The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch

The city of s'Hertogenbosch, also known as Den Bosch, plays host the final qualifying leg of the 2007/2008 Rolex FEI World Cup™ this weekend.

s'Hertogenbosch is the capital and fourth-largest city of North-Brabant province which lies in the south of The Netherlands and its name translates into "The Forest of the Duke" after Duke Henry I, its founder in the 12th century. But it is also nicknamed "Moerasdraak", or "the marsh dragon", because this important area on the formerly swampy banks of the River Dieze was renowned as an invincible stronghold.

Designed as a fortress town, it has seen many changes throughout its long history. It was destroyed in 1203 but was quickly rebuilt and by 1520 it was the second-highest populated area in The Netherlands region after Utrecht.

Den Bosch was the birthplace of renaissance painter Hieronymous Bosch and he seems to turn up everywhere. He was born Jeroen Anthoniszoon van Aken but signed his work using the name of the city where he was born and today the former 15th century Sint-Jacobskerk (St James' Church) houses the museum which takes a comprehensive look at his life and work.

Even in his earliest biblical paintings there were hints of Bosch's satirical nature which he indulged to a greater extent in his later career - "The Extraction of the Stone of Madness" takes a cynical look at medieval medical practices and many of his pieces invite a confusion of both amusement and disgust.

His monsters, saints, mythical animals and fantastic creatures depict sin and human weakness and he produced several triptych works consisting of three paintings on wooden panels attached to each other - among his most famous of these is "The Garden of Earthly Delights". Typically, the title denies the less-appealing characteristics of this piece which shows everything from heaven to hell. Philip II of Spain was one of Bosch's biggest fans and, after the painter's death, he acquired many of his works including "The Garden" which is now owned by the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Were his paintings inspired by medieval heresies and obscure practices or were they designed simply to amuse? His world of dreams and nightmares was viewed as less fantastic by the 20th century when his work was attributed greater significance and seen by some as an attempt to explain medieval morality, but there are those who make comparisons with surrealist 20th century Spanish artist Salvador Dali while others interpret his imagery using the language of Freudian psychology. Now that's enough to confuse anyone, but no matter whether you love or hate his strange and sometimes disturbing creations Bosch succeeded where so many before or since have failed - by provoking intense debate and controversy.

In s'Hertogenbosch the Markt (Dutch for Market Square) is at the centre of the original city and the oldest brick building in The Netherlands - "De Moriaan" - is located here. This beautiful 12th century building is home to the local tourist information centre and also houses a pub in its basement. Much of the square includes narrow medieval houses with crow-stepped gables, classicist 17th or 18th century constructions or mixed-style edifices with older and more recent parts combined, while the remainder contains modern 20th century buildings. The 17th century Town Hall commands the southern aspect and in front of this stands a bronze statue of our friend Hieronymus Bosch.

Saint John's Cathedral is one of the other highlights of the city. An excellent example of Gothic architecture, the floor plan is a clear Latin cross and the facade is adorned with about 600 statuettes, ranging from saints to dragons. The interior has remarkable stained glass windows and a magnificent alter but the masterpiece of the cathedral is the 17th century church organ which lies above the entrance gates.

Ask tourists what they liked best about a trip to Den Bosch however and many will tell you that it was a boat-tour on the waterways which run through much of the city centre. Literally. in the Middle Ages a canal was dug so the town is now completely encircled by water and from April to October each year you can book a trip on a small boat that travels, in part, right under the old historic centre of Den Bosch where houses were often built above the waterway due to lack of available space elsewhere. By all reports it’s a fascinating tour and guess what? Most of the trips end up at the Sint-Jackbskerk so you can't miss that visit to the Hieronymus Bosch museum!