Anyhow, in Doesburg peoply literally and metaphorically speaking know where to get the mustard from that is from Doesburg itself! The mustard museum yearly draws tens of thousands of visitors to the attractive little town. Many of them return home with a jar of traditionally made mustard.
The city however has much more to offer as you may imagine. The simple fact that the city can call itself with due pride a “place where three countries meet”, indicates a little of the beautiful location of the city and surrounding areas. Doesburg is centrally located on the edge of the Achterhoek and the Veluwe: therefore an excellent spot for walking tours and bicycle tours.

Doesburg was given city rights sixty years before the city of Amsterdam, in 1237 to be precise. Favourably located on the confluence of the river IJssel and the river Oude IJssel the city blossomed into a fortified settlement with four solid, robust city gates.
These gates were the Veer- or Saltpoort, the Koepoort, the Meipoort and the Ooipoort. As early as the 13th century Doesburg had blossomed into an important administrative centre of a large area, stretching to the German city of Emmerich.

Because of silting of the river IJssel and the damage, which resulted from the Eighty Years’ War and the French occupation the Hanseatic Town however, was reduced to a market city that only kept some importance as a fortress. As of the year 1607 when prince Maurits organized the city as a border town, until the year 1945, Doesburg has had a garrison within its town ramparts almost permanently. In the years 1701 and 1730 a strong line of defence was constructed: the High and Low Line of Batteries. A large part of these lines still exist.

At present Doesburg is a picturesque city, where the Small and Large Convent, the former City Meat House and the Gasthuis among other things remind us of the rich Hanseatic past.
Nationally known of course is the still working mustard museum with the Gildehof as a centre of trades. Old mustard mills are lined up as well as a large collection of mustard jars from at home and abroad. During demonstrations you can see how pure traditional farm mustard is made.

In the regional museum De Roode Tooren you can find the history of the “richterambt” Doesburg by means of the following departments: archaeology, geology, folklore, trade and industry and religious art. The Museum Fotografica is housed in a part of the Commanderije, where you enter into one of the most important inventions of the 19th century. In the museum “’t Olde Ras” you can find a model experimental garden, where fruit species, threatened with extinction are grown. On the spot where a corn depot used to be you now can find a sweet-smelling herb garden, which is open to the public free of charge. In the Museum “the Maurits 1940-1945” you will see a collection of utensils and documentation from World War II.
The tourist information employees will gladly tell you more, but also about the organ concerts in the Martini Church during the summer months, or about the expositions that take place from may until September, or about the broad selection of shops, with friendly service.
But a better idea of course is to wend one’s way towards Doesburg yourself and to experience city and nature yourself!