit museums filled with reproductions of an artist’s work, but I made an exception this time, because how can you visit the home town of the fantastical artist Hieronymus Bosch (Jheronimus Bosch) and not visit the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center where they bring this enigmatic artist to life.

The Jheronimus Bosch Art Center is housed in what was St. Jacob's Church (built in 1907) and the structure and decor of the church remains partly intact, to add a beautiful setting for this museum.

The museum is filled with models of his crazy creatures, and after a film introduces the artist to you, an elevator takes you to the upper floors where you can explore original-size exact photo reproductions of his artwork including triptychs which you can open and close yourself.

Jheronimus Bosch (ca. 1450-1516) was a late medieval painter who has enjoyed great fame in his day with his wildly fantastic paintings in which he portrayed the fight between good and evil with hellish scenes of monsters and devils.

Though he mostly signed his work with the name Jheronimus Bosch, he was actually called Jheronimus van Aken. His ancestors came from Aachen, Germany, and established themselves as painters in Nijmegen in what is now the Netherlands. His grandfather, Jan van Aken, migrated to the town of ‘s-Hertogenbosch (commonly called Den Bosch) to paint, bringing his family with him and this is where Jheronimus “Bosch” was born and grew to be a painter as well.

Little is known of Bosch’s life or training except that his father and brothers were also painters. He left behind no letters or diaries, and what has been identified has been taken from brief references to him in the municipal records of 's-Hertogenbosch.

Early art scholars (17th c.) such as Felipe de Guevara believed Bosch’s work was created merely to titillate and amuse, filled with dreams and nightmares, much like the grotesques of the Italian Renaissance.

Today, modern scholars make the case that Bosch’s art reflects the orthodox religious belief systems of his age. His paintings concentrate on the battle between Heaven and Hell, and depictions of sinful humanity are consistent with those of late medieval beliefs.

Bosch was a member of the deeply religious group, The Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady and the town of ‘s-Hertogenbosch was religiously progressive, therefore, modern art historians have argued that Bosch’s art was inspired by heretical points of view and used his paintings to satirize, teach and denounce the abuses and scandalous behavior of the clergy.

When you are finished exploring the artwork, the elevator will take you to the top floor of the 40 meters high tower where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch and its cathedral.

Three years before Jheronimus Bosch passed away an astronomical clock was placed in the not yet completely finished St. John’s cathedral. This clock would later be known as “The play of the Last Judgment”. A reproduction created from fragments, contemporary chronicles and traveler journals sits in the first floor hall and provides an animated show upon the hour.

In case you didn’t know, an astronomical clock shows real time, solar time and star time along with the lunar time and the phases of the moon, the zodiac and the position of the moon and sun in the zodiac. There is also a “calendar wheel” which shows the days of the week, the twelve months and the Religious Holidays and Saint days. Pretty impressive for the 16th century!

Copies of the drawings of Jheronimus Bosch are on display on the ground floor also, and you can really see how he came up with his un-real characters and how he elaborated upon and refined them in his drawings.

My favorite part of the museum was the life size vignet of the painter in his studio and you can walk right into it and imagine what it would have been like to be a painter in the 1500’s! It really brings the world of Jheronimus Bosch to life and the space just outside this realistic studio is used for school groups and art activities.

There may be no “real” Hieronymus Bosch paintings at the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, but it is well worth a visit if you wish to understand Den Bosch and its famous artistic son!

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Festive Days in 's-Hertogenbosch - Pilgrims celebrate "Sweet Mother of Den Bosch"

7/26/2014

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Sometimes when traveling, you are fortunate to find yourself right in the middle of a festival or holiday celebration. This was wonderfully true for us during our stay in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch), in the North Brabant of the Netherlands.

Not only had we arrived just after the long Ascension Day, holiday weekend, but we also arrived during a festival where pilgrims from all over make their way to St. John’s Cathedral to venerate St. Mary, the “Sweet Mother of Den Bosch”.

Everyone in town was caught up in the festive atmosphere, enjoying the beautiful town square, listening to bands and eating in the many cafes. Artisans had set up tents and were selling their wares and the shops were specially kept open on Sunday to take part in all the activity. And of course, pilgrims flowed in and out of the cathedral and a marching band in historical dress played as they marched from St. Johns to the beautiful Grote Markt (Market Square).

Enjoy this photo essay of our fun and festive days in Den Bosch!

photo above courtesy of webring.org

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Marriott Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel - Great Location - Great Comfort

6/26/2014

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Sometimes, it can be a comforting and relaxing decision to stay at a hotel that provides a little bit of the familiarity of home in another country.

On this trip to Amsterdam, we decided to use our stock of Marriott rewards points to pay for our room. Since we were planning to stay at the Marriott Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel when we arrived and also at the end of our driving tour of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, we chose a location right in the heart of Amsterdam.

No, the hotel wasn’t charming, it wasn’t eclectic, it wasn’t “European” in feel, but what is WAS, was efficient, very clean, comfortable and luxurious in feel, and that was what we wanted after a long flight to a large cosmopolitan city like Amsterdam.

I must admit, our first room (the one we had upon arrival) was very small, but it was comfortable, modern and met our needs for our stay.

Fortunately, we were upgraded upon our return visit, and were able to spread out and enjoy our suite. Either way, you can always rely on a super-comfortable room and bed at this Marriott.

