The city of Amsterdam sees millions of visitors every year, and justifiably so—as the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is an important city with incredible beauty and vast historical depth. Between the picturesque canals with their unique houses, the centuries-old churches, the amazing museums, and the charming neighborhoods, it is a history lover’s dream destination. If, however, one were to ask a Dutch resident what they should do in Amsterdam, the surprising answer might well be, “Oh, you should go to another city!” Amsterdammers love their home city, of course. But many Dutch people would like nothing more than for visitors to their beautiful country to see more of it—and to learn more about its remarkable past.
1. Franeker: A Center of Academic History
The province of Friesland is almost a country within a country itself; once a kingdom in its own right during Roman times, ancient Frisia was diminished and eventually divided between Germany and the Netherlands. Despite becoming a recognized part of the Netherlands, Friesland retains its distinct culture and language, making the province as a whole a unique and fascinating travel destination.
In Friesland, the small city of Franeker is truly a treasure trove for history lovers, especially those of an academic bent. Franeker was once the home of the venerable University of Franeker, whose alumni include French philosopher René Descartes and New Amsterdam director-general Peter Stuyvesant.
Though now defunct, parts of the old university still stand in and around Franeker’s well-preserved historic city center along with other architecturally significant structures such as the 14th century Martinikerk or the Botniastins building.
The most remarkable attraction in Franeker, however, may be the Eise Eisinga Planetarium. A woolworker and amateur astronomy enthusiast, Eise Eisinga constructed a fully functioning mechanical orrery in the living room of his tiny home in the late 1700s. As beautiful as it is functional, the orrery is painted in blue and gold, making it a work of art as well as science. It is the oldest still working mechanical planetarium in existence.
2. Deventer: The Book City
For 400 years, Germany’s Hanseatic League operated in many countries across Europe; Iceland, Norway, Belgium, Spain, and Great Britain all had cities that numbered in the League’s ranks.
As the home country of the League, Germany naturally had the most Hanseatic cities. However, with at least 22 cities directly affiliated with it, the Netherlands was the next largest member country of the Hanseatic League, a history that remains celebrated and remembered.
Deventer’s past as a Hanseatic city is still visible today, with a number of old warehouses and trade halls standing in the city center. There’s an even richer history beyond the Hanseatic League’s time in Deventer, however: this is a city that loves books.
Printing and bookbinding were once a hugely important part of Deventer’s economy. At one time, the city accounted for 25 percent of books produced in the Netherlands and Belgium. There are still publishers working out of Deventer today, and you’ll find purveyors of books both antique and contemporary all over the city.
In fact, the world’s largest open-air book fair is held annually each August in Deventer, where real treasures can be found by those who have the stamina to browse through several miles of book stalls. And in December, Charles Dickens fans will appreciate the annual festival in his honor.
Adding to the literary history of Deventer, the Netherlands’ oldest city library, the Athenaeum was established in 1560 and still exists today on the grounds of a now-defunct cloister. Only accessible via appointment, the Athenaeum is the steward of a number of precious medieval manuscripts, African and Asian materials, antique Bibles, and other irreplaceable historical literature.
3. Zutphen: The City of Towers
Another Hanseatic city, the beautiful medieval city of Zutphen is one of the smaller sparkling gems in the province of Gelderland. Often overlooked in favor of Arnhem and Nijmegen, Zutphen nonetheless has a charming and distinguished history of its own that merits many a visit.
Zutphen is known in the Netherlands as the “Tower City,” due to the several largely medieval towers that reach into the skyline. The towers and other buildings in Zutphen with their elaborate paintings and moldings are the result of the city’s success with the Hanseatic League, a sign of the wealth amassed during their time in it.
Getting lost in the winding, crooked streets of Zutphen’s beautifully preserved city center is an experience in itself, with wonderful and very old buildings everywhere you look. In many of these structures, visitors can find unusual museums such as De Librije, an ancient church library where the books are chained to lecterns; the Boer Kip Museum, the eclectic and lovely former home of farmer and painter Herman Kip; and De Warkense Molen, the tiny bakery museum housed in a 19th-century grain windmill.
Many medieval books are on display in Zutphen’s chained library, including these Catholic texts with Protestant figures carved into the covers, photo by Lissa Reed
Van Russenborch was a convert to Protestantism and a dissident at a time when it was still dangerous to be one. When he carved the covers of these Catholic texts, he included images of several prominent Reformation figures as a form of protest. Though the library custodians never apparently noticed the protest, van Russenborch still vanished without a trace somewhere around 1564, never to be heard from again—but his books remain intact in Zutphen, an enduring symbol of his beliefs.
4. Coevorden: A Fortified City With a Canadian Link
In Drenthe, Coevorden stands as one of the Netherlands’ “fortified cities,” a city with star-shaped defensive walls that were strategically laid out to take additional advantage of surrounding natural features for extra defense.
Remnants of the days when the city was surviving regular sieges—most notably from Bernhard von Galen, or “Bommen Berend” in 1672—remain visible, from the former castle that is now a hotel to the radial layout of the city’s most central streets, and the Het Arsenaal, a 17th-century armory that now houses the city’s library, museum, and tourist bureau.
Apart from its military history, Coevorden was also known for its livestock trade. Of the city’s four monthly markets, the goose market was often the most lucrative and lively, an economic boon for the city. Though the market’s trade in geese petered out sometime in the 20th century, the city still celebrates this defining aspect of its history with a goose girl statue in the old market center, and an annual Ganzenmarkt festival each November.
Coevorden also possesses an interesting link to Canada. The city was originally named after the powerful van Coevorden family, who defended the area and its castle for over two centuries. It is thought that once the family left the Netherlands, some members emigrated to England, where William of Orange ruled, and they Anglicized the family name to Vancouver. A descendant of this family, George Vancouver, became a famous navigator, and it is he for whom the Canadian city of Vancouver was named. In Coevorden today, visitors can find references to George in several places, including a bridge that crosses part of the city’s angular defensive moat.
A Rewarding Exploration
Branching out beyond Amsterdam to see the rest of the Netherlands will reward the curious traveler with a wealth of historic treasure. Thousands of years of war, peace, commerce, religion, and culture are embedded in every brick of every street—just pick a direction and hop on a train at Amsterdam Centraal! The stories of these cities and more are waiting to be heard.
