Den Bosch: A beautiful old city with carnivalian charm

Den Bosch (official name: 's-Hertogenbosch) Is a mid-sized city with a gorgeous downtown filled with gothic architecture, winding streets, and old buildings and bridges that stretch over canals. It is the capital city of the southern province of North Brabant, which includes cities like Eindhoven and Breda. It's home to the largest cathedral in the Netherlands - the gothic St. Johns Cathedral - and a center of the Carnival celebrations that burst with colorful outfits, pageantry, and merriment in the icy-rain end of winter in the formerly-Catholic areas that make up the South of the Netherlands.

Population size: 161,530

Similar population to US cities like: Charleston, South Carolina; Corona, California; Patterson, NJ.

But with the population density (neighborhood-spaciousness-feeling) of US cities like: Dallas, TX and Atlanta, GA.

Main industries where ppl work: Healthcare, Information Communication Technology (ITC) companies, and logistics.

Rental price range: 2 br unfurnished: €1,600 - €2,050

Price range to purchase a (not luxury) home in Den Bosch: €380,000 – €550,000 in 2025

Food of note: Bossche bol

A bossche bol or chocoladebol (chocolate ball) is a tennis-ball sized puff pastry filled with whipped cream and covered in milk chocolate. It is dreamy and legend has it it was dreamed up right in Den Bosch. You can pick one up or take a bossche bol making class at the Bakkerij Royal.

Fun Fact: Jhieronymus Bosch has been keeping it weird in Den Bosch since 1495, and the city retains its artistic vibe and is home to multiple art museums.

Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, c. 1495–1505. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. (Image: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.)

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