Discover the Fortress Triangle under sail during Heritage Days

Step aboard the monumental stevenaak 'Helena' and discover the Vestingdriehoek from the water! Once a strategic water weapon in the Dutch Waterline, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a wealth of history.

The 'Helena' will be a guest in the Vestingdriehoek during the Open Monument Days 2024 on September 14 and 15. Sail aboard the oldest sailing barge in the Netherlands and enjoy a sumptuous lunch or a delicious walking dinner. You are cordially invited to help hoist the sails and stand at the helm. Of course you can also enjoy the special environment on deck!

Where Maas and Waal wash together
And Gorkum rises from afar.
There the left hem rises
And reflects in the wide stream
A castle of centuries past.
Herman de Ruiter (1855)

The theme of this year's Open Monumentdagen is Onderweg (On the road): travelling from A to B and the transformation from old to new and from past to present. Traveling along historic routes, from monument to monument. That is exactly what you are going to do!

From the multifaceted fortified towns of Gorinchem and Woudrichem, we will explore a special area under sail: a landscape connected by fortifications and by water. Thus, we sail across no less than three rivers and through three provinces, as we discover the area where the Afgedamde Maas and the Waal come together and continue as the Upper Merwede. Along the way, there is plenty to see around us: of course, the fortified towns of Gorinchem and Woudrichem, as well as the iconic Slot Loevestein and Fort Vuren.

On the water we also encounter a lot, as the Waal is now the busiest river in Europe. Knight Dirc Loef of Horne was already aware of this in the Middle Ages, around 1358. He envisioned not just a simple blockhouse when he started building Loevestein, but a castle! To finance his ambitious building plans, Dirc needed a lot of money. To increase his income, he established an illegal river toll. Successfully, you might say. Within 10 years, he built Loevestein into a real castle. But the illegal toll costs him his castle at the same time. When the Count of Holland finds out, Dirc loses his castle. Slot Loevestein is now a Rijksmuseum.

You are cordially invited to join us on the Lunch under sail cruises or later in the day on a Sunset Cruise! Find more information and tickets through the website.