This impressive city gate, the Gevangenpoort, was built around 1350 as part of the heavy stone defensive wall intended to protect Bergen op Zoom. Together with a wide moat, the Gevangenpoort formed an almost impregnable entrance to the city. This makes it not only a beautiful piece of medieval architecture but also, the Gevangenpoort, one of the oldest surviving city gates in the Netherlands.

In the Middle Ages, this was the place where everyone entered or left the city. Merchants, farmers, travellers, and soldiers passed through the thick walls and heavy wooden doors of the Gevangenpoort daily. Everything was geared towards security: the Gevangenpoort had to keep enemies out and protect the city from attacks from the outside.

When Bergen op Zoom was extensively expanded in 1484, the role of the Gevangenpoort changed. The new defensive walls were moved further outwards, meaning the Gevangenpoort was no longer on the edge of the city, but in the middle of it. This meant it lost its military function. However, the robust building was given a new purpose: a prison, the Gevangenpoort.

For centuries, people were imprisoned here. The wooden doors still bear scratches and names, left behind by prisoners who wanted to immortalise their presence. They are small, touching traces of people who hoped for freedom here. It is precisely because the gate was used as a prison that it was preserved. Many other city gates were demolished when they became redundant.

The gate remained in use as a prison until around 1925. Today, it is a remarkable monument where you can experience history up close. You can visit the building, admire the old walls, and even participate in an exciting escape room. This allows you to experience for yourself what it felt like to be locked up here – and to be set free again.

This monument is found in this city tour.

General information:

• Type: National Monument, city gate
• Built: c. 1350
• Visit: see https://gevangenpoortboz.nl
• Also accessible during tours of Bergen op Zoom City Guides

Not accessible for people with a physical disability that prevents them from climbing stairs.

Impressions