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Fortified Triangle
From the moment you enter this
fortress town, you find yourself completely surrounded by Woudrichem’s
ramparts. These ramparts were designed to protect the inhabitants of Woudrichem
during the wars in which the town became involved, like those against Spain and
France. The fortress is strategically located at the confluence of the famous
Dutch rivers the Maas and the Waal. And together with the town of Gorinchem (Gorcum)
and Loevestein Castle, Woudrichem forms what is known as the ‘Fortified
Triangle’, one of the Netherlands’ most impressive defensive strongholds.
Location in ‘The Land of
Heusden and Altena’
Woudrichem lies in the heart of
the Netherlands at the point where the rivers Maas and Waal converge and
continue as the river Merwede. Woudrichem is the ideal base from which to
explore the cultural heritage of other Dutch cities like Amsterdam, The Hague,
Rotterdam, Utrecht, Den Bosch and Breda. And walkers and cyclists will greatly
enjoy the cultural and historic scenery of the immediate surroundings.
Historically, Woudrichem was
the principal town of the Land of Altena: an area that lies between the
Bergsche Maas and the Merwede. This region, together with the Land of Heusden
lying to the south, has been part of the Province of North Brabant since 1815.
The two regions are often referred to jointly as The Land of Heusden and
Altena, and together form the central, northernmost part of the Province of
North Brabant. In and around this area, you will find other historically
important towns like Heusden and Geertruidenberg. And within the boundaries of
Woudrichem borough, there are eight historic villages that have been restored
almost to their original condition. Visitors here can truly imagine themselves
transported back into the 19th century.
Historic harbour
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The fortress town of Woudrichem
is very proud of its historic harbour. Construction in 1998 transformed the
harbour into its original condition, that is, to how it looked in 1650, even
including naturally overgrown banks. This restoration project was unique in the
world. The historic harbour has therefore been pronounced a National Monument,
and is only intended for historic ships like clipper barges, Dutch Stijlstevens
and Frisian Maatkasten. In addition to the historic harbour on the river
Merwede, Woudrichem has two picturesque, yet comfortable yacht marinas on the
Maas.
Woudrichem’s
fishing rights
For centuries the inhabitants
of Woudrichem, also known as Woerkummers, were entitled to fish on large
stretches of the Maas and the Merwede. These fishing rights were a special
privilege, because they were granted by the sovereign to the ordinary people,
instead of to a knight, baron or town council. The privilege was granted to the
populace on 3 June 1362. When in 1877 the borough council interfered with this
centuries-old entitlement, the whole town rose up in a genuine ‘Fishing Revolt’,
organised by the poor fishermen with their large families in fear of loosing
their livelihood. The local constabulary and infantry units from Loevestein and
Gorcum had to be called in to suppress the uprising.
The church
The Martinus Church, a
cruciform church in Woudrichem’s old town centre, dates back to the 15th
century. The heavy square tower we see today used to be higher and much more
conical. The spire section was shot down by the Spanish during the town’s
occupation in 1574. Since then, the tower has been known locally as ‘The
Mustard Pot’. The entire church burned down at the end of the 16th century.
Only a small section remained. But the building was restored and today belongs
to the Dutch Reformed Church.
The Woudrichem
coat of arms
The present coat of arms was
awarded to Woudrichem by Royal Decree on 23 March 1974. It is a composition of
the coats of arms from the surrounding villages, which in 1993 were combined
into one borough. The coat of arms is a shield of gold with two opposite-facing
salmon in gules [heraldic colour of red]; a chief of sable [heraldic colour of
dark grey/blue] with five broad-armed crosslets in gold; and for the crest, a
golden crown of three leaves and two pearls. The salmon on the shield are a
reference to the salmon-fishing that was an integral part of Woudrichem for many
centuries. Nowadays unfortunately, there are no salmon left in Dutch rivers.
Grave
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Naarden
I 's-Hertogenbosch I
Woudrichem
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