Amersfoort

Remains of settlements dating to 1000 BC have been found in the Amersfoort area. The name Amersfoort, after a ford in the Amer River, today called the Eem, first appeared in the 11th century. The city grew around what is now the Hof, where the Bishops of Utrecht established a court in order to control…

Ediger-Eller

In the year 639 a.c. both villages Ediger and Eller were officially documented for the first time. The preserved records indicate the status of royal villages under the reign of Franconian king Dagobert I from the famous Merowingian dynasty. Eller, as the then larger of both villages, gained a good deal of reputation quite early….

Harderwijk

Harderwijk received city rights from Count Otto II of Guelders in 1231. A defensive wall surrounding the city was completed by the end of that century. The oldest part of the city is near where the streets Hoogstraat and Grote Poortstraat now are. Around 1315 the city was expanded southwards, which included the construction of what is…

Chimay

Chimay is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It’s known worldwide for its trappist beer and cheese but also for the 1000 years of history it reflects.

Elburg

Between 1292 and 1296 Elburg was rebuilt in the form it is seen today, with a moat and a city wall, together with the straight pattern of the street plan. This rapid rebuilding was expensive, indicating that Elburg was reasonably affluent in medieval times. Elburg once was a small town living of fishing and trade…

Spakenburg

Spakenburg is a village in the community Bunschoten, province of Utrecht. It is situated near Eemmeer. Spakenburg was founded in the 15th century and was once a important fisherman’s village at the Zuiderzee (till the Afsluitdijk was created).Eventhough the village is very small you feel like you are travelling back in time.

Bernkastel-Kues

Bernkastel-Kues is a town on the Middle Mosel in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a well-known wine growing centre. The town is a state-recognized health resort (Erholungsort), seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues and birthplace of one of the most famous German polymaths, the mediaeval churchman and philosopher Nikolaus von Kues (Cusanus)….

Sittard

Sittard is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, and has a rich history behind it. Its city rights were granted in the year 1243. In 1400, it became part of the Duchy of Jülich, which it remained until 1794. From 1798 to 1814, it belonged to imperial France as a part of the…

Kempen

Kempen is a historical and modern town that exudes a friendly welcome at first glance. With some 36,000 inhabitants, the town lies in the north of the district of Viersen on the Lower Rhine. The Old Town with its patrician houses and half-timbered buildings is regarded as one of the loveliest on the entire Lower Rhine. More…

Maastricht

Maastricht developed from a Roman settlement (Trajectum ad Mosam) to a medieval religious centre. In the 16th century it became a garrison town and in the 19th century an early industrial city. Today, the city is a thriving cultural and regional hub. Maastricht has 1677 national heritage buildings (Rijksmonumenten), the second highest number in the…