Naarden

It is a peaceful, compact and pretty little town, sheltered within its defensive double ramparts and moats. If the idea of a fortress ignites your imagination, this one will make your day – or even your holiday! Naarden is one of Europe’s best-preserved fortified towns, with symmetrical star-shaped bastion fortifications.

Today, Naarden is a leafy little town, situated at the heart of a woody region called Het Gooi, and well-known for an annual performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in the church. In the past, however, it went through some terrible times when it was besieged by French and Spanish troops. The massacre of Naarden in 1572 was the all-time low. It is depicted on the façade of the building known as The Spanish House, currently the museum of weighing scales. Another interesting building is the beautiful former Town Hall (1601 AD) with two stepped gables. Step inside for a minute to study the scale model of Naarden and its fortifications, as the top view will help you get a better sense of the twelve-point star shape. In Grote Kerk / St. Vitus church, tourists use hand mirrors to get a good look at the biblical scenes painted on the barrel-vault ceiling (1518).