It’s OK to Call Town a Frog Swamp

Don’t sprain your tonsils trying to pronounce this town’s name. It’s known all over Holland simply as “Den Bosch,” except during pre-Lenten carnival when locals revert to their medieval dialect and call it Oedeldonk, or “frog swamp.”

Frogs are the theme of the four-day revelry, with store fronts, “brown cafe” bars and hotel lobbies decked out with every manner of the little green amphibians.

Den Bosch was one of the northernmost towns of the old French Duchy of Burgundy, and still considers its cuisine and life style Burgundian, which may account for more than 75 art, music, folklore, food, theater, fashion and assorted other festivals from January through October.

The Duke of Brabant granted the then-tiny village in his wooded estate its charter in 1185, and the name translates as “in the duke’s woods.” The woods are still here, with Brabant being one of the Netherlands’ greenest provinces and a popular holiday destination.

Should you arrive during carnival, don’t be dismayed that your town map is difficult to read. Many of the narrow and labyrinthine streets are renamed in medieval jargon for four days, but a friendly Bosschenaar, probably in costume and speaking perfect English, will straighten you out.

Getting here: Fly KLM nonstop to Amsterdam, or TWA, Air France or British Airways with changes. Advance-purchase costs from LAX to Amsterdam run between $588 and $985 round trip, depending on the time of year and day of week you fly. From Amsterdam to Den Bosch, it’s about an hour by train or car.

How long/how much? Give Den Bosch a day, plus another for a run over to the old fortress city of Heusden or for excursions along the banks of the Maas River. Lodging and dining costs are moderate.

A few fast facts: The Netherlands’ guilder or florin recently traded at 1.59 to the dollar. Come here any time between April and October, late spring being a particularly beautiful time in the Brabant, which also is rich in associations with Vincent van Gogh. The marvelous Netherlands Railways system will get you to most towns and villages in the country.

Getting settled in: Eurohotel (Hinthamerstraat 63; $66 B&B; double) is on a pedestrian street near St. Jans Cathedral, the town center and Market Square. Bedrooms are of moderate size, furnished simply in contemporary style, some with views of the cathedral. Eurohotel serves breakfast only, and has its own garage and a tiny bar. It is a member of the Great Western chain.

Hotel Prinsen (Julianastraat 21, Vlijmen; $66 double), three miles west of town in a small village, is built around a sunny courtyard covered with greenery. The style and furnishings are contemporary. Bedrooms have most big-hotel amenities, including a little bar-lounge.

Golden Tulip Central (Market Square; $129 double) is the town’s best. Its fan-vaulted, 14th-Century cellar was once a dungeon and is now the breakfast room. Bedrooms are generous in size and very comfortable. The glassed-in cafe terrace overlooking Market Square is a town gathering place for enjoying coffee and pastries.

Regional food and drink: This region is noted for its “Brabant coffee table,” served in some restaurants. You start with a glass or more of brandewijn with sugar, then tackle a spread of rolls stuffed with sausage, cold meats, an array of cheeses, a large selection of breads, eggs, cookies and coffee. If you’re up to it, try the Bosse Bollen, a tennis-ball-size pastry filled with whipped cream and covered with chocolate. It’s a Den Bosch specialty you’ll see everywhere.

Some old Indonesian hands claim that the Netherlands lays out a better rijsttafel (rice table) than Jakarta. The lineup of dishes can run from six to 26 small plates holding spicy meats, vegetables and fruits, all put individually (never mixed) beside a heaping of white rice on your main plate. Various sambals (chili-based sauces) add even more spice, but a dab will do it since most sambals are very hot. The only thing to drink with a rijsttafel is a frothy Dutch beer or oceans of cold water.

Good local dining: De Raadskelder (Market Square) is the cellar of the Gothic city hall, built in 1539. It’s atmospheric, with vaulted ceiling, bare brick walls and rustic iron lamps and chandeliers. There is a hole in the ceiling where “privileged” prisoners were spared public execution; instead, they were hung head-first into a barrel of water to drown. Common cut-purses were topped off in the square above.

De Eeterij (Breede Haven 13) is a long, narrow and informal old warehouse on a canal near Market Square. Owner-chef Wim Rolvink keeps everyone happy with a simple menu of steaks, chops, spareribs, chicken and footlong brochettes hot off the charcoal. The salad bar calls for several visits, and there’s a small cafe-bar where you may down a new or old genever (Dutch gin) while waiting for a table.

Indonesia (Kruisstraat 35) is sure to be filled with Indonesians, drawn here by what many say is the Brabant’s best rijsttafel . The place is delightful, with dining dividers of bamboo, tropical plantings and other exotica all adding up to an intimate and stylish atmosphere.

A 15-dish rijsttafel is priced at $36 for two, nasi goreng (a smaller rice dish) is $12. Both include a drink. Co-owner K.K. Ma is a most gracious host as he leads you through the menu, even warning you about the fiery sambals .

Going first-class: It’s well worth the short trip to Heusden, a perfectly preserved village, to sample In den Verdwaalde Koogel. This is a French-style restaurant on the first floor of a small hotel, with a menu that might include smoked eel-and-shrimp pate, fresh Limburg asparagus under slices of salmon, Bresse duck, Ardennes ham or Alsatian guinea hen. The dining room is pretty and bright, with beautiful place settings and contemporary art.

On your own: Markets are held every day but Sunday in the main square. After a turn through the stalls, visit 13th-Century St. Jan’s Cathedral, one of the Netherlands’ largest.

Next, visit the North Brabant Museum and its display of archeological discoveries dating from Roman times. Then walk through the charming Uilenburg Quarter, and perhaps take a punt ride that passes directly beneath many of the old workingmen’s houses.

A visit to Heusden can’t be missed, since you will see an ancient Dutch town right off the travel posters, complete with windmills and dikes but without the commercialism of Volendam and Marken. Souvenir shops are virtually nonexistent.

For more information: Call the Netherlands Board of Tourism at (213) 678-8802, or write to 90 New Montgomery St., Suite 305, San Francisco 94105 asking for brochures on Den Bosch and Heusden, plus a map of the Netherlands and general information on travel there.