Internationale Entente Florale

De municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch has won the National Greencompetition for 2004, otherwise known as ‘Entente Florale’. They were not only given this title but they were also given, in recognition, a swamp oak, chosen as tree of the year 2005. Jurymembers of the international foundation Entente Florale are coming to 's-Hertogenbosch to have a look at and judge the green areas such as Paleiskwartier, Fortifications, Binnendieze, Historic cloister gardens, Westerpark, Rural area and New Developments on August 2nd.

 

The founders of ’s-Hertogenbosch settled on a sand ridge in the delta of the Brabant rivers Dommel and Aa, which flow together here and continue as Dieze to discharge into the river Meuse. From the smallest city in Brabant, ’s-Hertogenbosch developed into a municipality of some 135,000 inhabitants today. You will find many beautiful green places in ’s-Hertogenbosch and some special ones will be discussed in this flyer. Thanks to the rich cloister life of the old days, the cloister gardens now are oases in the inner city, often with ancient, characteristic trees. The fortifications used to protect the city from enemies and from flooding, today they are a refuge for man, plant and animal. Another very special feature of ’s-Hertogenbosch is the Binnendieze. A boat trip with an expert guide on this canal system is an experience you are not likely to forget. West of the railway station, a new city park, Westerpark, was developed in the late Nineties. In the same area the quarter Paleiskwartier was realised, accommodating companies, schools and dwellings, with a lot of attention for innovative styles of a variety of architects. Haverleij is a unique castle project near the village of Engelen, north of the city. You will not find its counterpart anywhere in the Netherlands. The rural area around 's-Hertogenbosch is characterised by the various landscape types you can find there. The municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch sets great store by involving the citizens as regards green areas and communicating with them.

 

Fortifications
’s-Hertogenbosch was founded in the twelfth century. In those days the city was an important stronghold on the frontier between the North Netherlands and the South Netherlands. The swampy land and the towering fortifications made the city unconquerable. Soon ’s-Hertogenbosch was nicknamed the ‘Invincible Swamp Dragon’. Today the city walls form what we call a ‘rock biotope’ for rare plants and animals and they have the richest wall vegetation of the Netherlands. They house rare plants such as ‘tongue fern’, ‘pellitory-of-the-wall’ and various lichens. In addition, the fortifications are a link in an important ecological corridor. These swamp areas were originally created to protect the walls from the harmful influences of the water. The vegetation comprises water plants, trees and grasses. You can find more information on the interesting fortifications project on the web site www.vestingwerken.nl

 

Binnendieze
You will certainly not regret a boat trip on the Binnendieze canal system as it is today. Just enjoy the history and the stillness. In the early sixties the Binnendieze water was seriously polluted. Walls and surrounding structures were subsiding or had even collapsed. In the sixties, the national department for the preservation of monuments gave a large part of the 's-Hertogenbosch inner city, including Binnendieze, the status of conservation area. That was the success of the efforts of a number of 's-Hertogenbosch citizens. The municipal administration completely changed its policy and started rehabilitating the Binnendieze and constructing a sewer system. When you make a trip on the Binnendieze you will see walls beautifully grown with plant species such as ‘gipsy wort’, ‘marsh woundwort’, various species of ferns, grasses and mosses. Across from the Eurocinema you will find a special shadow plant, ‘butterbur’. This plant has enormous leaves and it flowers brightly in April with lustrous purple shades. If you want to see beautiful plants, have a look at the harbour "Brede haven". The jetties will offer you the best view of this wall vegetation. With a little luck you can find the officially protected ‘wild marjoram’ in a crack. You can make reservations for a trip on the Binnendieze at 'Kring Vrienden van ’s-Hertogenbosch’ (www.binnendieze.nl)

 

Historic cloister gardens: oases in the inner city
Until the early twentieth century, ’s-Hertogenbosch was confined between the fortifications. Green areas within the walls had become increasingly scarce through the centuries. Luckily the city had a rich cloister life. Today the historic cloister gardens form oases in the inner city. In many cases with ancient and characteristic trees. Some cloister gardens are open to visitors. In most cases these gardens have been newly laid out. The gardens Jeroen Boschtuin, Antoniegaarde, Choorstraat and in the near future Mariënburg are fine examples. They close after sunset to keep out night visitors.

The Mariënburg cloister garden boasts a giant sequoia of well over a hundred years old. When this tree is mature, it has the largest volume of all trees. You can also see this sequoia when you take a trip on the Binnendieze. Walk from Choorstraat and Papenhulst into the direction of Nachtegaalslaantje and you will see many beautiful trees. After Clarastraat you will pass the thickest chestnut tree of ’s-Hertogenbosch (trunk measuring about 450 cm in circumference). 

