Old towns of Benelux outlines a list of notable old towns in Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands).
List
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Map of Old towns of Benelux
Belgium
[edit]- 1 Antwerp A medieval city whose port came to prominence in the fifteenth century after the port at Bruges silted up.
- 2 Bruges A medieval city surrounded by a canal. Originally a port town, but in the fifteenth century the port silted up.
- 3 Ghent Originally a port on the river Lys. Now one of the best-preserved mediaeval towns in Europe, including a castle, cathedral, guild hall and belfry tower.
- 4 Kortrijk Originally a Gallo-Roman town, the city today boasts many notable mediaeval buildings.
- 5 Leuven Home to the oldest university in Belgium. Although the city was badly damaged during both World Wars, many mediaeval buildings including the cathedral, several university colleges and the Great Beguinage remain standing, the latter of which being UNESCO-listed heritage.
- 6 Mechelen Originally founded during the Gallo-Roman period, the city prospered from the mediaeval wool trade and became one of the centres of the Flemish art movement. The town centre within the ring road still maintains its mediaeval character.
- 7 Liege Founded in the sixth or seventh century AD, Liège grew into the independent Prince-Bishopric of the same name within several years, and remained independent until the French Revolution. The city lost its prominence during the Reformation, though the mediaeval cathedral and the Prince-Bishop's palace survive to this day.
Luxembourg
[edit]- 8 Echternach A city dating back to 698 AD. Although many of its key historic buildings were damaged during the Battle of the Bulge (1944), they have been faithfully restored since, preserving the city's historical character.
- 9 Luxembourg A city that dates back to the 8th century. Among its interesting attractions are its 17th century fortifications which include underground tunnels.
Netherlands
[edit]- 10 Amsterdam Centrum Capital of the Netherlands whose Canal District consists of a series of concentric semicircular canals fronted by gabled buildings dating from the Dutch Golden Age.
- 11 's-Hertogenbosch A city with a medieval town centre and original town walls.
- 12 Delft A medieval city, criss-crossed with canals, with many buildings that have royal connections including a medieval palace and former cathedral, most of which are within 100 metres of the Markt (market square)
- 13 Gouda Has a medieval city centre which is famous for its cheese market.
- 14 The Hague The Binnenhof, a medieval complex is the seat of the Dutch Government.
- 15 Leeuwarden Capital of the province of Friesland, surrounded by its original canal system with a medieval town centre.
- 16 Leiden A city with a medieval core that was associated with the Pilgrim Fathers.
- 17 Maastricht A city on the Dutch/Belgian border and 20 km from the German border and dating back to Roman times, the city has more national heritage buildings (Rijksmonumenten) than any other Dutch city apart from Amsterdam.
- 18 Nijmegen A city dating back to Roman times that has a number of Roman, medieval and post-medieval buildings.
- 19 Utrecht A modern city with a medieval core.
- 20 Voorburg One of the oldest settlements in the Netherlands dating back to Roman times in which a number of medieval buildings have been preserved.
- 21 Zutphen A city dating back to Roman times, when it was settled by Germanic tribes. The city has preserved its medieval layout and has over 400 national monuments.