During both stays, we had access to the club level, which provides breakfast, a private lounge area and business space with computers, printers etc.

We could hear the voices of Americans in the main bar area, confirming that the hotel hosts many business travelers as well as tourists. This particular hotel also hosts groups who plan to board one the many cruise ships that leave from Amsterdam, so believe me, this is your typical large Marriott hotel experience.

The Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel is perfectly located in the center of the famous “Canal Rings”, within walking distance of the “Old Town”, the “Red-light District”, “Coffee-shops” and most of the places of interest to tourists and the train station. The hotel provides “Navigators” who are at the concierge desk ready to answer your questions and help you navigate Amsterdam.

We asked for directions to the areas where we could find quiet canals with good restaurants and bars with outside seating and were delighted to be directed to an area just a few blocks away, in the exact opposite direction of the “touristy” old town area. Personally, I believe that hotel concierges are wonderful. I have rarely been disappointed by any that I have encountered!

The hotel is also located right across the street from two restaurant/cafes that proved to be convenient stops for us. Whether we were starting out in the morning for a day of sightseeing or getting ready to head back into the hotel worn out from the busy day we could easily stop in for a drink, tapas and even breakfast one morning.

Overall, the Marriott, Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel was a wonderful choice for us and we would definitely recommend it for those who want to ease into travel with a little bit of American style comfort to welcome you.

READ ALL ABOUT OUR LATEST TRAVEL/HOTEL TIP TOO! .......

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Bossche Suites Hotel - A Lovely Suite in Historic 's-Hertogenbosch

6/11/2014

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On this trip, we stayed in a few particularly beautiful, unique and very special hotels and we simply can’t wait to tell you about them! You will definitely find them permanently filed on our “Hotels We Love” web-page! On this fab hotel list is Bossche Suites in the charming historic city of 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Historic ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the North Brabant area of the Netherlands was established as a city by the Duke of Brabant as early as the 12th century and the city name actually means “The Dukes Forest”. It was also the home of one of the most famous Northern Renaissance painters, Hieronymus Bosch.

The lovely Bossche Suites Hotel, turned out to be a wonderful choice for our stay in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, especially if you want to feel like a local in your own lovely modern European suite. By the time we left two days later, it already felt like home to us and we hated to leave! We have never been welcomed so warmly and hotel owner, Mr. Rens den Otter, and hotel manager Ms. Monique Nieuwenhuijsen, made sure we were comfortable and well taken care of.

The hotel is a new boutique hotel that has only been open since December of 2012 and is located in a historic town-house completely renovated under the direction of Mr. den Otter. It has just four suites, which reinforces the feel of having your own European apartment.

The suite itself was beautifully decorated with a contemporary stylish lounge area and tall windows overlooked a nice quiet street. As we ate our excellent breakfast in our suite each morning, bright sunlight poured in along with fresh breezes through the window we had opened.

The bed was exceedingly comfortable with crisp white sheets, perfectly situated for watching the flat-screen TV, and the bathroom was super modern and sparkling clean with the toilet area in a separate room. Overall, the suite felt large, bright and spacious which created a nice relaxing atmosphere.

I will admit, I particularly fell in love with the in-room espresso machine and drank more coffee than I normally would just because it was so deliciously available! The room also offered free Wi-Fi and a docking station for your i-pod.

Adding to the special feeling of this hotel, we were introduced to the “maxi-bar”, a full-sized stainless fridge filled not only with the offerings usually found in a “mini-bar”, but also extras like full size bottles of wine. We found this charming and definitely found our way back to it during our stay to pick up wine and Cokes!

There were so many interesting things to see in historic ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and we will cover those in our full article about the beautiful historic town, but the absolute highlight of our stay was the private tour we were so fortunate to experience and was thoughtfully provided by hotel owner Mr. Rens den Otter.

Rens picked us up in his vintage 1965 Austin Mini Moke and gave us a tour through the eyes of a local resident who loves his home of more than 58 years and which presented us a fun and fascinating introduction to lovely historic “Den Bosch” as the locals call it.

Needless to say, it is the friendly, personal attention that is the hallmark of Bossche Suites and makes this hotel a stand-out place to stay. The hotel property is perfectly located within easy walking distance of all the historic sites, museums, shops, cafes, restaurants and the large Market Square, while being nestled on a quiet side street.

We couldn’t recommend this boutique hotel more highly and thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Bossche Suites!

Contact Bossche Suites at:
Verwersstraat 23A 5211 HT 's-Hertogenbosch NL
Tel: 06-42 12 75 85
Email: [email protected]
www.bosschesuites.nl

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Forward>>

What To Do When Your GPS Gives you the Choice of "Not So Great" and "Worse" Routes!

Following Pilgrims to Saint Servaas Basilica in Maastricht

Grand Cafe Au Mouton Blanc in Maastricht - Our Rainy Day Refuge!

Mystical Romanesque Beauty: Basilica of Our Lady in Maastricht

Hotel Britannique - A Small Gem in Maastricht Netherlands

One Blustery Day in Maastricht Netherlands

Hieronymus Bosch - Painter of Nightmares and Dreams in 's-Hertogenbosch Netherlands

Festive Days in 's-Hertogenbosch - Pilgrims celebrate "Sweet Mother of Den Bosch"

Marriott Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel - Great Location - Great Comfort

Bossche Suites Hotel - A Lovely Suite in Historic 's-Hertogenbosch

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