Noordbrabants Museum

The Noordbrabants Museum is the main art and history museum of the province of North Brabant, and it stands in the centre of 's-Hertogenbosch, the provincial capital known as Den Bosch. It tells the story of the region through paintings, objects and displays, and it is a good first stop for visitors who want to understand the character of Brabant, a province with a distinct southern culture shaped by Catholicism, craft traditions and a strong sense of local identity.

Brabant has a special place in art history. Hieronymus Bosch, the painter of fantastical visions of heaven, hell and earthly folly, was born and lived in the city, and the museum was at the centre of the 2016 celebrations marking five centuries since his death, when a major exhibition drew huge crowds. The collection also includes works by later artists, among them Jan Sluijters, a modernist painter born in Den Bosch, and members of the Brueghel family, whose scenes of peasant life and landscape link the region with Flemish art.

Vincent van Gogh is another Brabant connection. He was born in the village of Zundert, close to the Belgian border, and spent part of his early career in the province, including time in Nuenen, where he painted The Potato Eaters in 1885. The museum presents a display on his time in Brabant, showing how the dark, earthy palette of this period differs from the bright colours of his later years in France. Another permanent exhibition, on the story of Brabant, traces the history of the province from prehistoric times to the present with objects, costumes and multimedia.

Besides the permanent displays, the museum organises temporary exhibitions that range from art and design to social history. The building mixes old and new architecture, and a cafe and a shop add to the experience. Because the programme changes, it is worth checking what is on before you plan your visit.

The museum is a short walk from St. John's Cathedral, the Binnendieze canals and the shopping street Korte Putstraat. Allow around two hours for the visit, and combine it with a boat trip on the canals or a taste of the local pastry, the Bossche bol. It suits art lovers, history fans and families.