Wijk bij Duurstede

( Listen? / I ) Wijk bij Duurstede is a municipality and a city in the south of the province of Utrecht. Wijk bij Duurstede has 23,035 inhabitants ( 1 January 2013). The municipality includes the villages Cothen ( about 2900 inhabitants) and Langbroek (south of Driebergen, Utrecht Ridge community, about 2100 inhabitants).

Location and economic

Wijk bij Duurstede is located on the Amsterdam - Rhine Canal and the Lower Rhine. The Nederrijn here splits up: in the further course these are the Lek and the Kromme Rijn. See also: on the map, " History of the Lek " in the magnification quite right: Wijk bij Duurstede and the said waters.

The municipality borders the municipalities Houten, Bunnik, Utrecht Ridge and Buren. Are economically significant of the arable land and orchards, some tourism and a brick and concrete factory.

History

In the early Middle Ages was at the point of Wijk bij Duurstede the important trading town Dorestad. After its demise in the 9th century, the area was deserted. A knight named Zweder van Abcoude was built here in the 13th century, a residential tower. In memory of Dorestad he called the building Duurstede. Therefore, around a settlement, which received city rights in 1300 developed. The new Duurstede castle was inhabited in the 15th century by the influential David of Burgundy ( * 1427, † 1496 ), who was then prince-bishop of Utrecht, and thus also the secular ruler. The castle came after the Reformation in the hands of the States of Utrecht and was when the French destroyed the town in 1672 during a military expedition, dragged by the inhabitants Wijks to two strong towers: they used the stones for the reconstruction of their homes. To date, Wijk is a quiet, somewhat " off " located provincial town. From 1399 to 1405, Frederick of Blankenheim, the monastery Maria Magdalena build and populated it with sisters from the convent Beautiful Steinbach.

Attractions

• The old town, with its old houses, the Great Church from the 14th to the 15th century and the gate on the dam with windmill. The Mill on the image of Ruisdael was replaced in the 19th century by the present
• The museum Dorestad ( local history museum ), with important exhibits from the ruins of Dorestad; to small temporary exhibitions; only open in the afternoon
• The Fort Vechten, a not very old fort, which belonged to the fortifications of the city of Utrecht; it is now a party center with banquet hall and restaurant
• The surroundings of Langbroek is rich in small pleasure palaces from the 17th to the 19th century; Huis Doorn for (see: Utrecht Ridge ), there is a bike path
• The ruins of the castle with the two mighty towers (one round, so-called Donjon and a square tower have been preserved ) was integrated in 1852 by the famous landscape architect Jan David Zocher in a park; Parts of the ruins have been restored. There is also a "party center " ( rooms for events ).

Twinning

Jicin (Czech Republic)