The rich history of the city
In this route we take you through the rich history of the city in 7 monuments. From King William II to the fairgrounds and from World War II to the textile past. We guarantee you'll be a smarter person after this walk of just over 6 kilometers.
Start around lunchtime
It's best to start the walk around lunchtime at the Tilburg train station. Check out the Kroepoek roof and then walk toward the Spoorzone. In fact, at the back of the station you will find two super delicious restaurants: Eetbar de Wagon and De Houtloods.
Textiles are not dusty
From Wilhelminapark continue your route to the Goirkestraat, where you'll dive into Tilburg's textile past. We start at the Growth Monument in honor of the textile industry that made Tilburg great. The design is by NEXT architects and symbolizes the city that keeps reinventing itself. Want to really immerse yourself in textiles? Then visit the TextielMuseum right behind the monument.
Fairground monument
On the NS-Plein you will find the one and only Kermismonument in the form of a rearing carousel horse. The creature is an initiative of purebred Tilburgers Jan Melis and Paul Spapens, who wanted to pay homage to the most special and largest fun fair in the Benelux.
Royal Tilburg
You then approach the city center via the Heuvelring. A giant statue of none other than King Willem II, a distant ancestor of our current king, awaits you on the Heuvel.
War History
Via the Koningsplein, you then walk on toward the Vrijheidspark. Several monuments related to World War II have been brought together here, including the Holocaust Monument by artist Tine van de Weyer. Take your time to take in this work and all the others. A black page in our history, but a very important one.
The ‘kruikenzeiker’
The next destination on this monumental route is the Nieuwlandstraat. Here you will find De Kruikenzeiker, traditionally the symbol of Tilburg during carnival time and a reference to its textile past.
Resistance heroine Coba
Your tour of Tilburg's past ends at the corner of Diepenstraat and Jan Steenstraat. Here until the 1970s stood the home of Coba Pulskens, the most famous person from the Tilburg resistance during World War II. She provided shelter to Jews, members of resistance groups and stranded Allied pilots before finally dying in a concentration camp in 1945. The memorial stone depicting a kneeling Coba recalls her heroic deeds.
Who will you take on the trail? And discover together the historical treasures of Tilburg. During this walk you will dive into the fascinating stories of the city and get a deeper insight into its past.
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