Buren

Anna van Egmond, Countess of Buren, married William of Orange in 1551, and the county came into the family with her - which is why Count of Buren is still one of the titles of the Dutch monarch and why members of the royal family have used Van Buren as a surname when travelling privately or, in one case, registering at university. The town itself is very small: a few streets inside a rampart circuit with a moat, the Culemborgse Poort, a fifteenth-century church, and a former orphanage of 1613 founded by Maria van Nassau which now holds a museum. There is a marechaussee museum in the old orphanage building too, covering the Dutch military police. A windmill stands on the wall. Buren is walked in an hour and sits in the Betuwe orchard country, which flowers in April.

What you actually see

• A royal title - Count of Buren, still held by the Dutch monarch.
• A rampart circuit and moat - round a town of a few streets.
• A 1613 orphanage - founded by Maria van Nassau, now a museum.
• Betuwe orchards around - the fruit country, flowering in April.

When to go

April for the blossom; April to October otherwise. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is genuinely tiny - an hour of walking. Museums keep limited hours and close on Mondays. Public transport is by bus only and infrequent at weekends.

Nearby

Tiel is east; Culemborg is west; the Betuwe orchards are all around.