European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse St. Michael s Church which dominates the town s main Square is an impressive sight during the Day or night. It dates to the late 14th , modern town was medieval bastion by Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer from the 226-foot Tower of the Church of our lady the link Between Zwolle s geography and history is unmistakable. The main defining features of both Are the surrounding Moat and defensive bulwarks of this onetime hanseatic City. Located in the North Central Netherlands Zwolle traces its origins to the eighth Century. The most important Factor to shape the City s development was not the site s natural resources or climate but its proximity to the River Ijssel a major european Trade artery. By 1230 Zwolle had grown enough to be granted a City charter by the Bishop of utrecht. In 1265 the City obtained the right to Levy tolls providing an income source that was to last for centuries. In the late Middle Ages it was a major transit Point for goods and raw materials headed upriver into Germany and downriver to the North sea and beyond. As a member of the powerful hanseatic league a group of Independent trading cities around the Baltic and North seas Zwolle achieved wealth and importance. Zwolle today is a tidy bustling town of 97,000 and capital of the province of Overijssel. Though it remains an important regional commercial Hub in Europe wide terms the City has dwindled to a Backwater supplanted by Rotterdam Hamburg Amsterdam and others. For visitors the Zwolle Worth seeing lies within its onetime medieval defensive network. This is the old town a circular area roughly 10 blocks in diameter and surrounded by the Moat. Inside the ring of water is an area of narrow streets cozy shopping areas and predominantly medieval architecture. Outside the old boundaries the streets broaden into boulevards lined with Art Nouveau Homes and modern office buildings. A Good Way to Start a tour of Zwolle is by walking the perimeter of the old town. This takes about an hour at a leisurely Pace and offers an up close look at the various defensive features. Most of the defensive network was built during Zwolle s medieval heyday when it made Good use of the surrounding land and water As Well As mortar and Brick to transform itself into a City fortress. Eventually political developments and advances in warfare made the fortress concept obsolete and starting in the Early 19th Century the City began dismantling its defensive barriers. Today enough of the fortifications a Moat bastions and City Wall a have been preserved to show that the Complex was an impressive feat of military engineering. Visitors can climb various segments of the City Wall. A number of the mini bastions that once ringed the City like spikes have been converted to Parks providing Welcome Green space amid the Urban landscape. Like most towns in the Netherlands Zwolle s downtown is dominated by the warm tones of red Clay. All but a few of the buildings Are Brick and the streets and alleyways Are paved with it. Much of Zwolle s medieval Core is beautifully preserved. This Friendly Low key City has a bit of history around nearly every Corner. According to Harry Vrielink head of the City tourist office Quot we have about 400. Monuments in the town. In a compact Quot the monuments Are different from Western Holland Quot he says. Quot we have Here monuments from the hanseatic time from the 15th the building that dominates the City Center is the Grote Kerk or St. Michael s Church located on the main Market Square the Grote Markt. Dating to the late 14th much of the City s fortifications a including this town Gate a have been preserved. Century it is among the most impressive gothic cathedrals in the Netherlands. Originally it had an adjoining Tower that thrust More than 300 feet into the air. But in 1669 the Tower was destroyed by lightning. Two blocks away the More modest Bell Tower of the 1 5th-Century Church of our lady affords a Birds Eye 8 stripes Magazine april 9, 1992
