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Oudewater Naiaden Photo by MeTimmyFox

Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Oudewater

Oudewater is the oldest city in the Green Heart region in The Netherlands, and at the same time, one of the best destinations to visit in the Utrecht region. The city of Oudewater obtained city rights in 1265. It’s found at the estuary of the river Lange Linschoten, which is a part of the Hollands or Hollands Che IJssel river.

1.Explore the village of Linschoten

Linschoten has been  one of those charming Dutch villages you can find in the Utrecht region. It has  pretty streets and, of course, a canal flowing through the town. Although it’s a small place, there are certainly a few things to do in Linschoten and its surroundings. 

2.Cycle or walk in the surroundings of Oudewater

Cycling photo by Paul Green

At the tourist office and information point in Oudewater which is found at Leeuweringerstraat 10 in Oudewater. You can also  find fantastic cycling or walking routes from Oudewater to many beautiful destinations within the Utrecht and Green Heart regions. You can rent bikes in Oudewater via Haaksman Tweewielers in Oudewater

3.Discover  the ruins of Castle Te Vliet in Oudewater

Kasteel te Vliet which is  a former castle just outside the town of Oudewater. It  was built on the assignment of Gerrit van den Vliet, who was part of an influential family. The castle was built between 1250 and 1300, but all that remains nowadays is a section of the north facade of the donjon. The castle was already a ruin back in 1647.It can be found at Goudse Straatweg 67. It’s not much, but it’s a reminder of the troubled times in the – nowadays- quiet Dutch countryside.

4.Admire nature reserves in the Green Heart region

Oudewater Naiaden Photo by MeTimmyFox

The Green Heart region is an area within the Dutch Randstad, which is sparsely populated and exists mostly out of peatland meadows. Around and at the outskirts of the Green Heart area, you will find cities such as Rotterdam, Den Haag, Zoetermeer, Leiden, Haarlem, Amsterdam and Utrecht.

Besides seeing the loveliest Dutch towns and villages in the Green Heart, there are also loads of nature reserves to explore. You can find the closest nature reserves in

Oudewater.

5. There is Free walking tour in Oudewater

This tour through Oudewater is around 3 kilometres .Leeuweringerstraat 12 usually the starting point where you will see the Oudkatholieke Kerk Oudewater. That was built in a neo-Romanesque style, by an architect from the town of Woerden, in 1882.

The current church which is built on the location of the former church that was clandestine. It was made for 13.693 Guilders. Then walk to Leeuweringerstraat 10 where you can see a 19th-century rectory of the church.

At Leeuweringerstraat 2 you will find one of the essential sights in Oudewater: De Waag, or the weighing building. Every Dutch town or city has one of these buildings, as it was used to weigh goods. The weighing house in Oudewater is even more unique, as people were weight here to determine whether they were or weren’t witches from the 16th to 18th century

6. Explore the waag building in Oudewater

Oudewater Waag photo by Rumex12

The Waag building in Oudewater which  was built in 1482 Emperor Charles V, gave Oudewater. It was the only place in Europe the privilege for an honest and fair weighing process. This is also the reason why no one was ever prosecuted for being a witch in Oudewater. Another thing that is good to know is the fact that the weighing of ‘witches’ was a nice, little business for Oudewater. 

7. Visit the Grote Kerk, or Sint- Michaëlskerk, in Oudewater 

Oudewater Kerk photo by Michiel1972

This is the Grote Kerk, or Sint- Michaëlskerk, in Oudewater which is a Gothic hall church. It was completed in the 15th century when they expanded a Gothic cruciform church. This church has been protestant since either 1572 or 1573. 

The tower of this church dates back to the 14th century and isn’t a common type of tower that you often find in this region.  The tower was used to defend Oudewater. The last, significant renovation that took place here was between 1960 and 1968.

Inside this church, you can find a funeral monument from scientist Rudolph Snellius, who was buried here in 1613. He was born in Oudewater and was a linguist and mathematician. Rudolph was a professor at the universities of Marburg and Leiden.

8.Visbrug 1 which was the town hall in Oudewater that was built end of the 15th century

This is the town hall of Oudewater and was built at the end of the 15th century. The building before that was heavily damaged after the Oudewater murder, but the current city hall of Oudewater is built on the foundations of the previous one. On the first floor, you can find the office of the mayor and the previous council hall; the second floor was used for the officials of the entire municipality. On top of the chimney of the town hall, the oldest documented stork’s nest in The Netherlands is found. 

It’s currently still in use for meetings of the municipality of Oudewater, as well as used as a wedding venue and city museum. There’s also a new office for the general services of the municipality; another building was made.

9.Canal tour in Oudewater

Oudewater Netherlands photo by Ben Bender

This is one of the best things you can do in Oudewater is to explore it from the water to get a different perspective, so a canal cruise in Oudewater it is. There are several ways to enjoy the canals in this small Dutch city.

10 . Explore the Oudewater witches weight  house museum

The witch scale in Oudewater, The Netherlands, is the most important part of this museum. For at least 100 years, visitors from all over the world have been coming here, to stand on the scale and to get a certificate whether they’re witches, or not. Emperor Charles V gave Oudewater the privilege for a fair weighing trial, as the only city in Europe.

That’s why no one was ever convicted as a witch here. It’s an absolute must-do in Oudewater, especially if you’re interested in the history of witches and the trials. It’s opened year-round, but during the low season (winter months) only on the weekends.