There is in Holland (30 km from Amsterdam and a 10-minute drive from Heisen) the fortress city of Naarden, which is an island in the shape of a hexagon, surrounded on all sides by a moat with water repeating the shape of the city itself. A kind of symmetrical beauty can be watched with pleasure from a bird's eye view.
The modern city of Naarden is located far from fortifications, ramparts and canals, and practically merged with its neighbor - the city of Bassem. Today we are not talking about him, but about the so-called "historical part" of Naarden, which was founded in the 13th century and for seven centuries served as a strategic point on the map of the wars between Holland, Germany and England. The fortress city of Naarden is interesting and remarkable for two things - firstly, its amazingly beautiful symmetrical shape, and secondly, the excellent condition of the fortifications. In terms of plan, the fortress is an intricate figure that resembles a six-pointed star with arrow-shaped shapes along the edges.
In the 13th century, Naarden was a small fortified town on a stretch of land between the sea and the marshes of the Vecht River. Here was the only way to Amsterdam from the east, which automatically made Naarden a strategic fortress. But at that time no one allocated money for normal fortifications and they were in their infancy, which made the city extremely vulnerable.
The lack of an impressive defensive system meant that when in the 17th century the French king Louis XIV and his allies invaded the Netherlands, no one noticed how the small town was under the French flag. At that time, Holland was an important economic and political component of Western Europe, so its conquest would have brought Louis many significant bonuses. He captured Utrecht and made it a base for an invasion inland, but the venture collapsed due to swamps, through which the French army could not advance and was slowly exterminated by the Dutch. By 1673, Naarden was in Dutch hands, after which the fortifications were erected in the form in which they exist today.
In the 19th century, the fortifications underwent major repairs and some reconstruction, as a result of which many new bomb shelters, arsenals and barracks appeared on the territory of the fortress. At the end of the 19th century, the firepower of artillery increased so much that the construction of defensive walls in Naarden was stopped, instead, the emphasis was on bomb shelters, most of which still exist.
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After the First World War, the need for Naarden as a fortress disappeared. The army moved closer to the training grounds, and it was decided to make the city a monument. One of the bastions houses a museum about the fortress, where you can find a lot of information about the history of the city. The museum also provides access to all tunnels and casemates, you must visit it if you want to properly explore the fortress. Lovers of a relaxing holiday are offered boat trips in the surrounding reservoir.
1572 year.
1929 year.
Today Naarden is one of the few surviving bastions in the Netherlands and is the only fortification in Europe with unique double walls and moats.
1932 year.
It is worth noting that Naarden did not always have such a "star" shape. Once the city occupied a small territory, which was surrounded by a fortress that had the shape of an irregular oval. However, with the advent of artillery and its development, it became clear and understandable that such a system of fortifications was morally obsolete and was no longer so invulnerable against the action of cannon shells. For the Dutch, who actively fought for their independence in the 15-16 centuries, it was very important that the defenses were strong. And then, in Napoleonic times, the inhabitants of the Netherlands had to fight constantly. Therefore, the issue of strengthening the borders was very relevant. The South Sea was not sufficiently protected, therefore the enemies could well use the internal waters to attack the cities. It was then that the Dutch decided to borrow such a form of the fortress from the Italians, where each bastion would cover the other. So Naarden was imprisoned in star form.
By the way, this walled city is very interesting not only for its original form, but also for its historical and very fascinating part for tourists. So, in one of the bastions is now the Netherlands Fortress Museum, where you can admire a very diverse collection of cannons dating back to the 17th century. At the same time, part of the cannon exposition is located in the open air, and the other - indoors. Underground, you can see exhibits that vividly depict ordinary Dutch soldiers in their lives (that is, with uniforms, equipment, sleeping place). The puppets depicting soldiers move and can even tell interesting stories (though only in Dutch).
In addition to the halls illustrating the hard life of Dutch warriors, underground tourists are invited to visit the dark and long auditory corridors, made at one time in order to be able to listen to everything that happened on the water. Even the slightest rustle is heard here! Therefore, the enemy simply did not have a chance to swim up unnoticed. The museum is monitored and always maintained in working order by volunteers from among the Naarden pensioners, for which they simply cannot but express our gratitude.
Naarden is also home to the tomb of Jan Comenius, a Czech philosopher and humanist, and this symmetrical walled city is famous for its St. Vitus Church, where every year, on Good Friday, grandiose performances are held to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
In addition to its great configuration, Naarden is also known for its large photography festival, which is held here every year. The exhibition hall is the walled city itself, in different parts of which the enlarged works of photographers are placed.
In addition to the city of Narden itself, the Narden community also includes the village of Narderbos.
The city of Narden is located in the western part of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, on the coast of the Zuidersee and consists of two parts: the old fortified city and the settlement that appeared after 1900, which is now connected with the neighboring city of Bussum. The city is located on the Amsterdam - Amersfoort motorway, at a distance of 20 kilometers from each of them. Many of Narden's residents work in nearby Amsterdam. Tourism is the main source of income for the city.
The Great Church (Eng. The Great Church, Dutch. Grote Kerk) or the Church of St. Vitus (St. Vituskirche) is a Gothic church of the 15th century located in the center of Narden, where every year, on Good Friday, the Passion according to Matthew (German Matthäus- Passion or Matthæus Passion), BWV 244 - a musical work by J. S. Bach for soloists, two choirs and two orchestras, created in 1727-1729.
The Dutch Fortress Museum (Nederlands Vestingmuseum) was opened in 1955 in one of the six Narden's defensive bastions in the Turfpoort Bastion (Dutch Bastion Turfpoort)
The address of the Netherlands Fortress Museum is
Westwalstraat 6
1411PB Naarden
Tel: 035-6945459
Fax: 035-6943511
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.vestingmuseum.nl