Oss

Oss is the 36th largest city in the Netherlands, located in the province of Noord-Brabant.

Understand

Oss has been inhabited since 2000 BC. The first reference to Oss was in a 1161 document. The Castle near Oss (Kasteel van Oss), which is one of the nearby landmarks, was built around 1375. The settlement got its city rights in 1399.

At the end of the nineteenth and the begin of the twentieth century the city suffered from high criminality rates, which, at the time, made the Dutch occasionally reference the city as the Dutch Chicago, which too had high criminality rates. The so-called Bende van Oss was feared throughout the whole country. The criminality rates of those times can only be found back in the terms messensteker and messentrekker , roughly translating to stabber, which are occasionally used to reference a citizen of Oss.

In 1881, the construction railway of a railway made industry rise in Oss, as did the harbour built in 1968, which got connected to the Meuse (Maas) by the Burgemeester Delenkanaal (Mayor Delen-channel)

Get in

By car

The easiest way to get to Oss by car is by using the A50 when coming from the north or south, the A59 when coming from the west, or the A2/E25 when coming from the north-west. When using the A50 or A59, use exit 53 (Knooppunt Paalgraven / Oss-Oost). When using the A2, switch onto the A59 at Knooppunt Hintham, located near 's-Hertogenbosh. From here on, follow signs directing to Oss.

By train

Oss is located on the line between 's-Hertogenbosch and Nijmegen. Travel to one of the two above named cities, and take a train in the direction of the other city. Halfway down the track you will come by the stations Oss and Oss West. Oss is the station you'll be most interested in if you want to stroll through the city centre. Oss West services several residential neighbourhoods in the west of the city.

Get around

Though Oss is rather large, the part interesting to tourists will be the city centre, which can be travelled by foot

See

Nieuwe/Grote Kerk

• 1 The Water tower, Watertorenstraat 1A. Commonly referred to as the sigaar van Oss (cigar of Oss). It is used as a mosque. (updated Aug 2016)
• 2 Oss Castle (near the Gelderse Poort shopping centre). The remains of the 14th-century Kasteel van Oss. (updated Aug 2016)
• 3 Vorstengraf. A reconstruction of a monarch's grave dating back to the 7th century BC. The hill on which the grave is located, can be found near the A50, where the Brierstraat and Vorstengraflaan meet. (updated Aug 2016)
• The Nieuwe Kerk. A neo-Gothic styled church built in 1859 (updated Aug 2016)
• 4 Stellingmolen Zeldenrust, Kruisstraat 39. This windmill was built in 1860 and was restored to former glory in the 1970s. Visitors are welcome on Saturday mornings between 09:00 and 12:30. (updated Aug 2016)
• 5 Stellingmolen Nieuw Leven. Built in 1895. (updated Aug 2016)
• 6 Villa Constance. A neoclassical residential villa, built in 1888. It is a museum (Museum Jan Cunen), named after the first archivist of Oss. (updated Aug 2016)
• The Willibrordusput (near the intersection of the Willibrorduslaan and the Munlaan). A well, first referenced in the fourteenth century, though it most likely is older than that. The current well, built in 1926, is about 12 m from the original location. (updated Aug 2016)

Do

Annual events held in Oss are:

• Klûnen in Oss;
• Halfvastenfeesten;
• Oranjefeesten;
• Oss on classic wheels;
• Kermis Oss (Fair);
• Fantastival;
• Muze Misse.

Eat

• De Bodega, Heuvel 40, ☏ +31 412-450914. The classic, bodega-style Mediterranean food here gets good reviews, as does the friendly service. Grilled meat-dishes are very popular, but there's a good selection of fish and vegetarian dishes as well. The menu also holds a range of tapas. The kitchen is open until midnight. The adjoining grand café and restaurant La Colline is run by the same owner and serves cheaper but also Mediterranean food. (updated Aug 2016)
• Cordial, Oostwal 175, ☏ +31 412 694646. A one Michelin star restaurant with excellent food but - of course- matching prices. €65 for 4 course menu "Cordial". (updated Aug 2016)

Sleep

• City Hotel, Raadhuislaan 43, ☏ +31 412 633-375, info@cityhotel.nl. Spacious rooms and friendly staff. All rooms come with TV, air-conditioning and a small fridge. Ask for a (more quiet) room at the back, as rooms on the front side overlook a rather busy road. Breakfast costs €12.50 extra. €100 for a double. (updated Aug 2016)
• Altijd Zon, Burg. van Erpstraat 17, ☏ +31 412 626-692, info@altijdzonberghem.nl. A friendly bed & breakfast in Berghem, one of the villages around Oss proper and part of the Oss municipality. Altijd Zon is just a few kilometres from the centre of town, and is therefore a fine alternative if you have a car of bicycle. Guests have a private entrance and can make use of the garden and kitchen. €25 per person per night. (updated Aug 2016)

Go next

By both train and car the cities of 's-Hertogenbosch and Nijmegen can be reached with ease.

Routes through Oss

Arnhem ← Nijmegen ←

N  S

→ Eindhoven