 

Paleiskwartier
The main entrance to the Palace of Justice, 'Paleis van Justitie', lies at the beautiful Leeghwaterlaan boulevard that connects to the inner city via Stationsweg. Trees and natural stone make the modern Paleiskwartier blend in perfectly with the historic inner city. The quadrangular square of the palace (Hugo de Grootplein) is the favourite daytime hangout of the students of the education boulevard, 'Onderwijsboulevard'. The office building Magis, named after the architect, looks out over the square Rivaplein. It is one of the most striking buildings of the Paleiskwartier, thanks to its green natural concrete and its location at the waterfront.

 

The incline of the square emphasises the location at a bank. In the centre of the Paleiskwartier lies a water basin of 32 metres wide and 370 metres long that sits on top of a public underground car park. The water supplies the entire area with energy, making it the largest solar boiler of the Netherlands. In summer the solar energy is stored in the ground (using a system of tubes) and that is used to heat the houses and offices in winter.

 

New developments
Very special is the latest city extension ‘Haverleij’ to the north-west of ’s-Hertogenbosch. The Haverleij concept is innovative: nine present-day manor houses and a castle, with all the joys of a modern country estate. There are no separate housing, leisure, and nature areas the way we know them. Every manor has roughly 90 dwellings and the castle has 450 dwellings and a school. Park gardens, ponds and a walking forest, but also the river Meuse, lake Engelermeer and a brand-new golf course on the doorstep. The estate is managed in a natural way, fitting in the surrounding landscape of the polder between Engelen, Bokhoven and Vlijmen. You can have a look at the special area yourself, the grounds of the manors and castle are regular public areas and you can easily get there by bicycle.

 

Right in the middle of the beautiful polder in the eastern part of ’s-Hertogenbosch, a new housing development is emerging: De Groote Wielen. Urban development in a nature area, designed by the famous landscape architect Hubert de Boer. Over the years to come some 4,300 dwellings will be built, divided over six different housing quarters, each with its own atmosphere and character. In addition, there is a wide variety in house types and price ranges. Water is very important in this new regional development project. The beautiful pond and the sophisticated water system are not only functional and ecologically sound, they also create much atmosphere and recreation facilities. In addition, of course there is a lot of attention for 'green areas' in this residential area. This has been implemented for every quarter separately.

 

Westerpark
To the west of the railway station the former industrial estate Wolfsdonken has been converted into the Paleiskwartier. In addition, there is a new park with an abundance of water: Westerpark. A park with an urban appearance, but also with a lot of water, reed and coppices. The power of the park: plainness. The park covers some twelve hectares and there are houses in and around the park. The urban character of the park particularly appears from the use of gabions, rigid bank retaining structures. You will find them along the park's main lines. The contrast between those rigid banks and the natural island structure makes for a fascinating park. Wild plants flourish and flower in abundance. The trees species on the islands are mostly indigenous: willow, poplar and alder. The banks of the freely accessible islands descend into shallow water. Excess rainwater from the houses in and around the park flows into the ponds in the park. That way the vegetation in the park is amply provided with rainwater and the load on the sewers in a major rainstorm decreases. The park has a northern and a southern part: Concordia and Wolfsdonken, each with their own islands. The 'island square' is in the centre of the Park section. This island is paved with asphalt and surrounded by a broad hedge. A triangular pond forms the link between Wolfsdonken and Concordia. At the pond edges you will once again see the gabions that you can find throughout the park.

 

Rural area
The most characteristic thing about the rural area around ’s-Hertogenbosch is its variety in landscapes. The city is situated at a point where various landscape types meet. Close together you will find fine examples of river, blanket sand, stream valley, and marsh landscapes. The area is a very popular leisure area. There are walking, cycling, skating, and riding paths that connect the city with the surrounding rural area. In addition, you will find a number of special elements, such as old castles, duck decoys and the well over 500 metres long historic railway bridge Moerputtenbrug in the Moerputten nature area. With their high value these elements give the various areas an own identity. Development of the rural areas is a joint effort together with various nature organisations such as Staatsbosbeheer, Natuurmonumenten and Brabants Landschap.

 

The people of 's-Hertogenbosch and their green areas
Popular support is a major precondition for a successful green public space. Consequently, policy and development plans are created through an extensive communication and participation procedure. Citizens are also kept fully informed in the field of management. The municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch derived an extra impetus from participation in Entente Florale to inform citizens better about green areas in the city. More information about green areas, water and nature can be found at the municipality's web site (www.s-hertogenbosch.nl). At this site everyone can learn more about the city's green areas and it offers suggestions for nature lovers to enjoy it.

 

Information
For questions or more information, please apply to the public space management department 'Beheer Openbare Ruimte' of the municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch.

 

Municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch
Afdeling Beheer Openbare Ruimte
Postbus 12345, 5200 GZ ’s-Hertogenbosch

Telephone number:+31 (073) 615 96 39
Visiting address: Wolvenhoek 1
Website: www.s-hertogenbosch.nl
E-mail address: beheeropenbareruimte@s-hertogenbosch.nl