Bunschoten is a municipality and a town in the central Netherlands. It lies about 7 km north of Amersfoort. Its territory comprises the original municipality of Bunschoten (fixed in 1204 by the bishop of Utrecht) and the former municipality of Duyst, De Haar and Zevenhuizen (1854-1971 part of Hoogland).

Population centres

• Bunschoten
• Eemdijk
• Spakenburg
• Zevenhuizen

The town of Bunschoten

Bunschoten was first named in 1294. It was located on the border between Utrecht and Guelders, and it suffered a number of times from invasions from Guelders. In 1383, the bishop of Utrecht gave Bunschoten city rights, which allowed the citizens to build an earthen wall around the town. Unfortunately, the fortifications and a part of the town were destroyed at Christmas 1427 in a war between two rival bishops, and were never rebuilt.

Spakenburg

The fishing village of Spakenburg lies north of Bunschoten on the IJsselmeer. It is one of the few places left in the Netherlands where the women still wear the local traditional clothes.

In the 20th century, the two villages have grown quickly, and since about 1965 they form one single town, officially named Bunschoten-Spakenburg.

External link

• Official Website