People wanting to travel from Vianen in the 16th, 17th or 18th Centuries has to allow for long travel times. There were no cars, bicycles or trains and the roads were often in a poor condition. To get outside of Vianen, you either had to walk or you were dependent on (post) carriages and tow barges (flat boats pulled by horses at the side).
To improve the connection between Gorinchem and Vianen, Louise Christine van S…
People wanting to travel from Vianen in the 16th, 17th or 18th Centuries has to allow for long travel times. There were no cars, bicycles or trains and the roads were often in a poor condition. To get outside of Vianen, you either had to walk or you were dependent on (post) carriages and tow barges (flat boats pulled by horses at the side).
To improve the connection between Gorinchem and Vianen, Louise Christine van Solms-Braunfels, as the regent of her minor son Wolfert van Brederode, signed an agreement in April 1658 with the directors of the town of Gorinchem to improve the towing connection. This connection runs between the town of Gorinchem via the Oude Zederik to Vianen and ends at the Karnemelkse wharf outside the Landpoort of Vianen. From the 18th Century, this connection was expanded with a stage coach. However, this carriage was only operated in the summer months. The roads were too dangerous in the winter.
To commemorate the construction of the connecting canal between Vianen and Gorinchem, a memorial stone was laid on the Buitenlandpoort’s retaining wall. The stone bears the coats of arms of Van Brederode and Van Solms-Braunfels with a crown above it. Beneath the coats of arms is the inscription: “LOUISE CHRISTINE, BORN COUNTESS OF SOLMS BRAUNFELS COUNTESS-DOWAGER OF HOLLAND BREDERODE, ETC. REGENTS IN HER SON WOLPHARD’S MINORITY COMMISSIONED THIS IN 1658.”
Further reading: Brederode statue, Town wall and town canal, Grote Kerk Vianen (Great Church), Large Pump/Vianen Town Pump, Jan Blankenweg lock complex, Amaliastein.
