Bed & Breakfast `t Vaticaan,

Koestraat 23, 5081 BB Hilvarenbeek.

013-5054029

b-and-b@vgestel.nl, www.vgestel.nl

Welcome to Bed and Breakfast `t Vaticaan.

The Vatican is mentioned after wat people used to call this former priesthouse.

The priest who build this house was Mr. Jürgens, son of a rich manufacturer from Den Bosch/Oss, and from early 1900 the priesthouse had the same grand manner as in these day’s.

Not only the robust outside with on one side the servantshome and on the othe side the coachhouse, but especially the entryhall, the well decorated ornaments on the ceilings and the etching windows in the diningroom, betrayed the ambition of this priest, who lived here from 1901 untill his death in 1916.

In several publications you can read the bizarre stories about the priests who lived in this house, as from the Dean of Oirschot Mr. Van der Kamp. In the corridor you can find a collection of pictures and their death announcements, nice pictures of the house and the big garden in those days, with a small bridge over the ‘Wouwer’, a small grotto of the Virgin Mary, an orchard and glass-house.

De priesthouse became a youth-hostel from the year 1965 till 1984. Due to the big garden behind the house, the priesthouse was for sale in 1984, seperated form the big garden to build appartements on it for elderly people.

The families van Gestel-Naaijkens and Naaijkens-Brouwers bought the house in 1985 and renovated it during 20 years now. The buidling was devided in 2 houses, Koestraat 21 and 23. Behind the wall-paper in the serre of Koestraat 23 we discovered some wallpaintings from the year 1900 showing the former church in Esbeek, build by the first priest who lived here. The priest could see his church from this point of view. The local painter Janus Kluitmans repaired this wallpainting in 1986.

In the coachhouse was situated Theater Tierelantijn, a puppettheatre from 1987 till 1995. From 1995 the coachehouse became the residence of The Costumehouse De Kostuumzolder, with more than 3000 costumes, read about it on www.kostuumzolder.nl

From the year 2004 some rooms are available as bed and breakfast. In the near future more rooms will be ready for it. Our excellent service is well known and lots of peopel from all over the world enjoyed it. From august 2005 there is a spacious sauna available free for our guests. Ask for it if you want to use it. There is free parking area next to the Vatican and we have a safe bicycle-store.

Standard fee: € 60,- per night per room for 2 persons (1 person € 35,-) incl. bathroom for the guests and excellent breakfast. (Baby-bed and baby-chair free available. Childbed available €15,- incl. breakfast).

Sauna on groundlevel downstairs available on appointment, as well as wireless internet.

Bookings at b-and-b@vgestel.nl

We wish you a pleasent stay at the Vatican and hope to meet you there soon.

Best regards,

Lex and Katja van Gestel