Jan de Groot

Jan de Groot is a bakery and pastry shop in 's-Hertogenbosch, usually called Den Bosch, and it is one of the places where visitors go to try the city's most famous product, the Bossche bol. The shop is near the railway station, which makes it an easy stop on the way in or out of town. For many people, a Bossche bol at a good bakery is as important a part of a visit to Den Bosch as the cathedral.

The Bossche bol is a large, round pastry made of choux, the light, hollow pastry also used for profiteroles, filled with whipped cream and covered in a thick coat of dark chocolate. It is much bigger than a typical cream puff, and it is a messy business to eat. Locals will tell you there is no elegant way to do it, and that a napkin and a knife and fork are useful, though many people simply dive in. The balance between the rich, dark chocolate and the fresh, light cream is the point, and the best examples are filled on the day. It is traditionally eaten with coffee, and bakeries in the city compete for the title of best, a rivalry that adds to the fun of sampling.

A visit to the shop is as much about the atmosphere as about the pastry. The display cases are full of cakes, tarts and pastries, there is a steady stream of customers, and the staff are used to visitors from out of town who come especially for the bol. It can get busy at weekends and in holiday periods, with queues out of the door, but the line usually moves quickly. You can eat in, usually with coffee, or take a box away, and many people buy a few to bring home. Prices, opening hours and menu items may change, so check before going.

Den Bosch has a great deal else to offer. The old centre is a maze of streets around the Markt, and the Sint-Janskathedraal, St. John's Cathedral, is one of the finest Gothic churches in the Netherlands. The Binnendieze, the network of old canals and waterways that run beneath and between the houses, can be explored by boat, which is a good way to see a hidden side of the city. The painter Hieronymus Bosch was born here, and his name is taken from the city. The Noordbrabants Museum, Korte Putstraat, with its other pastry shops, and the Brabanthallen exhibition centre round out the picture.

The bakery suits anyone with a sweet tooth, food lovers and visitors who like to sample local specialities. Make it a short stop of half an hour, and combine it with a walk into the centre.