Naarden

This weekend we went on a bike trip again. It seems to be an average Saturday activity for us. I guess we will have got really fit, by the time we move back to Hungary. This time we chose the city of Naarden.

On Saturday morning the weather was not as favourable as we expected. Mother Nature did not stand on our side. The heavy winds and rain made us think: to go, or not to go.

Finally things had got a little better by 11 a.m. The sky was still filled with huge grey clouds, but we were brave enough to start off. Our trip was about 16 kms and took approximately an hour. Halfway we got terrible wind, and it also started to rain heavily. This nightmare took  8-10 mins.

As we arrived in Naarden, the sun started to show up between the mean clouds. We searched for a place to lock up our bikes, and countinued our trip on foot.

At the local fortress museum we discovered many interesting facts about this city. As we were informed, Naarden was founded back in the 1300s. For centuries its aim was to protect Amsterdam from enemies, like the Spanish Empire (1568-1648: Eighty Years' War, also known as Dutch War of Independence).

Actually it is a star shaped fort surrounded by moat.  It was made of bricks and the whole thing was covered with dirt. It was useful, because cannon balls could not damage them.

At the museum we saw many martial stuffs such as weapons and cannons. People can learn about the history and background of this city through short films. Interesting fact: Netherlands often used water in order to block or obstruct the actions of the enemies. They created flood artifically. These floody areas were too shallow for boats, but too deep to cross over on foot or on horses. Very tricky...

We spent a couple of hours in Naarden before getting back on track. Naarden was really wonderful with its unique landscape, little narrow cobblestone streets and  green areas. It was an unforgettable experience. :)

We have already found out our next destination. It is Zaanse Schans. If you are curious about that adventure too, please come back next week. Tot ziens! ;)