After yesterday’s relaxed re-introduction to Amsterdam, we packed our itinerary with a loop into the Dutch countryside. Our goal was to uncover some of the region’s fascinating, lesser-known military history before immersing ourselves in a beautifully preserved medieval old town.

Echoes of the Cold War and the Pacific at the Nationaal Militair Museum

Our first stop took us just outside Utrecht to Soesterberg, home to the spectacular Nationaal Militair Museum (National Military Museum). Set on a massive, former military airfield, the museum itself is a striking architectural glass box that houses centuries of Dutch defense history.
While the museum showcases everything from medieval armor to modern tanks, it was incredibly fascinating to explore global history from an entirely different geographic perspective. For us, a major highlight was diving into the deep ties to the US military rooted right in this soil. During the Cold War, this very site was known as Soesterberg Air Base—but to the thousands of American service members stationed here between 1954 and 1994, it was affectionately called “Camp New Amsterdam.”
Under the threat of Soviet expansion, the Dutch government housed the US Air Force’s 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron right here. It was a uniquely tight-knit arrangement: the 32nd was the only foreign military unit placed directly under the operational command of a non-American power (the Royal Netherlands Air Force). Walking through the hangar, you can’t miss the ultimate testament to this alliance: a massive, gray American F-15 Eagle fighter jet suspended from the ceiling. For decades, these exact jets stood on 24-hour alert, ready to scramble into European skies.
But the most broadening and eye-opening part of the museum was the section dedicated to World War II in the Pacific, a theater of the war we rarely look at through a European lens. We were deeply educated on the Dutch colonization of the Japanese islands and Indonesia (then the Dutch East Indies).
It was sobering to learn how Japan followed a remarkably similar, aggressive path of imperial expansion as Nazi Germany, culminating in the swift invasion of the islands in 1942. The museum pulls no punches in detailing the harsh reality that followed: tens of thousands of Dutch military personnel and civilians, along with hundreds of thousands of Indonesians, were forced into brutal Japanese concentration camps and labor camps. Learning about the starvation, separation of families, and systemic imprisonment in these camps profoundly widened our understanding of the war, illustrating just how truly global and interconnected the tragedies of WWII really were.

The Medieval Majesty of Amersfoort

Leaving the heavy history behind, we drove a short distance east to Amersfoort, a city whose historic core feels completely untouched by time. If you want to escape the crowded tourist corridors of Amsterdam, this is the place to do it. The city layout is uniquely circular, tracing the paths of its ancient medieval defensive walls.
We had planned to stop at a local bakery to hunt down some traditional Botterbabbelaars (butterscotch candies) and Amersfoortse Keitjes (almond marzipan biscuits), but as luck would have it on our walk, the shop was firmly closed! Instead, we turned the afternoon into an absolute historical treasure hunt.
Below is the seamless walking route we took through the historic heart of Amersfoort, loaded with incredible, unexpected connections back to the US.

🗺️ The Ultimate Amersfoort Historical Walking Route 🇳🇱

This seamless walking route guides you step-by-step through the historic heart of Amersfoort before delivering you straight to the railway station. The entire journey spans 2.7 km (about 38 minutes of total moving time) along flat, mostly paved terrain.

1. Start: Koppelpoort

• Historical Description: Completed around 1425, this striking landmark is a rare example of a combined land and water gate. It served as the primary defensive entry point controlling the Eem River, securing the town’s northern boundary.
• Fun Fact: The massive wooden wheels inside the gatehouse required human “treadmillers” (kraankinderen) to walk inside them like hamsters to generate the power needed to lift and lower the heavy iron portcullis.
• US Connection: The architectural brilliance of the Koppelpoort heavily influenced classic American storybook architecture. It directly inspired many “Dutch Village” designs across the US, most notably the historic architecture found in early Dutch-settled regions of Michigan and Iowa.

2. Museum Flehite

• Historical Description: This local history museum is set inside three distinct Muurhuizen houses built around 1540. It showcases the rich cultural evolution, industrial heritage, and artistic milestones of the Eemland region.
• Fun Fact: The striking buildings feature traditional red-and-white striped wooden shutters—a historic medieval signifier indicating that the property belonged to affluent citizens or local nobility.
• US Connection: The museum preserves a wealth of regional history tied directly to the early Dutch settlers of the 17th century. Many families who emigrated from this exact province went on to establish New Amsterdam (modern-day New York), deeply intertwining local family lineages with early American colonial history.

3. Muurhuizen (Wall Houses)

• Historical Description: When Amersfoort grew rapidly in the late 14th century, a second outer defensive canal was built. Rather than tearing down the original inner stone wall, residents dismantled bits of it and built a loop of historic homes directly on top of the old stone foundations.
• Fun Fact: No two houses on this winding street are identical, as each medieval citizen designed their home uniquely according to the curve, height, and thickness of the specific wall section they inherited.
• US Connection: This neighborhood was the home turf of many ancestors of the American Roosevelt family line. The early Dutch roots that ultimately produced US Presidents Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt trace directly back to families living along these very medieval fortifications.

4. Kamperbinnenpoort

• Historical Description: This stone gatehouse is an original remnant of Amersfoort’s very first 13th-century inner city wall. It served as a heavily guarded gateway connecting the main northern trade route (Kampen) directly into the inner market squares.
• Fun Fact: Look closely at the ground beneath the archway—you can still see the distinct groove markers where the heavy wooden gate would slam shut to instantly lock out invaders.
• US Connection: During World War II, this gate area was a key focal point for local Dutch resistance networks. Following the liberation, American soldiers and Allied forces marched through this historic gate to celebrate the return of freedom to the city center.

5. Hof Square

• Historical Description: This is the largest and oldest public square in Amersfoort, functioning as the city’s commercial and political heartbeat since the Middle Ages. It is anchored by the historic St. George’s Church (Sint-Joriskerk).
• Fun Fact: The square features a stone fountain dating back to the 18th century, which was historically the primary source of clean drinking water for the inner city markets.
• US Connection: Post-WWII, this central plaza was transformed into a massive celebration hub where local citizens joyfully welcomed the US Army 101st Airborne Division and Allied troops with food, music, and appreciation parades.

6. Onze-Lieve-Vrouwetoren

• Historical Description: Standing at over 98 meters, this magnificent Gothic bell tower is the third-tallest late-medieval tower in the Netherlands. The church originally attached to it was completely leveled by a catastrophic accidental gunpowder explosion in 1787, miraculously leaving only the lone tower standing.
• Fun Fact: This tower marks the exact Kadastrale middelpunt—the formal geographical center of the Netherlands, used to coordinate all official Dutch maps since the 19th century.
• US Connection: The intricate, automated carillon bells housed at the top of the tower play regular concerts. In honor of international friendship and historic transatlantic alliances, the bells frequently play American folk songs, spirituals, and jazz standards during commemorative seasons.

Return to Amsterdam

We wrapped up our loop and hopped back on the train, arriving back in Amsterdam just as the evening lights began to flicker on along the main canals. It was a spectacular day of contrasts—from the cutting-edge supersonic history of the Cold War and the deep lessons of the Pacific, to the quiet, slow-turning wooden gears of the 15th century.
Tomorrow brings another massive day of city exploring, but for tonight, we’re resting up.