This calm Dutch village in North Brabant province is home to Efteling theme park, one of Europe's largest amusement parks. Local cafes and bakeries line the central streets.
Kaatsheuvel, a town in North Brabant, Netherlands, draws visitors to the enchanting Efteling theme park, where you can ride the Python roller coaster and walk through the Fairy Tale Forest. Beyond the park, you can hike across the shifting sand dunes of National Park Loonse en Drunense Duinen or join locals at the Dance Fairytale Festival. The town's bakeries still make traditional Mikkemannen bread dolls, spiced with cinnamon and ginger.
Efteling Theme Park Experience
Efteling covers 72 hectares with four distinct areas. In Reizenrijk, you can sail through indoor scenes of 1001 Arabian Nights. Marerijk includes the original Fairy Tale Forest, where you'll walk past 30 animated scenes from tales like Snow White and Mother Hulda's Well. Children can ride the miniature train through cornfields and past small stations and windmills. Ruigrijk contains the park's fastest rides, including the Baron 1898 dive coaster. As darkness falls, watch the Aquanura fountains dance to music in a 12-minute show.
Sand Dunes of Loonse en Drunense
The sand dunes of Loonse en Drunense National Park rise unexpectedly from the flat Dutch landscape. You can walk, cycle, or ride horses on marked paths through the dunes, which change shape with the wind throughout the year. The park includes both open sand areas and pine forests, with several observation points giving views across the dune field.
Local Food and Festivals
Local bakers make Mikkemannen year-round - these doll-shaped breads combine gingerbread spices with cinnamon, best eaten with butter and sugar. Summer brings food trucks and live music to the Anton Pieck Festival. In winter, you can watch illuminated floats in the Sinterklaas parade or join the street parties during Carnival season.
Getting Around the Region
Buses run regularly between Kaatsheuvel and nearby cities. You can reach Tilburg in 20 minutes - try the local Schrobbeler herbal liqueur or visit during the summer funfair. A 30-minute drive takes you to 's-Hertogenbosch, where you can take boat tours through medieval canals. Breda, with its 13th-century Great Church and castle-turned-military-academy, lies 14 kilometers west.
