NETHERLANDS GUIDE

Discover Benelux | Top Places to Visit in the Netherlands in 2019 | The Ultimate Destination
Fort Isabella.
VUGHT
A real-life treasure hunt
TEXT: EVA MENGER | PHOTOS: GEMEENTE VUGHT
In the South of the Netherlands,
not far from atmospheric city ‘s
Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch for locals),
lies Vught, a small village surrounded
by greenery and cultural highlights.
With local programme Treasures of
Vught, authorities have put the area’s
most valuable, often hidden, sights
back on the map.
The origins of Vught go way back. The
village was first mentioned in 1006, and
those centuries of history are still highly
visible throughout the area – whether it is
Maurick Castle, a medieval castle built in
1400, or Fort Isabella, an impressive renovation
of a 1617 fortification. Other treasures
are 20th-century manor Landgoed
Huize Bergen, Brabant’s longest beach
De IJzeren Man (The Iron Man), and
Nationaal Monument Kamp Vught, a memorial
of what, during World War II, used
to be the only SS concentration camp located
outside of German annexation.
DePetrus
“These are all beautiful and historical
sights, but the treasure that we’re perhaps
most proud of is DePetrus,” alderman
Pennings tells us. “This 1884 church,
located in the heart of the village, was
saved from demolition and instead rebuilt
into a meeting centre, including a library,
museum and fairtrade shop. Now it’s
a place where visitors can explore new
ways of storytelling and information sharing.”
Upon its opening in 2018, the centre
was praised worldwide, with positive reviews
coming from media outlets including
CNN and Forbes.
DePetrus’ biggest attraction is the library,
which, next to a host of modern and
classic literature, offers facilities where
self-development is encouraged by way
of meaning, interpretation and context.
There is also a comfortable reading café
for hungry and thirsty visitors to settle
down in, and a meeting centre for daily
activities aimed at improving the quality of
life amongst local citizens.
Last but not least, DePetrus is home to
The Vught Museum, which exhibits a
large and diverse collection of work by
local painters, as well as a visual telling of
the village’s fascinating history. In addition
to this permanent display, it curates temporary,
often local exhibitions. This month,
for example, visitors can view work by
town local and photographer Wim van
46 | Issue 62 | February 2019