Gorinchem, Medieval fortress city in South Holland, Netherlands.
Description
Gorinchem is a town in the province of South Holland, where the rivers Merwede and Linge meet. The streets inside the old city walls run around a central square area, and from the ramparts you can see the surrounding waterways and polders.
History
Fishermen and farmers settled here around the year 1000, and the settlement received official town rights in 1322. The fortifications with eleven bastions were completed in 1609 and protected the town through several regional conflicts.
Culture
The name Gorinchem comes from "Goor," meaning riverbank, and "chem," meaning home, describing how the first settlers lived along the water. Today visitors see this connection still at work in harbors, small quays, and homes built close to the river edge.
Practical
The town is reached via two highways and a train station with regular connections to other Dutch cities. The bastions and ramparts are easy to explore on foot or by bicycle.
Did you know?
The eleven bastions from 1609 form together the best-preserved example of a star fortress in the Netherlands. This recognition was officially confirmed in 2021.
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Merwedebrug
2.2 km
Grote Kerk
133 m
Fort Vuren
3.9 km
Blauwe Toren
402 m
Dit is in Bethlehem
31 m
Dalempoort
473 m
Gorcums Museum
102 m
Waterpoort
392 mGrote Merwedesluis
478 m
Lingehaven
339 m
De Hoop
600 m
Tolhuis, Leerdam
398 m
Watertoren
473 m
Kleine Merwedesluis
406 m
Wilhelminafontein
105 m
Koepelkerk, Arkel
2.6 km
Ontvangstgebouw van de firma De Vries Robbé
613 m
Nooit Volmaakt
338 mGorinchemse Kanaalsluis
548 m
Heilige Geestkapel
98 m
Lingesluis
406 m
Oostmolen
2.4 km
Westmolen
2.6 km
Arkelpoort
307 m
Monument in het Wilhelminapark
519 m
Hervormde Kerk, Sleeuwijk
3 km
Hersteld Evangelisch Lutherse Kerk
246 m
Gorcums Museum
104 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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