Holland: Tracing History in Weesp

Weesp

Weesp is a small town in North-Holland, just a (relatively long) bike ride away from Amsterdam. It’s quite a popular tourist destination for its historic town centre, canals, and iconic Dutch windmills. I’ve visited Weesp a few times before, mainly because my parents used to live there when they were much younger. They actually got married in Weesp!

History

Weesp celebrated its 650th anniversary as a town in 2005 and it was an important part of military defense lines up until World War II. Hence the fort in the fifth photo; it’s called “Torenfort aan de Ossenmarkt” and stems from the years 1859-1861.

Second-hand Shopping and Meeting Dogs

I walked around the town centre for a bit, bought two books about Indonesian and Czech fairy tales at the second-hand shop, and explored the fortifications at the edge of town. That’s where I met the friendly-looking dog with the yellow-ish fur. He was out playing in the sun with his owner and excitedly getting his muddy paws all over my clothes (totally did not mind). He almost naturally seemed to pose for my camera for a few seconds before storming off to sniff the grass elsewhere. I never got to know his name, but I was told he was born in Turkey!

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