Highlights of Amersfoort

The Koppelpoort is a city gate in Amersfoort. It is a combination of a land and water gate. The Eem officially begins here. The gate was built between 1380 and 1425 as part of the second city wall. The entire wall was completed around 1450.  The name is probably derived from the East Middle Dutch word "coppel" meaning common pasture. The area outside the Koppelpoort was a common area. So the name does not indicate that the gate had two functions. The Koppel gate could be closed by means of a double treadmill. This one is still functioning.

At over 98 meters high, the Our Dear Lady Tower (Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren in Dutch) is one of the tallest late medieval towers. The pride of Amersfoort is the city's most famous eye-catcher and is also called Lange Jan. The "Miracle of Amersfoort" was the reason for the construction of the tower. After 1450, the construction of the tower started, and around 1500 the tower was finished. The tower is said to symbolize the Mother of God and the additional expanded corner tower the Christ Child. The tower is not only highly visible in the city, but also makes itself heard with its 100 bells, 7 of which are swinging bells. In addition, the location of the tower forms the cadastral center of the Netherlands, as can be easily seen in the floor of the tower. 

The water gate Monnikendam is part of the second city wall and was built around 1400 to defend the water access. The gate consists of two round wall towers, connected by an arch. Under this water gate the water of the Heiligenbergerbeek flows into the city center. The water passage under the arch could be closed by a fence. The water gate now houses a restaurant, in an extension (2006) by architect B. Dillen. The roof of the extension has been made part of the park.

When you walk through the Wall Houses (Muurhuizen in Dutch) you imagine yourself in the Middle Ages. When the city began to expand as a result of the economic boom in 1380, a new city wall had to be built. The old wall was demolished and from about 1500 houses were built with the material of the old wall along the line where the city wall stood. Because the construction of these houses took place in different periods there is a great diversity of building styles.

The Hof, one of the squares in the inner city, is dominated by the monumental St. Joris Church. Its basis is a court chapel from 1200, of which the Romanesque tower still remains. Around 1300 the chapel made way for a Gothic cruciform church. Between 1375 and 1450 it was expanded with a hall choir and a central choir. Enlargements followed fairly soon thereafter. After the recent restoration (2009-2011) the visitor experiences even more than before that Gothic stands for high and light. The showpiece of the church is the doxal of natural stone from around 1480, which separates the choir area from the church.

The river Eem starts in Amersfoort and has a length of about 18 kilometers and flows into the Eemmeer. The Eem is also called the longest river of the Netherlands since it is the only river that both starts and ends in the Netherlands. A walk along the water is definitely worthwhile.

The land gate stands on the north side of the inner city between Langestraat and Kamp and belongs to the first city wall of Amersfoort. It is one of the last remnants of this first city wall, the structure of which can still largely be seen in the Muurhuizen, to which the gate was built.  The name Kamperbinnenpoort is derived from de Kamp (meadow), the name of the area between the first and second city walls on the north side of the inner city. After the construction of the Kamperbuitenpoort, which was built in the second city wall, the gate received its present name.

An old industrial area in Amersfoort where new life has been blown into. An inspiring place with a mix of old & new. The authentic atmosphere and rich history of De Nieuwe Stad can still be felt in places like the old soap factory, the Rohm & Haas villa and the former Prodentfabriek. Nice to walk through if you are interested in the industrial history of Amersfoort.