cathedral
Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp
Belgium's tallest Gothic building housing masterpieces by Rubens, with a UNESCO-listed 123-metre tower visible across Flanders.
28 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeBelgiumFlanders
Essen
Flanders, Belgium · Europe
About Essen
Essen works well as a base: 15 minutes from Roosendaal, 39km from Biesbosch National Park.
Essen is in Flanders, Belgium, with about 10,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Roosendaal, about 7 km away.
Essen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛsə(n)] ) is a town and municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp, notable for being bordered by the Netherlands on three sides. As of September 2022, it has a population of 19,029 residents. The town belongs to both the electoral canton of Brecht and the judicial canton of KapellenRead more
and is situated in the region of Noorderkempen.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Essen?
Within an hour or so of Essen: Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp (28 km), Antwerp Zoo (28 km), Antwerpen-Centraal (28 km), Plantin-Moretus Museum (28 km).
Are there any good drives near Essen?
The nearest famous roads are Brouwersdam, Koninklijke Baan Coast Road and Houtribdijk.
Where is Essen?
Essen is in Flanders, Belgium, about 7 km from Roosendaal.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 10,000
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Belgium
- Region
- Flanders
- Timezone
- Europe/Brussels
- Coordinates
- 51.4679, 4.4690
Tags
Worth the detour from Essen
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Antwerp Zoo
Historic Belgian zoo next to the central train station, one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1843.
28 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Antwerpen-Centraal
A cathedral-like railway station of marble, gilt and glass, repeatedly voted one of the most beautiful in the world.
28 km · about 30 min drive
museum
Plantin-Moretus Museum
The world's oldest surviving printing house, run by the Plantin family in Antwerp from 1576 to 1867 and the only museum on the UNESCO World Heritage list: complete with the two oldest printing presses in existence and a Gutenberg Bible.
28 km · about 35 min drive
national park
Biesbosch National Park
Freshwater tidal wetland of creeks and willow forest between Dordrecht and Werkendam, with visitor centres and car parks.
39 km · about 45 min drive
bridge
Zeeland Bridge
Elegant 5 km bridge over the Oosterschelde estuary, the longest in the Netherlands when opened in 1965. Its endless procession of arches makes one of the country's most photogenic drives.
43 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
Efteling
Enchanting Dutch fairy-tale theme park with immersive storytelling, dark rides, and world-class roller coasters.
45 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
Kinderdijk Windmills
UNESCO World Heritage site featuring 19 iconic 18th-century windmills in a quintessential Dutch polder landscape.
48 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Essen
- 43 kmZeeland BridgeElegant 5 km bridge over the Oosterschelde estuary, the longest in the Netherlands when opened in 1965. Its endless procession of arches makes one of the country's most photogenic drives.
- 48 kmWestern Scheldt TunnelAt 6.6 km the longest road tunnel in the Netherlands, diving under the busy Western Scheldt shipping lane to link Zeeland with Zeelandic Flanders since 2003.
- 48 kmWesterscheldetunnelTolled 6.6-kilometre road tunnel under the Western Scheldt linking Zeelandic Flanders to Zuid-Beveland, replacing two ferries.
- 49 kmErasmusbrugRotterdam's swan-necked cable-stayed bridge soars over the Maas, a striking modern icon glowing over the river at night.
- 53 kmBrouwersdamDelta Works dam carrying the N57 between two Zeeland islands, with the North Sea on one side, the Grevelingen lagoon on the other, and kitesurfers filling the sky.
- 57 kmOosterscheldekeringThe colossal storm-surge barrier crossing the Oosterschelde, the showpiece of Holland's Delta Works flood defences.
Driving in Belgium
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.74/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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