A short walk from Amersfoort’s city center, Muurhuizen offers a glimpse of the city’s medieval past. The quiet street has few cars, but it remains a residential area where people live.
Around 1380, Amersfoort’s growing economy prompted the construction of a new outer city wall. After the original wall was dismantled, residents began building homes along its foundations from around 1500, reusing stone and brick from the structure. The houses were built over several centuries, resulting in a mix of architectural styles.
Among the notable buildings is De Bollenburgh at Muurhuizen 19, where Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (1547–1619) lived as a child. At numbers 5–7, a gable stone dating to 1645 depicts how the house looked at the time. Muurhuizen 97 is the Dieventoren, a tall, square tower that once formed part of the city’s defenses and served as a prison until the 19th century. A small teahouse, the Theehuisje, can be seen from Blauwebruggang.
Visitors can start exploring from either end of the street and should be mindful that Muurhuizen is a residential neighborhood.
Sources: Atlas Obscura.