Oudewater

One test used in witch trials in the Low Countries and the German lands was weight: a witch was supposed to be light enough to ride a broom, so a person weighing too little for their size could be taken as evidence. The weighhouse at Oudewater held an imperial charter and, crucially, a reputation for weighing honestly - it recorded the true weight and issued a certificate stating the person was of normal weight for their build, which was accepted by courts elsewhere. People travelled from across the Low Countries and Germany to get one. No one weighed at Oudewater is known to have been convicted afterwards. The Heksenwaag is still there and visitors are weighed on the original beam and given a certificate in the old form. The town around is a small canal town with rope-making history, a church and a market square.

What you actually see

• The weighhouse - where an honest weight was recorded and a certificate issued.
• The original beam - visitors weighed on it and given a certificate.
• A defence against the test - no one weighed here is known to have been convicted after.
• A small canal town - the rope-making centre around the square.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The weighhouse is small and the visit is short. Seasonal opening with limited winter hours. The town has little else. The certificate is a souvenir, which is how it is presented.

Nearby

Gouda is west; Schoonhoven is south; Utrecht is east.