Two springs ago during a trip to The Netherlands we stopped to visit friends in s’Hertogenbosch or, as the Dutch refer to it, Den Bosch.

There has been a city at this location 80 kms south of Amsterdam since 1185. One of its unique claims to fame is a canal network  — the “Binnendieze,” which was originally a river — the “Dommel” —  that ran through the centre of the medieval town. As the town grew within its fortified walls inhabitants needed somewhere to build homes, so they started building over the river. In later times the waterway was used as a sewer, and in more recent years part of the system has been renovated and boat tours have become a popular tourist attraction.

These mages, taken during our one-hour guided boat tour through the waterways beneath the ancient city, offer just a taste of the almost abstract beauty to be found in Den Bosch’s dramatic underworld of channels and tunnels, hanging gardens and moss green mystery.

Part of the tour took us beyond the city wall where it was easy to grasp the scale of the canal network. At another point, as we entered under an archway, we had to duck to avoid decapitation!

All in all this was a unique and memorable way to experience the old city.

If you ever find yourself in s’Hertogenbosch I highly recommend this different kind of trip down under.

Copyright Aimwell Enterprises 2012