The Netherlands has many small villages to discover. This village is called Elburg, which was one of the Hansa towns from medieval times. As a result, it was part of the Hanseatic League or network which was known for its merchants/trade and defense systems. Hence, it is not surprising that this small town has a fortress and is surrounded by a moat and a city wall. It is easy to imagine being back in the Middle Ages and that this village was affluent therefore needed to be protected.
The Vischport
The Vischpoort used to be one of the defense tower, now it’s the gate to the town.
Elburg has a grid street planning which is not typical of most Dutch towns. The town is almost a perfect square; it was easy to navigate.
Elburg used to be a flourishing fishing village but when the South Sea was closed off to make the Afsluitdijk in early 1930’s - the fishing industry ended. Tools of the trade can be seen as one traverse the streets with the fishing nets and other decorations.
There are still a few artisan shops reminsicent of their history, such as an eel smokehouse and a ropemakers shop. However, there are now many shops for tourists.
Interestingly there is no train station in this town but it is still a popular tourist destination due to its authenticity and festivals. On this rainy day, the streets were still full of visitors strolling around.
Although I do not like buying tourists paraphernalia, this particular shop looked so charming -
I went in to have a look around.
There are typical dutch styled houses,
some are lining streets which used to be canals.
This gazebo is sitting in the middle of a filled in canal.
The streets are very cute with different styles of houses.
It was nice to discover them as I walked around.
The Grote Kerk (or Sint Nicolaaskerk) was started late 1390's and finished around 1450. It was closed so no chance to see inside.
Thereafter, I came across the Muurhuisjes or the Wall Houses. As the name implies, homes were built into a wall - the one which surrounds the town. The wall's original purpose was no longer required, so homes for the poor were built into this strong supporting wall.
a row of Muurhuisjes
Whilst walking around, I was told to look down to notice the characteristic white and black cobblestones of the alleys.
At the old harbour, one can see flat bottom boats with EB (Elburg Botters) on them. These boats keep the memory of the past as a fishing village alive.
I decided to sit at one of the harbour cafes to appreciate the scenery.
A slice of cake and a hot chocolate was very welcomed.😀
Thereafter, it was time to walk on the rampart around the town to appreciate Elburg from a different perspective.
Along the beautiful tree lined path, there were great views between the trees.
Thereafter, it was time to depart from Elburg. It was a short but lovely walk around this historic Hansa village. It was charming and unique and definitely worth visiting.
All photos are my own - taken with an iPhone
