Waalwijk: Shoe Capital of the Netherlands
Waalwijk counts about 45,600 inhabitants and lies in the Langstraat area of North Brabant. The town built its reputation on shoe and leather manufacturing, an industry that peaked in the mid-20th century when dozens of factories operated here. The Schoenmuseum documents this history with a collection spanning centuries of footwear. Several shoe and leather companies still maintain offices locally, though production has largely moved abroad.
The Bergsche Maas, a river channel dug around 1900 to improve flood management, forms the northern boundary. The Loonse en Drunense Duinen, an inland sand drift area sometimes called the Sahara of Brabant, lies a few kilometres south. Waalwijk's centre is modest, with the Grotestraat as main shopping street.
Tilburg is approximately 15 kilometres southeast. 's-Hertogenbosch lies about 20 kilometres northeast. The A59 motorway connects Waalwijk to both cities.
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Waalwijk counts about 45,600 inhabitants and lies in the Langstraat area of North Brabant. The town built its reputation on shoe and leather manufacturing, an industry that peaked in the mid-20th century when dozens of factories operated here. The Schoenmuseum documents this history with a collection spanning centuries of footwear. Several shoe and leather companies still maintain offices locally, though production has largely moved abroad.
The Bergsche Maas, a river channel dug around 1900 to improve flood management, forms the northern boundary. The Loonse en Drunense Duinen, an inland sand drift area sometimes called the Sahara of Brabant, lies a few kilometres south. Waalwijk's centre is modest, with the Grotestraat as main shopping street.
Tilburg is approximately 15 kilometres southeast. 's-Hertogenbosch lies about 20 kilometres northeast. The A59 motorway connects Waalwijk to both cities.
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