Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: vestingstad

Stevensweert is an old fortified town situated on an island between two branches of the river Maas. During the Eighty Years' War, this island was conquered by the Spaniards in 1633. They immediately built almost impregnable fortifications. Stevensweert was surrounded by a high earthen wall with seven bastions; around the wall a wide moat was dug out with five ravelins. The Spanish garrison stayed in specially built barracks. In 1702, after a two-day siege, the fortress fell to Dutch troops. Three years later, five additional bastions were constructed. In 1874 the fortifications were purchased by the municipality of Stevensweert. The land was parcelled out and the inhabitants were able to buy the available plots. In the 1980s, plans were made to reconstruct part of the fortifications. This plan was realised in 2010 and nowadays Stevensweert again partly resembles the impressive fortress it was in the past. (Due to bad rainy weather I only took one picture of the present fortifications.)

The Sint Catharijnekerk (also called Grote Kerk) was intended to become the largest church in the Holland region, but was never completed. The construction began in 1417, but in 1456 there was a major fire and twenty five years later they ran out of money and the construction of the church stopped; only the nave and tower were completed. Originally it was a roman catholic church, but in the year of 1572 the parish became in Protestant hands. Despite its use by the protestants, the church is often called by its catholic name Sint Catherijnekerk (St. Catharine Church). The Sint Catharijnekerk has quite a relationship with the House of Orange-Nassau. In the year of 1575 Willem van Oranje (William of Orange) married with Charlotte de Bourbon. And in 1688 Mary Stuart waved her husband Stadtholder William III goodbye from the tower, when he left for England to be crowned. Brielle still can be recognized from far away by the 57 meter high, truncated tower of the Sint-Catharijnekerk. In the older days - when Brielle was a major seaport - the tower also was used as a lighthouse.

Flour mill "Nooit Gedagt" is standing on one of the bastions of the fortress of Woudrichem. Originally the mill was built in the year of 1682 and was destroyed during World War II. "Nooit Gedagt" was rebuilt and reopened in 1996. Woudrichem itself is one of the official eleven Dutch fortress towns and its name ‘Walrichsheim' was already found in the year of 866. It became known as Woudrichem as from 1290, and could already be considered a town at that time, having a sheriff, aldermen and a council. It became city rights in 1356. For another view of the same windmill: www.ipernity.com/doc/327263/28234661/in/group/100944