Drakenfontein (Monument)

Updated April 15, 2024

## Drakenfontein (Monument) in ’s-Hertogenbosch: what it is, why it matters, and how to see it safely

If you arrive in ’s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) by train, the Drakenfontein is one of the first landmarks you’ll notice near the station area. The monument is a sandstone fountain topped by a gilded dragon, created as part of the city’s major expansion outside the old fortress limits at the end of the 19th century. ‘s-Hertogenbosch

This guide sticks to verifiable facts (with sources) and focuses on what helps you understand the monument quickly on the ground—without guesswork.

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## Quick facts (verified)

– Name: Drakenfontein (also referred to as “Drakenfontein of Draak” in heritage listings)
– Type: Historical landmark / protected national monument (rijksmonument)
– Location: Stationsplein, near Stationsplein 2, by the station side of station ’s-Hertogenbosch
– Completion: 1903
– Monument number: 21852
– Coordinates (as provided): 51.6904316, 5.2961892 (Stationsplein, ’s-Hertogenbosch)

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## What you’re looking at (design details you can actually spot)

The national heritage register describes the fountain as a round basin with a central stepped platform and a large square pedestal supporting a tapering column. Around the base are waterspouting dragon elements, including:
– a copper dragon with outstretched wings on one of the corner supports, with its tail running up along the support;
– dragon heads in bas-relief on the pedestal;
– and additional inscriptions/plaquettes on different sides of the pedestal.

The city heritage narrative adds that the final design included a large “golden” dragon on top and four smaller dark dragons at the foot of the structure. ‘s-Hertogenbosch

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## Why the Drakenfontein exists (the backstory that explains the location)

### It’s tied to Den Bosch’s late-19th-century expansion
According to Erfgoed ’s-Hertogenbosch (the city’s heritage platform), the Drakenfontein was built as a showpiece for the city’s largest urban expansion in centuries, enabled after 1874, when ’s-Hertogenbosch lost its formal fortress role and could expand beyond its defensive works. ‘s-Hertogenbosch

The same source explains the “moeras” context: the areas around the old walls were low and often waterlogged, shaping the city’s defensive identity as the “Moerasdraak” (Swamp Dragon). ‘s-Hertogenbosch

### It’s also a memorial gift (with a specific donor)
The monument register states the Drakenfontein was gifted to Den Bosch by Jhr. Mr. P.J. Bosch van Drakestein.
Erfgoed ’s-Hertogenbosch adds that Bosch van Drakestein died in 1894 and left 10,000 guilders to the city for the creation of a fountain; it was intended to be more than decoration and was connected to commemoration within the Drakestein family. ‘s-Hertogenbosch

### It was planned as a drinking fountain—but didn’t end up serving that function
Dutch Wikipedia notes it was originally meant to be a drinking fountain, but that purpose was never fulfilled.

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## Where it sits today (and how to view it without risking a close call)

The fountain stands at/near a major junction by the station—described as being at the intersection of Stationsweg and Koninginnenlaan, close to the centrumzijde (city-center side) of station ’s-Hertogenbosch.

Practical, safety-first viewing approach (fact-based):
– Because it sits in a traffic-heavy station approach area (a junction/roundabout setting), the safest way to appreciate it is from sidewalk edges and designated crossings, rather than trying to “walk up to” the base.
– If you want a clean photo, you’ll generally do better framing it from the station-side sidewalks where you can keep distance and include the column + dragon in full height.

(Those tips are grounded in the monument’s documented placement at a station-side junction; they don’t assume special access.)

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## Restoration and change over time (what’s recent vs. historic)

Two verifiable events are especially useful context when you see the fountain today:

– Erfgoed ’s-Hertogenbosch reports the monument was fully removed in 2020, restored, and rebuilt in spring 2021. ‘s-Hertogenbosch
– Dutch Wikipedia also records a major incident: on 12 October 2000, the dragon fell from its pedestal (no injuries reported there), linked to corrosion in the internal steel attachment after 97 years; the dragon was restored afterward.

### Outdated-data flag (so you don’t treat this as live conditions)
The restoration and rebuild timeline above is documented up to spring 2021. Current on-site conditions (temporary works, traffic layout changes, lighting, or barriers) can change without notice, so treat any “what it looks like right now” assumptions as unverified unless you confirm locally. ‘s-Hertogenbosch

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## How to fit it into a Den Bosch walk (no fluff, just efficient sequencing)

Because the Drakenfontein sits at the station approach, it works best as:
– a 0–5 minute stop immediately after arrival, before you head into the historic core; or
– a final visual marker on your way back to catch a train.

This is especially handy if you’re doing Den Bosch as a short visit: the fountain is stationary, external, and doesn’t require entry tickets or opening-hour planning (no claims made about hours—just that it is a public outdoor monument in the station area).

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## Accessibility and inclusivity notes (what can be stated with confidence)

– The monument is in the station district, which is typically built around paved pedestrian routing; however, exact step-free paths and crossing availability are not documented in the sources above, so anyone needing step-free routing should verify on the ground.
– The safest inclusive guidance: plan to view it from public pavements and crossings, and avoid any attempt to access the central structure across active lanes.

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## If you’re writing this into an itinerary: what to call it (to reduce confusion)

You may see multiple labels:
– Drakenfontein
– De Draak (“The Dragon”)
– references to Moerasdraak in local storytelling about Den Bosch ‘s-Hertogenbosch

For navigation and map apps, “Drakenfontein” plus Stationsplein, ’s-Hertogenbosch is the most direct.

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