Doesburg

Doesburg was a Hanseatic town at the mouth of the Oude IJssel and has one of the better-preserved medieval centres in Gelderland, with about a hundred and fifty listed buildings, a large late Gothic church whose tower was blown up in 1945 and rebuilt, and the Waag of 1478, which claims to be the oldest continuously operating inn in the country. Its particular thing is mustard: the Doesburgsche Mosterdfabriek has been making mustard on the same site since 1457, grinding brown and yellow seed on stones with vinegar and salt to a recipe that has not changed, and the works are open with the grinding demonstrated and the product sold. Doesburg mustard is used in the local mustard soup, which every restaurant in town serves. The town also has a well-preserved rampart circuit and the Grote Kerk tower is climbable.

History

Doesburg received city rights in 1237, a year after neighbouring Doetinchem, and its position where the Oude IJssel meets the Gelderse IJssel made it a fortified town of economic and administrative weight; its Martinikerk is 94 metres tall, and the town's prosperity stalled after the 15th century as the IJssel grew shallower (Wikipedia, Doesburg).

What's there

• Mustard ground since 1457 - the same site and recipe, stones and vinegar, open to visit.
• A medieval centre - about 150 listed buildings inside the old circuit.
• The Waag of 1478 - claimed as the oldest continuously working inn in the country.
• Mustard soup - the local dish made from it, on every menu in town.

When to go

April to October. A day.

Practical notes

The mustard factory keeps limited hours and grinding is demonstrated at set times. The church tower climb is seasonal. The town is small and quiet, and public transport is by bus only.

Nearby

Zutphen is north; Arnhem and the Veluwezoom are west.

Key facts