About the New Dutch Waterline
The Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (New Dutch Waterline) was a military line of defence. The line was established as a protective ring approximately 85 km long and 3–5 km wide around the Dutch cities of Muiden, Utrecht, Vreeswijk and Gorinchem. It was the main Dutch defence line from 1815 till 1940.
The Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie’s primary element of defence was water. Land was intentionally flooded (inundated) during times of war to obstruct the enemy. A layer of water of only 40 cm deep, was enough to make the land difficult to pass for soldiers, vehicles and horses. At the same time, it was not deep enough to navigate by ship. By 1870, the waterline could be inundated within three weeks thanks to an ingenious system of sluices, dikes and flood canals.
Weak points along the natural defence line were strengthened with forts, bunkers and group shelters. In addition, the line included five fortified cities: Muiden, Weesp, Naarden, Gorinchem and Woudrichem.
Although the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie never had a chance to prove its worth as a line of defence, it has been brought into a state of emergency three times. First in 1870, when the Franco–Prussian War threatened to turn into a European war. Second, during the First World War, and finally in 1939 when the Second World War broke out.
Visit the Waterlinie
Many places and buildings which belonged to the Waterlinie still are visible today, such as the forts and other defence works. Today, every fort has a different purpose, for example, a camping site or a wine cellar.
You can visit many forts during the summer (May – September). At some forts, you can have a snack and a drink on the terrace while enjoying the historical and beautiful surroundings. September is National Forts Month. During this month even more forts open their doors and often host special art expositions and exciting theatre productions. Or there are tours and guided walks mapped out between forts. Kids can also join an exciting treasure hunt. You can read more on www.fortenmaand.nl (dutch only).
To learn more about the military past, war and occupation you can visit various museums. You’ll find beautiful collections in the Fortress Museum (Vestingmuseum) and the castle Slot Loevestein. The Hollandse Waterlinie Information Centre at Fort Vechten provides lots of information about the working of the waterline.
Spending the night within the line area is also possible. Some forts have their own campgrounds, while other forts can even accommodate overnight guests. In the cities as well as in the rural areas around the line there are plenty of accommodation possibilities, from hotels to campgrounds.
And there is much more to experience on the waterline. The line and all its elements are available for nature enjoyment, adventure and cultural recreation. Walking, cycling, boating, ice-skating and roller-blading can all be done around the waterline. You can use the well-mark routes set out in the military landscape.
Policy
In 1999, government leaders from the Dutch Ministries of Culture, Housing & Environment, Agriculture, and Transport published the Nota Belvedere. This policy document intended to involve cultural history during land-use planning in the Netherlands. Cultural history is used here as a collective term for archaeology, monuments, and historical geography. "Preservation through development" is the Nota Belvedere’s motto. Cultural history should provide a source of inspiration for spatial development.
To show how cultural history can be integrated in spatial design, the government has launched the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie as a National Project. The waterline was chosen because of the complex spatial and administrative task (the collaboration between five departments, five provinces, 25 municipalities and five water boards).
Since 1999, the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie Project Office has created a spatial plan for the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie and consulted with many parties (see the Line Committee report “PKIII-summary”). For planning purposes, the directive on spatial design has been implemented in the Nota Ruimte. The waterline is identified in this policy document as one of 20 National Landscapes and is part of the spatial superstructure of the Netherlands.
The five concerned ministries and provinces signed an administrative agreement to develop the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie together. The provinces, together with the municipalities and water boards will translate the policy at the local level. Public and private parties will also be included in the process. The entire process will continue until around 2020, and will be carried out under the direction of the Line Committee and the five provinces of the waterline area.
