Kaatsheuvel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkaːtsˌɦøːvəl]) is a town in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands situated along highways N261 and N628.
A new town centre has been built, with the title Bruisend Dorpshart (Sparkling Village's Heart).
The Duchy consisted of a large area with the most important cities: Brussels, 's-Hertogenbosch, Antwerp, Breda, Leuven and Maastricht.
Although the oldest source speaks of 'Kaatsheuvel' dating from the 14th century, Venloon, the country now known as Loon op Zand, Kaatsheuvel and De Moer was already mentioned in the year 1233.
The population secretly continued to practice the Catholic faith by converting barns into hiding churches.
Around 1720, this brought a fairly large gang of pagans to this area, which in part consisted of marshes and forests.
The deputy governor of Loon op Zand, Otto Juijn, was a sustainer and in 1725 he succeeded in capturing the leader of the gang called Black John.
In the Brabant region, De Langstraat, especially in Kaatsheuvel and Waalwijk, a smooth-running leather and shoe industry developed.
By pastor F.J. the Klijn and the curate E. Rietra, plans are made for a recreational field in Kaatsheuvel.
The Efteling gained worldwide fame through the Sprookjesbos, which was largely designed by the famous Dutch artist Anton Pieck and tech person Peter Reijnders.
The first madhouse in the world "Villa Volta", water show "Aquanura" and darkride "Symbolica, Paleis der Fantasie" have won international THEA Awards.
With 5,3 million visitors on an annual basis, Efteling is the most visited attraction park in the Netherlands.
In the meantime, Mandemakers Groep has become the largest empire for kitchens in the Netherlands with more than 17 store formulas.
Another theory holds that the early inhabitants of Kaatsheuvel were well known for playing a game called kaatsspel on a hill nearby.
The Brabantian worstenbroodje is an example of a typical regional product that originated from cattle farming in North Brabant.
Kaatsheuvel is situated near the municipalities of Waalwijk, Heusden and Dongen, in the middle of North Brabant.
It is also close to several bigger cities like Tilburg, known for its textile, Herbal liqueur 'Schrobbeler' and the Big Summer Funfair.