Princess route: a princess kidnapped

Some options for something to drink and/or eat along the way:

Schoonhoven:
Hotel-Restaurant Belvédère, Lekdijk West 2.

Restaurant Lekzicht, Outside the Veerpoort 4-6.
Nieuwpoort: Eetcafé de Dam, Buitenhaven 1.

Café Cafeteria"De Poort\\\", Hoogstraat 15.
Vlist: Eetcafé-Billard de Ronde Schans, Franse Kade 8
Haastrecht: Restaurant Het Wapen van Haastrecht, Grote Haven 26.

Eetcafé Over de Brug, Veerlaan 1
Hekendorp: Café Goejanverwelle, Goejanwerwelle 29a. Oudewater: Eethuisje't Backertje, Markt Oostzijde 14.

Hotel Restaurant Abrona, Broeckerstraat 20
Polsbroekerdam: Hotel Café-Restaurant Het Wapen van Benschop, Benedeneind Noordzijde 478.


Background information

Starting point fortified town of Schoonhoven
Before 1672, Schoonhoven only had modern defenses on the (south)east side of the city, but when the French arrived during the Disaster Year, a complete wall was constructed with bastions (protruding parts) and a wide moat with several bears (retaining walls between inner and outer areas). and open water) and ravelins (defensive islands). That
fortification structure is largely still traceable. On the (north)east side there is a section of the wide city canal, a park and cemeteries on former bastions. A bear and a high wall - with the Veerpoort from 1601 - have also been preserved along the Lek. The harbor barracks, the former Arsenal, is a national monument. Schoonhoven is nationally known as 'The Silver City' and houses a silver museum in the harbor barracks.

(1) Fortified city of Nieuwpoort
On the southeast side of the Lek, the fortified town of Nieuwpoort is visible from Schoonhoven. After crossing with the ferry, keep to the left on the other side. Over the high river dike it then goes straight to the small fortified town.
The construction of this fortress was a direct result of the military experiences in 1672-1673. The defense of Ameide-Sluis - also on the Lekdijk, but further to the east - had proven to be insufficient (see the Southern dikes route). Moreover, a fortress on the dike diagonally opposite the renovated fortifications of Schoonhoven was much better suited to defend the river and dikes.

Town hall with flood lock
In the middle of the fortified town of Nieuwpoort, an authentic town house towers over an enclosed canal (the Harbour). It was built together with the fortifications at the end of the seventeenth century. An inundation lock was then constructed under this town hall. If necessary, water from the Lek for the Old Dutch Waterline (OHWL) could be let into the Alblasserwaard here. A stately Arsenal (military warehouse) stands on the northwest side of the (Outer) Harbour.

Rampart
The fortifications of Nieuwpoort were kept at the height as part of the flood defense along the Lek and later further restored. Nowadays you can take a circular walk along it with plenty of views of the fortress, the wide canal, the polder land and the river Lek.
The wall is interrupted by so-called denominations. On the east side there is also a heavily brickwork bear for the connection between the fortress wall and the dike. Two thick columns, the so-called monks, have been built on this work of art.

[From the fortified town of Nieuwpoort back to Schoonhoven, or if desired, continue cycling over the dike to the east (the Southern Dikes route)]

The Old Dutch Waterline
Both the Lekdijk and the dike of the Hollandsche IJssel were breached in the summer of 1672 to flood the intervening land of the Lopikerwaard. Very much against the wishes of the local residents who gathered in Schoonhoven and adopted a threatening attitude. But they were no match for the army: the land east and north of Schoonhoven was flooded. It remained that way until the end of December 1673.

(2)
French Quay
West of Schoonhoven, it was sufficient to inundate a small part of the river
Krimpenerwaard. This was possible using an inundation quay from the Hemstoep at the Lekdijk, via Bovenberg, to the West-Vlisterdijk at the Koeneschans. After a proven service, this retaining quay was cleared again after 1673.
In 1794, the inundation quay was constructed again and the land was flooded. Again in connection with an invasion of French troops. The section between Bovenberg and the WestVlisterdijk/Koeneschans has been preserved as the Franse Kade.

(3)
Former Koeneschans
The French Quay is constructed straight to the Vlist river. Opposite it, in the Vlist, there is a fairly round peninsula with trees and grass. That is the remainder of the Koeneschans on the border of the Lopiker and Krimpenerwaard. During the time of the water line, soldiers could hold the Groote Kerkvliet and Slangenweg in the Lopikerwaard at gunpoint from behind an earthen parapet with cannons. The catering establishment'Eetcafé-Billard de Ronde Schans\\\' took its name from this. The (Koene)schans bridge is also located in the small water and traffic intersection.

Wilhelmina of Prussia
In 1787, the carriage of Wilhelmina of Prussia was stopped along the Vlist river by so-called patriots from Gouda. At Hekendorp, formerly called Goejanverwellesluis, she was taken across the river by ferry. Now there is a drawbridge there for cyclists and walkers with the name of the princess.
In a stately farm, now known as the Princess Farm, the wife of Stadtholder Prince Willem V waited in vain for permission to travel further to Holland. Not long after, a Prussian army put an end to the patriot uprising.

(4)
Goejanverwellesluis
The route follows the route of the princess along the Vlist to Haastrecht and from there on the provincial road to the Wilhelmina van Pruisenbrug over the Hollandsche IJssel to Hekendorp. In the characteristic dike village, the Goejanverwellesluis connects the Hollandsche IJssel with the Dubbele Wiericke, a dug watercourse in the direction of the Oude Rijn (see the Prince Willem III route). Water was let in here in 1672-1673 for the OHWL. A defensive wall was therefore erected several times. Nothing can be seen of that anymore.

(5)
Fortified town of Oudewater
From Hekendorp the route continues east through a rural neighborhood to Oudewater. The historic town was part of the OHWL. The city wall surrounds the old center. This is still somewhat recognizable on the (south)east side. A wide moat has also been preserved there.
The historic center of Oudewater is authentically Old Dutch. Museum de Heksenwaag is 'world famous'. The old rope town has a rope museum.

Churchfort
From Oudewater this route goes through the Lopikerwaard back to Schoonhoven: first south on the Damweg to Polsbroekerdam and then west along the farms and houses of Polsbroek; the church in the village center was converted into a fort in 1672 ...; The former Koeneschans is reached again via the Slangenweg and from there through the typical Dutch Bonrepas to Schoonhoven.