Tuesday 31st May 2022.
We made a swift journey of 100 miles on the motorway today to reach Bourtange. Several years ago whilst flicking through the TV channels we caught a few minutes of a programme showing Bourtange from the air. It looked amazing, when we were looking for places of interest for this trip we stumbled across its location on the Dutch- German border.We decided to try and fit it into our schedule.
Bourtange is a village with a population of 430, it was built in 1593 during the Dutch revolt and used until 1851.Strategically surrounded by a marshy moat with sturdy fortifications it was built for defence against the Spaniards, it’s unique shape made it difficult to attack. It was built at the request of William 1st of Orange to control the road to Groningen.
It is now restored to how it was in the mid 1800’s between 1967 and 1992 and is currently an open air museum with certain buildings set aside to show life in the past, the other properties are occupied by normal tenants .
We left Bourtange and after topping up with LPG at local petrol station we made our way over the border to Haren in Germany, Homer has returned to his birthplace, tonight’s stellplatz is next to the River Ems and large boats are passing in front of us.
The local town is brand new with not an old building in sight, I assume completely rebuilt after the Second World War.
taraabit 