Bergen op Zoom

Bergen op Zoom is a city in the west of the Dutch province of North Brabant in The Netherlands. Situated on the border of neighbouring province Zeeland, the city lies on the hills of the "Brabantse wal", an area heightened over the centuries under influence of the river Schelde and the Sea. The area is dotted with historic estates and large parts of it are natural reserves, making it a fine destination for hikers. Bergen op Zoom is known as pleasant and historic city, packed with monumental buildings, plenty of good shopping opportunities and many welcoming cafés.

Understand
This is a historical city with about 66,000 inhabitants and a strategic location close to both Rotterdam and Antwerp. Nevertheless it has the typical atmosphere of a North-Brabant city. It is said that hotel De Draak is the oldest hotel in the Netherlands.

History
Bergen op Zoom originated in the Middle Ages from the combined growth of three small settlements. It was walled in 1330 and received city rights in 1347. The city was the administrative center of the area. From 1533, the lords of the city from the house of Glymes were allowed to carry the title of Marquis. Their palace (Markiezenhof) is a museum now. About 1500, Bergen op Zoom was, with its port on the Oosterschelde and its fairs, a major trade competitor for Antwerp. Two differing influences caused a decline: massive floods with storm surges to the hinterland and the impact of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648).

In 1577, during the Eighty Years' War, the Spanish who were expelled from the city, made numerous attempts to recapture it: In 1581 and 1588 (by Alessandro Farnese), in 1605 and 1622 (by Ambrogio Spinola).

The fort of Bergen op Zoom was created in 1688 by Menno van Coehoorn and was considered one of the strongest fortresses of the Low Countries. However, in 1747 it was taken by the French general Löwendahl after a three-month siege. Just one year later, due to the Aachen Peace treaty, the French had to evacuate the fort.

On 30 January 1795 Bergen op Zoom was handed over to the French without a fight. In 1814 there was an unsuccessful attempt to capture the fortress by a British force commanded by General Graham.

In 1867 the fort was abandoned and dismantled.

By car
Bergen op Zoom is on the junction of highways from North to South (A4 and A17) and East to West (A58) making it easy to reach the city by car. Long time parking in the center is only possible in paid parking lots. Garages in the center are: Grote Markt and De Parade (€1.26 per hour, €9.50 full day).

By train
NS intercity trains run from/to Roosendaal and Vlissingen. For Antwerp you need a change in Roosendaal. Intercity trains arrive and depart twice per hour. The railway station is east of the inner city and on less than 1 km walking distance from the Grote Markt.

By bus
The public transport in Bergen op Zoom and to/from Roosendaal is done by Veolia Transport. For heading to Zeeland you are reliant on Connexxion. The bus station is next to the railway station.

By foot
Visiting the historical inner city is best done by foot because some streets and squares are pedestrian areas.

Do

 * Make a city walk, visit the Markiezenhof museum and the Sint-Gertrudis church.

Buy

 * Week markets - For goods visit the Thursday week market at the Kaai where merchants after 90 stalls sell all kind of products (Th 09:00-15:30, west of Grote Markt). Fresh products such as cheese, fruit, vegetables and flowers are available on the Saturday market at the St. Catherinaplein (Sa 09:00-16:00, north of Grote Markt).

Eat
For a small town with around 60,000 inhabitants Bergen op Zoom has a large variety of restaurants of generally good quality.

Drink
Bergen op Zoom has no shortage of cafes and pubs. You will find several on the Grote Markt.

Connect
The international telephone country code for the Netherlands is 31, the area code for Bergen op Zoom is 0164. If dialing from abroad, use +31 but then leave out the 0 in the area code.

Free Wi-Fi spots are available in most hotels and libraries.

There are two full service post offices in the centre of town, one inside a book store and the other in a supermarket. If you're only looking for stamps, you can also get them at other book stores, the V&D department store (Stationsstraat 1) and Kruidvat (Gouvernemenstplein 29).

Go next
Bergen op Zoom is central located for a visit to the province of Zeeland with its wonderful cities like Middelburg and Zierikzee and its large sandy beaches, for a visit to Antwerp in Belgium or to go inland North Brabant to the city of Breda or to the Biesbosch National Park.