The busy town of Gorinchem or Gorkum, lying on the borders of three provinces (Zuid-Holland, Utrecht and Noord-Brabant), was once an important stronghold. It was one of the first places captured from the Spaniards by the Sea Beggars (1572). In the Lingehaven the Linge, which flows through the Betuwe between the Rhine and the Waal, joins the Merwede. From here there are fine views of Woudrichem and Kasteel Loevestein.
Gorinchem had four city gates at one time, only the Dalem Gate remains as the others were removed to open up space for vehicles.
Southeast of Gorinchem, on the Maas estuary, stands Kasteel Loevestein. Built in 1357 as the stronghold of a robber baron, the castle served as a state prison in the 17th century. Its most celebrated inmate was the great legal scholar Hugo de Groot (Grotius), who was confined here in 1619 but escaped in 1621, with his wife's help, hidden in a chest of books. There is a small museum. Restored in 1986, Loevestein ranks as one of the finest fortified castles in the Netherlands.
May 1 to September 30: 11am-5pm; Sun:1pm-5pm; Mon:1pm-5pm; Sat:1pm-5pm
October 1 to April 30: 1pm-5pm; Closed: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
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