| Best | |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Flag Size: | 100x67px |
| Map Alt: | Highlighted position of Best in a municipal map of North Brabant |
| Coordinates: | 51.5167°N 29°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Netherlands |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Brabant |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Governing Body: | Municipal council |
| Leader Party: | D66 |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Hans Ubachs (acting) |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Elevation Footnotes: | [2] |
| Elevation M: | 16 |
| Population Demonym: | Bestenaar |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postcode |
| Postal Code: | 5680–5685 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 0499 |
Best (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /bɛst/) is a municipality and a village in the province of North Brabant, southern Netherlands. It is situated northwest of the city Eindhoven, and is part of Brabant's city region.
The headquarters of one of Europe's largest meat processors, Vion NV, are located in Best, as are Philips Healthcare and the Bata Corporation's "Bata Protective" operations (B2B).
The village used to be a part of Oirschot, a nearby town. But as Best was situated on the state road from Amsterdam to Maastricht, this often created difficulties. Each time the military wanted to quarter troops in Best, they had to request to be stationed in Oirschot, 10 km away, for this to be allowed. Because of this difficulty, the government decided to separate Best from Oirschot in 1819.
Archaeological excavations around the village suggest settlement in the area dating back to the Roman era. The Armenhoef is a monumental farm on the Oirschotseweg 117 in Best.This stable is the oldest still in use within Western Europe. Historical building research in 2009 showed that the wooden frame of the stable dates back to 1263. The residential part of the farm is more recent, and was built in 1640 at the earliest, but probably around 1680. The farm is an official monument.[3] The first written text about Best dates back to 1421.[4]
The village itself, however, did not exist until the 19th century. There were three small villages: Naastenbest in the west, Wilhelminadorp in the south and Verrenbest where Oranjestraat is located. They grew together, and formed the village with the name Best.
Best received a railway station on the line Rotterdam – Breda – Boxtel – Helmond – Venlo – Maastricht. The line had only one track, but traffic congestion necessitated another track, so it was made double-tracked. In the 1980s, congestion once again became a problem so two more tracks were added in 2002. It is now possible to travel to Best from Utrecht or Eindhoven by train.
The spoken language is North Meierijs (an East Brabantian dialect, which is very similar to colloquial Dutch).[5]
| Parties | Seats 2002-06 | Seats 2006-10 | Seats 2010-14 | Seats 2014-18 | Seats 2018-22 | Seats 2022-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDA | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| D66 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| VVD | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Best Open | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| PvdA | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Youth Party JO | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Local Interests | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| ChristianUnion | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Local Best | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Total | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21[6] | 23[7] |
For train transport, see Best railway station.
One can take bus number 9 from Eindhoven central station to Best, or bus numbers 141/142 from Tilburg central station to Best.