Werkhoven, Langbroek, Cothen

For the origins of the agricultural sector around Wijk bij Duurstede, we have to go back to the early Middle Ages. At that time, the town was called Dorestad and owned by the Romans.

After turbulent years in Italy, peace had returned by the year 620. South-north trade resumed via the Rhine, with Dorestad becoming one of the most important trade centres. Thanks to its strategic location on both the Lek, Vecht and Rhine, almost every shipping route passed Dorestad.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city passed into the hands of the Frankish kings in 690. Utrecht and Dorestad were developed as fortified settlements along the Rhine. The transport of pottery and glass from the Rhineland, metal from the Meuse valley and trade between the Mediterranean and the Baltic passed through the former Wijk bij Duurstede, and the trading centre flourished and prospered.

In 720, the town was moved some 500 metres to the east. The reason: the Rhine changed course, making the trading town too far from the water. The harbour of the new Dorestad was two kilometres long and two rows of houses were built. However, the town had no walls. It also lacked a bishop's church and other defences. It was entirely at the mercy of the king's protection. This made the new city very vulnerable to looters

West of the city, the land was laid out as agricultural land. Large farms, like those on the Veluwe and in Drenthe, were built. Thus, numerous merchants and traders as well as farmers found work in Dorestad. Incidentally, many farmers were merchants themselves.

Until well into the 8th century, industry continued to flourish throughout the Netherlands. Products were mainly manufactured in the countryside. Dorestad was an exception. Although a large agricultural sector had also developed there, here there were many more industries in the town itself. Shipbuilding, woodworking, rope-making and tannery. Mint masters, iron smiths and textile processing were also very extensive. From the city, trade with Scandinavia and England was especially extensive.

In 810, the Vikings first set foot on Dutch soil from Denmark. Despite the good trade relations with the north, Dorestad also had to suffer in 834. The Vikings plundered the city. A period of more than thirty years, with several plunderings, began. Due to the lack of defences and a Frankish king with sympathy for the Vikings, Dorestad had become a dangerous destination. Trade came to a halt. Nature was not helping either: the Rhine had once again moved further east. This time, the inhabitants ran out of energy to push the city further. Trade centre Dorestad was over.

Yet the agricultural sector never stopped. You can still see that today, more than 1,200 years later. Trade might not have been able to continue because of the changed Rhine, but the rivers provided fertile land. Fruit orchards, vast nature and green floodplains adorn the landscape. The river landscape was not only strategic but also incredibly beautiful. In turn, it attracted Utrecht nobles. They had castles and estates built there, many of which can still be admired today. Thus, the Kromme Rijn region became 'The outside of Utrecht'.