According to ETHNICITYOLOGY, Doesburg is a Hanseatic city located on the Gelderse IJssel and the Oude IJssel. For a long time, Doesburg has been in the shadow of other Hanseatic cities in the immediate vicinity, such as Deventer and Zutphen.. In recent years there has been a realization that Doesburg is really worth a visit as a tourist destination. The city council has chosen to polish up the beautiful heritage. Efforts have been made to make the town as attractive as possible for both residents and visitors. And she succeeded. Doesburg is not as big as the aforementioned nearby towns, but is well worth a visit. Besides the fact that Doesburg is a place with a long history, it is also beautifully situated. Doesburg is located on the Gelderse IJssel and the Oude IJssel. The recently completely redesigned IJsselkade is a wonderful place to enjoy the view where these two rivers meet.
The advantage of a town like Doesburg is that it is not too big, but it does have enough to offer. This allows you to enjoy yourself as a tourist, without having to make many walking kilometers. Doesburg mainly shows what a medieval city must have looked like in the past. The fortress walls have since disappeared, but the street pattern shows the origin without any doubt. If you are going to stroll through the historic center of Doesburg: look up. The authentic facades show beautiful details from different times.
Doesburg’s Top 10 Things to Do
#1. The weigh house
If there is one building in the center of Doesburg that you can consider as iconic, it is the Waag. Both the location and the appearance of the building ensure that you cannot miss this building when you visit Doesburg. When it came into use in 1478, the weighing of incoming goods was the most important function of the Waag. Based on this, the city could determine the amount of taxes to be paid. Because the necessary foreign beers were sold through the Waag, it also got the function of city beer house. Because there is still a catering function attached to the Waag and therefore beer has been sold for more than five hundred consecutive years.
#2. Martini tower
The late Gothic Martinikerk, also known as the Grote Kerk, is the largest and oldest church in the Netherlands and the oldest in use catering facility. It is originally a Catholic Church. It became a reformed church when the Reformation was carried out in Doesburg in 1586. The Martinikerk is clearly recognizable by the no less than 94 meters high Martinitoren. It was heavily damaged on 15 April 1945 after the Germans blew it up. A major restoration ensured that the top of the tower has regained its height of 94 meters since 1965. Tower climbs are organized during most school holidays. Accompanied by a tower guide you can climb the 220 steps of the tower.
#3. Lalique Museum
René Jules Lalique is a phenomenon in glass art. This French goldsmith and glass artist has been able to design for large companies such as Aucoc, Cartier and Boucheron. His design style can largely be classified as Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Lalique is best known for the various perfume bottles that sprouted from his brain. The only connection between Lalique and Doesburg is the fact that lovers of his work have opened a museum from their collection: the Lalique Museum. Here you enter the windier world of glass art. The permanent collection includes jewellery, bowls, vases, statues, lighting and of course perfume bottles designed by Lalique. In addition to the permanent exhibition, there is a changing temporary exhibition that is related to glass art.
#4. IJsselkade
The location at the place where the Gelderse IJssel and the Oude IJssel meet is unique. However, it took a long time for that realization to reach the municipality of Doesburg. For years the IJsselkade was an industrial area. Just imagine: on one of the most beautiful locations in the city, there were the ugliest buildings. That only changed in 2005. The IJsselkade was completely redesigned according to the ideas of the now deceased architect Adolfo Natalini. New buildings were built that fit in perfectly with an age-old Hanseatic city such as Doesburg: modern in design, but with subtle hints to the past.
The car-free quay has become a great pedestrian promenade where you can enjoy a phenomenal view. The most beautiful moment of the day is the sunset, which you can admire from here.
#5. Arsenal
The Arsenal was once part of the Great Convent, or the Convent of St. Maria Opten Grave. After its foundation in the middle of the fourteenth century, there was still no question of a monastery. That happened in the year 1446. The complex eventually served as a monastery for 180 years. Since then, the Arsenal has had several functions. The most important was that of weapons storage (arsenal), when the complex was used by the military. That name has been associated with the property ever since. The Arsenal became a protected monument in 1965. At the beginning of this century, a major renovation took place. Since then, the Arsenal has played the role of a multifunctional center. The catering section is interesting for tourists:
#6. town hall
The monumental town hall of Doesburg originally consisted of two buildings: the fourteenth-century Wijnhuis and the fifteenth-century Schepenhuis. Both buildings are made of dark red brick, have a stepped gable and have the same red and white wooden shutters. Only on the side, in the Roggestraat, can you see that these are two different buildings. The adjacent Hof Gelria was later added to the town hall. This also applies to the modern entrance that is currently used as an entrance.
#7. Mustard
Do you want to know where Abraham gets the mustard? Maybe in Doesburg. This traditional seasoning is made here in the traditional way in the Doesburgsche Mustard and Vinegar Factory. This has been the case since 1805. The Doesburg mustard has since found its way onto the shelves of supermarkets throughout the Netherlands. If you want to see how the mustard seed is ground into mustard on the old millstones, you can take a look at the Mustard Museum. Of course you will also find such a typical regional product on the menus in the catering industry. Mustard soup is a frequently ordered appetizer in local restaurants.
#8. Museum de Maurits 1940-1945
Sometimes a hobby can get out of hand, as in the case of Herman Riewald. This Doesburger, who died in 2021, started collecting everything related to the Second World War at a young age. This collecting frenzy has led to an enormous collection. This was partly due to the many gifts that Riewald received as a collector. He was known far beyond Doesburg. His collection (this goes a lot further than a collection) is collected in the Museum de Maurits 1940-1945. The Riewald family shows you the special objects by appointment.
#9. Lines
The Dutch fortification engineer Menno van Coehoorn ensured that Doesburg was provided with the necessary amount of fortifications in the seventeenth century. They were to prevent future hostile visitors. That worked out fine. Since the early twentieth century, the fortifications of Doesburg no longer have a strategic role. The lines are largely intact. Today, the Low Line on the south side of the city and the High Line to the east of Doesburg are an imprint from the past. They show the origin of the city and indicate the boundaries of historical Doesburg. The Lage Linie is now a walking area, where you walk on an unpaved path between water features and reeds. The Hoge Linie has become a nature reserve that is closed to the public for a large part of the year. Guided tours are occasionally organized.
#10. The turf garden
At the Turfhaven you can still see a piece of the industrial history of Doesburg. Here the former GTW shed has been transformed into Loc17; a home for events and culture. The purchase of the warehouse has ensured that a piece of industrial and port history is preserved for Doesburg. The permanent catering facilities present ensure that you can enjoy a snack and a drink in one of the most beautiful places in Doesburg. If you sit outside on the terrace, you look out on the crane and funnel belonging to Loc17.
