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.
