September 24: Naarden

This is the fourth post.
Post 1: Flying To Amsterdam
Post 2: The First Morning
Post 3: Going To The Lake

This was the beginning of my second full day in Holland, a Monday. The mother, Lieselot, has Mondays off from work, so I don't have to stick around if I don't want to.

That morning, I decided to go off exploring. My destination was the area of Naarden. Naarden used to be a neighbouring town to Bussum, but they have recently grown into each other, so they are effectively one and the same now.


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The heart of Naarden is an area that was built as a fort about 400 years ago. It's seperated off by a large moat and shaped as a star.

There are many underground areas that served as barracks and are now the sites of culture centers and museums. I never went into any of these areas, but I spent about an hour just wandering through the streets.

Many people seem to live there now, but the buildings are very old and well-preserved.

In the middle of the town is a huge old church. The size of the church in relation to the other buildings is remarkable; it's an absolutely dominant building. I've found this to be true in many towns in the area.