Time to refresh? Experience the best of town and country in Oisterwijk
Imagine waking up in the middle of the countryside with nothing else but nature stretching to the horizon, but with the hustle and bustle of a town just around the corner. You’re more than welcome in Oisterwijk! Here you will find KampinaStaete tiny houses which are the perfect base to refresh yourself and enjoy all the good things in life to the full. What sort of things? Well, the Oisterwijk Forests and Fens for example, or the quirky Tilburg Spoorzone (Railway Zone). And delicious food, local stories and a hot tub for when you get back. Enjoy!
Day 1 - Oisterwijk
KampinaStaete understands that ‘back to nature’ doesn’t have to mean ‘back to basics’. Twenty-one small houses have been located in lush woodland, but close to the centre of Oisterwijk. Small but comfortable, as the lodges, cottages and suites offer every convenience, some even have a hot tub. You can walk from the park straight into the Oisterwijk Forests and Fens, or follow one of the footpaths to the Kampina nature reserve.
Oisterwijk Forests and Fens
Time to go outdoors. Numerous walking and cycling routes have been mapped out in the Oisterwijk Forests and Fens, but the nature reserve is also well suited to wandering along woodland paths, past heathland and hidden pools. If you’re ready for a rest, the Meneer van Eijck restaurant comes into view in the forest. Find a spot on the terrace or on the veranda and enjoy a delicious lunch or a coffee with tasty snack.
If you didn’t have enough time on your arrival day to get out into the countryside, you can also get on an (electric) bike and cycle from KampinaStaete through the woods to the centre of Oisterwijk. In less than fifteen minutes you will already be among the lively pavement cafes on De Lind. Oisterwijk is a small town but has plenty of character, which you can experience in its excellent restaurants, local boutiques and art galleries. If you want to treat yourself to a special dinner, there’s plenty to choose from. Reserve a table at Alma, where the chef Wouter van Laarhoven will treat you to a Michelin star culinary experience. Or choose something delicious from the seasonal menu at SEC, where they cook wherever possible using ingredients home grown in Brabant.
Day 2 - Tilburg
Time for Tilburg! You can be in one of North Brabant’s nicest cities in less than ten minutes by train from Oisterwijk. Tilburg has given a contemporary and quirky twist to its industrial character. And there’s nowhere better to experience this than in the Spoorzone. These former Dutch Railways workshops are now a creative district where there is always something to be experienced. Walk into the LocHal, the old locomotive sheds dating back to the 1930s and which are now home to the most beautiful library in the country. No surprise it won the ‘World Building of the Year’ award. Stroll around cool street art and take a coffee break in style at Stoom013. Bas and Lukas serve the most delicious coffee made from organic and fairtrade coffee beans in their converted railway carriage.
Piushaven
A city trip like this gives you an appetite, so when you are in Tilburg you really should go to the Piushaven harbour. The city grew in size due to the textile industry, with the harbour forming a busy and vibrant centre with a large amount of shipping. If you walk there from the Spoorzone, you will find a lively boulevard where you can enjoy good food in typical Brabant style. At Villa la Vida, for example, an old city villa where all number of tasty treats are served at your table for you to enjoy together under the motto ‘Stop time and celebrate life’.
If the weather is nice you may want to hang around by the harbour where you can partake in all types of water sports such as canoeing and sailing. If you really want something out of the ordinary, you don’t need to give it a second thought in Tilburg. Get on a SUP for a Pilates or yoga lesson on the water. An experience you will remember for a long time!
"After your water adventure walk over to Vittorio for a Persian ice cream with a story. During the war Vittorio left his native Iran and he is now making his dream come true: creating a place where everyone is welcome as though this was his own living room. Sit down on a Persian carpet and enjoy his hospitality as well as his delicious homemade ice cream, made with ingredients such as saffron and pistachio."
The Dwaalgebied
If you walk from the Piushaven back towards the station, it will take you along the Dwaalgebied (literally ‘an area for wandering’). This area is always recommended, whether or not you like shopping. Rich textile families lived here at the height of the industrial period. The stately buildings still have the charm of days gone by, but now they mostly offer space to local shopkeepers who want to display something creatively in their shop windows. This includes various vintage shops, trendy coffee bars and concept stores.
If you would you like to stop for a meal or a drink before getting back on the train, you can round off your day in Tilburg in an unforgettable way just a 5-minute walk from the station at the Stroming restaurant and rooftop bar. This is the place to enjoy small snacks from around the world or a platter that will last you the whole evening. Choose a good glass of wine or a carefully prepared cocktail – and raise a toast to life!
“The Doloris Meta Maze is located beneath the Stroming rooftop bar. It’s a surreal maze in which you can wander through all types of spaces full of mysterious objects and hidden passages.”
Day 3 - The Kampina
Enjoying life also means slowing down, so why not take it easy on your last day? You get plenty of chance to do this at KampinaStaete. Relax and enjoy the breakfast hamper that you will find outside your door in the morning. Read a book in the hammock or go for a lovely walk in the woods. There are plenty of routes and they start right from your front door.
The charm of the Kampina
One of the most beautiful nature reserves in the Netherlands is just around the corner from KampinaStaete. The Dutch countryside is untamed here and large grazing animals roam freely. Get a breath of fresh air here before you go home. Nature Conservation projects have ensured that the area is once again teeming with biodiversity, with heathland and fens, deciduous woods and grasslands. You might spot a spoonbill, a kingfisher or one of more than 115 species of breeding birds that thrive here. Don’t be surprised if you suddenly come face to face with a herd of horses or grazing cattle during your walk, such as more than 100 Blonde d'Aquitaine cows from the Oomen family. You might even see Boris the shepherd wandering around with his flock of Schoonebeker sheep.
"You can choose from numerous walking and cycling routes in the Kampina. These range from a short walk to a full day’s programme outdoors, such as the 17-kilometre Heide- en Hertogen (Heathland and Dukes) walking route that starts at KampinaStaete. If you prefer to plan things for yourself, you can map out a unique route using the system of junctions."
