History

The city of Amersfoort was granted its city charter in 1259. During its medieval heyday Amersfoort was both a popular place of pilgrimage as well as an important city in the brewing industry. The oldest of Amersfoorts bars, In Den Grooten Slock, still stands today. The historic brewery, De Drie Ringen, brews excellent beers and is open to the public from friday til sunday from 1 til 7 pm.

Amersfoort boasts hundreds of monuments. The most striking, the 98 meter late-medieval Onze Lieve Vrouwentoren, is one of the tallest church towers in the Netherlands. The Koppelpoort is another monument that forms a major part of the cityscape. This well preserved land- and watergate dates from the 1400’s and once  was part of the old city wall.

The Muurhuizen is a circular street of terraced houses built at the end of the medieval period on the foundations of the old city wall which still circles the centre of the city. The many canals that traverse the city, and give Amersfoort its characteristic atmosphere,  were once used for transport.