Street art route

About Tilburg: TILTing Perspectives

Tilburg is the sixth largest city in the Netherlands. It has a population of over 200,000, representing many nationalities. Tilburg is rightly proud of its reputation as a center of learning: A student population of over 27,000 makes Tilburg one of the Netherlands' principal educational centers.

The city

The city has a mix of traditional and modern architecture, from factory houses and villas to sprawling housing estates. Surrounded on all sides by woods and scenic areas, Tilburg is also a green city. Tilburg is situated only 10 kilometers from the Belgian border and 100 kilometers from Germany. Amsterdam and Brussels are only 1,5 hours away. In an hour you can be on the beach.

Tilburg’s city center is compact, so you can easily get around on foot to many places. The city center, which is located immediately south of the central train station, is where most of the hotels and restaurants are located. It is a small but lively area in the evenings and weekends.

Public transport

The conference proceedings will take place at the Tilburg University campus, which lies approximately 4 km to the west of the city center. You can take buses from the city center to the campus, or you can take trains from the central station to the Tilburg University train station. Buses run more frequently than the trains and will drop you off closer to the campus.

To navigate the public transport, we recommend that you use the site www.9292.nl/en. This site also manages a free app (9292) which you can use on your phone in English. This provides up to the minute information regarding both busses and trains, allowing you to enter the address you wish to travel and advising the fastest route at that moment.

If you are staying at a hotel outside of the city center you will need to pay particular attention to public transport options. Most bus lines will run via the central train station where you will likely have to transfer to a new bus line headed towards the campus.

To use public transport in the Netherlands we suggest that you purchase an ‘OV chipkaart’ – a digital transport card that operates much like the oyster card system in London. You will need to purchase one of these cards at the main train station in Tilburg and add money to the card in order to use it. Then you can ‘check-in’ whenever entering a bus or entering the train station, and ‘check-out’ when leaving the bus or train station, and the payment will be automatically deducted. This card will work for both trains and buses throughout the entire country. More information is provided under the heading ‘Getting to Tilburg’.

Food & Drinks Close to the University

Tuinhuis Culinair

Westermarkt 5 (+31) 134 634868

You'll find 't Tuinhuis (the Garden House) at the fringe of a not particularly appealing shopping centre. As the name suggests, the owners enjoy outdoor living and the menu they've created from candied steak and teriyaki dishes to steamed duck breast and tempura fried Dutch herring reflect their travels around the globe. All of these eclectic dishes are prepared with dedication and love in an open-plan kitchen

La Cabaña

Academielaan 73 +(31) 134673384

La Cabaña is the perfect place to go if you want to combine great food with great ambiance. They serve delicious tapas, from all different regions in Spain. The place is about a 5 minutes’ walk away from University and is an absolute recommendation. 

Het Dorstig Hert

Bredaseweg 397  +(31) 134671085

Het Dorstig Hert serves both lunch and dinner and is very accessible from University by foot. The food is of high quality, the price is very reasonable and the place sure is cozy. They have a great terrace.

Food & Drinks in the City center

Taste!

Heuvelpoort 300    (+31) 135353296 ‎

'Hier adem ik vrij en voel ik mij gelukkig' (or ‘here I can breathe freely and I feel happy’), is written on the wall of Taste. It's actually a quote that King William II once made about Tilburg. This restaurant, which can be reached through Hotel Mercure, only serves the crème de la crème of the culinary spectrum.

De Pannekoekenbakker

Heuvelstraat 40   (+31) 135361426

Tilburg's city center is full of ultra modern buildings, but halfway down the busiest shopping street is a narrow alley which leads to a coach house from 1897. It’s nothing short of a miracle that these premises survived the forces of modernization that altered neighboring buildings forever. This amazing place serves 250 different kinds of pancakes including our favorite: chicken satay pancakes! On sunny days try the small garden behind the restaurant.

Monarh

Bredaseweg 204-08  (+31) 135365805

This restaurant of French cuisine is extra-ordinary, to say the least. It is located in a more than 120 years old abbey in a beautiful part of Tilburg, namely the ‘Rooi Harten’. Monarh will offer you a unique gastronomic experience, full of delicious surprises. Make sure to check out their newest creation: the levitating plate!

Bij Vermeer

Kempenaarplaats 156    (+31) 138228200;

Located in the heart of the Piushaven, this is the place to go for a cup of coffee and a newspaper on a terrace with a great view of the harbor. It is a nice place for lunch, dinner or just for a drink. Try their finger food.

Kandinsky

Telegraafstraat 58 (+31) 135444924

This bar serves more than 200 different types of beer. They’re all good. The place is great for having a nice chat with friends, colleagues, or anything in between.

Cinecitta

Willem II straat 29 (+31139022996)

Small cinema (art house films) with nice restaurant, open for coffee, lunch and dinner. Housed in a 19th century historical building. Also has a nice terrace.

Paradox

Telegraafstraat 62 (+31) 135432266

A great place to enjoy live music. Blues, jazz, world, you name it. It’s conveniently located next to the above mentioned ‘beer-bar’ and serves some pretty great beers as well.