Townwalk Heusden
Heusden is one of the eleven fortified towns along the Zuiderwaterlinie. Follow the junctions for a 5.5 kilometre walk and experience the special historical atmosphere of this city.
Starting point: from your location
Discovering the fortified town of Heusden
Heusden is one of the eleven fortified towns along the Zuiderwaterlinie. Follow the junctions for a 5.5 kilometre walk and experience the special historical atmosphere of this city. The fortified town of Heusden was built around one of the oldest moated castles in northwestern Europe. Strategically located on the Meuse, the fortress was an important link between the Biesbosch wetlands and the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Heusden was one of the first Dutch cities to receive a city wall. After 1968 the fortified town was completely restored. This earned Heusden the prestigious Europa Nostra restoration prize.
You will walk outside the walls around Heus…
Discovering the fortified town of Heusden
Heusden is one of the eleven fortified towns along the Zuiderwaterlinie. Follow the junctions for a 5.5 kilometre walk and experience the special historical atmosphere of this city. The fortified town of Heusden was built around one of the oldest moated castles in northwestern Europe. Strategically located on the Meuse, the fortress was an important link between the Biesbosch wetlands and the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Heusden was one of the first Dutch cities to receive a city wall. After 1968 the fortified town was completely restored. This earned Heusden the prestigious Europa Nostra restoration prize.
You will walk outside the walls around Heusden and get a nice view of the ramparts. Through the Wijkse poort gate you enter the fortress. The walk takes you past the beautifully reconstructed Veerpoort gate, also called Waterpoort (water gate). The fortress history of Heusden can be felt in almost every stone. Walking through the centuries’old streets you can imagine yourself iin the 1600s. Stroll past stately buildings with art galleries, boutiques and top restaurants. The harbour offers a beautiful view of nostalgic windmills and bridges. During your walk you can stop to have a drink at the lively Vismarkt (fish market) or Botermarkt (butter market).
Walk along the Zuiderwaterlinie in Brabant
Discover the Zuiderwaterlinie (southern water line), the oldest, longest and most used waterline in the Netherlands. A unique chain of 11 fortified towns, forts and ramparts in Brabant, connected by the typical Dutch tradition of using water for defence.
Inheritance of an eventful past
For centuries the Zuiderwaterlinie served to protect the country against attacks. The waterline runs all the way from Bergen op Zoom in the south-west to Grave in the north-east of Brabant. Everywhere along the line you’ll find traces of an eventful past. Beautiful city monuments that are reminders of the time when soldiers still stood in front of the gates. Many of these monuments can be visited. Beyond the fortified towns you will find sturdy forts, ramparts, lunettes and redoubts. Provision rooms have made way for lively cafés and restaurants.
Zuiderwaterlinie footpath
The Zuiderwaterlinie footpath is a 290-kilometre walk and is marked out via the Brabant junction system, allowing you to walk from one junction to the next.
Additional route information
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Sights on this route
Starting point
Heusdenseweg 29
5256 NC Heusden
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Story of the route
- The three windmills near the town port
On the ramparts of Heusden, on the Bergsche Maas side, there are a total of three windmills. In times of siege these mills ensured that the town was self-sufficient. Every year on National Mill Day you can see the mills turn and listen to the millers explain their craft. The mills can be visited all year by appointment. - Governor's House
The Governor’s House, dating from 1592, is one of the most beautiful buildings in the fortress. It was once the parsonage of the Dutch Reformed Church and later became the official residence of Heusden’s governor. Now the Governor’s House brings the history of Heusden and its surroundings to life with its own permanent collection and interesting temporary exhibitions. And in the museum café or the walled Gouverneurstuin garden you can enjoy a cup of coffee, light lunch or a good glass of wine. - Traditional garden de Meulenwerf
This is the place where the town farm and vegetable gardens used to be, under the ramparts near the river Maas. It is an ideal location to connect past and present, countryside and culture and to discover and enjoy together. Every season has its charm in the garden. It can be accessed via the Molenstraat or at the end of the Waterpoort (free of charge).
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