Christina Meyers (24) from Bielefeld, Germany: “Brabant friendliness can be compared to nothing in Germany. People are always so warm and cordial, and there is no word in German for the cosiness that can be found in Tilburg bars. I came to Tilburg to study. I don’t want to go back to Bielefeld. Meanwhile I have good friends, fun colleagues and a great job at Tilburg University, all making me want to stay here. And I know that Tilburg is less beautiful than other Dutch cities, for example because unfortunately there are no canals, which are so characteristic of the Netherlands. But the city does have everything to offer: culturally as well as places to go out. I go out about three times per week. The Dutch way of going out is very different from the way I was used to. In a positive way. Here there’s always a great atmosphere and everyone talks to everyone. You don’t have to pay an entrance fee anywhere in Tilburg, which means you’ll always go from bar to bar. In one bar you’ll chat a bit and in the other you’ll go dance. And everywhere there’s that Brabant cosiness that I am so crazy about.”

Rukundo Tjoelker (25) from Rwanda, Africa: “Tilburg is like a village; just a little bigger. You’ll run into people you know in town. Nightlife here is a cosy thing. You’ll come across pubs, not clubs, with a friendly atmosphere. Almost all of them are small, which means you’ll be packed together the moment there’s any number of people. This creates atmosphere, because Tilburgers are always open for a chat with strangers. Each scene has its own pub. The one union goes to that pub, the other goes to its neighbour, the alternatives are three pubs down and the yuppies can be found across the street. Wherever you go, everyone is open to mixing with new people. Nightlife is like the places to eat. There are cheap places for students with nice food without the hullabaloo. If you’ve got more to spend and like extravagance, there are still plenty of places to go. These restaurants are better and more exciting. There are dishes on the menu you won’t have heard of. Tilburg is characterised by a wide variety, although all nightlife and restaurants have one thing in common: the cosiness.”