Dutch East Indies Company, the first multinational

Holland’s age-long trading relations with far-away countries as in the 17 th century when the VOC (United East Indies Company), the world’s first multinational, took a monopoly position in world trade manifest themselves in countless canalside houses and warehouses in small towns such as Edam, Hoorn, Enkhuizen and cities such as Delft and Middelburg.

Living history

Churches, town halls, weighhouses, monasteries, courts of almshouses, gateways, canals, bridges and harbours complete the picture of cities with a rich history.
The Great Head shows the intimate relationship between the age-old trading town and the broad streams. On your way to the Deltaworks you will visit an old port and fortified town with splendid fortified towers, many times the scene of Holland’s struggle for independence against the Spaniards. The house with the cannonball shows the same struggle for independence .In an old town you will find the beautiful canals with the wharfs.

Gouda Glasses

Gouda’s late Gothic cross basilica, one of the largest in Europe, shows you the world’s famous stained-glass windows, the seventy Gouda Glasses.

Pilgrimfathers

Delfshaven, founded in 1389, place of departure of the Pilgrimfathers on the first of August 1620 to America and now protected townscape knows many historic buildings among others the Pilgrimfather church.

Europe Nostra Award

Amersfoort’s Koppelpoort shows you a combination of water-and land gate recently completely restored, for which restoration the city of Amersfoort was awarded the Europe Nostra Award.

Co-founder of New York

In a small former trading town in the east of the Netherlands we find the house where Kilian van Rensselaer, with Peter Stuyvesant one of the champions of Dutch colonisation on the mainland of North America was born. On this route there is also again the possibility of a combination with a sophisticated hydraulic project or a tour through the river landscape.