Travel tips: Wijk van Duurstede & Castle

December 28, 2021

Travel tips: Wijk van Duurstede & Castle

With lockdown just a week before xmas, many plans were ruined. Plans for outdoor skating, museums and nice restaurant dinners out the window. Thus for Christmas, it was vacation in own country once again. The rules for Austria hAd already been made tighter in November so I have put that on temporary hold. Christmas Day was absolutely beautiful weather with a low freeze before and after, but on Christmas Day it was a clear blue sky and full sunshine, so a treat to be outdoors. Dressed in wollen hats and gloves, armed with a thermos flask with hot coffee, it was first north east of Utrecht to Zeist (another blog) and then this adorable little village called Wijk van Duurstede. The Netherlands never ceases to amaze me.

Wijk van Duurstede has a little castle in the middle of a round large moat and the park entrance was easy to find with plenty of parking as it was quiet. It was build in brich in 1270 by a Bishop Burgundy with the tower for military purposes. The entrance was on the second floor, only by ladder which could be withdrawn or destroyed when Under attack. The tower has remained remarkably stable as it was build with 2,5 m thick brick walls. The castle once fell under French attack and villages used castle rubble to rebuild their homes, but it was later restored. You can walk the moat contoured circumference park and get different views of the mini castle with its neighbouring tower and old cricketly wooden draw bridge and cosy pagoda. Dreaming of course of what it was like to live there in medieval times!

Entrance

Drawbridge

Strong fortified walls

Pagoda

Thereafter, the walk into town is led by the two high different church towers. Even though everything was closed it was a lovely walk around an enchanting place! I can imagine that in summer or without lockdown that it is a cosy buzz because even without all that it was. In front of the main church there is a children's football and basketball field, surrounded by some lovely residential places. Walk through to the main village streets through a tiny alleyway of stone walls with wooden beams, where at the end you have to bend to get through.

Playing fields in front of the two churches

The great church, on your left with back to the castle was built in the 13th century and Bishop Burgundy extended it to three aisles across and built a smaller church (right side) which is on Convent street (Kloosterstraat). They were transformed from Catholic to Protestant. The great church lost its east facade to a fire and was not rebuilt. It is open every forst Sunday of the month and on Saturday mornings with the market on its square.

Surrounding residences

To the right of the first main street leads one to a windmill on the outskirts and you will find Kloosterstraat running horizontally. That leads to the other church which was open but the main glass doors closed inside. Still you got to see the interior and all the candles and flowers for Xmas. Walk with your back to the church and windmill anti-clockwise towards a mini rectangular square, reminiscent of Amsterdam's Rembrant's square. Walk towards the castle again and the town hall is on the left with another small side square. You can walk straight up one of the streets again to get back to the castle and return through the park back to the parking area and Heemstuin, which is the village park. You'll see people feeding horses in a small pen which is a perfect picture in this rural out of the way village. We also saw Father Christmas, on a bicycle! He waved naturally, but of course no time for a photo it was all too quick! But always a first for everything. All in all een gezellig Christmas day trip!