Heksenwaag

Utrecht Province


Stepping on to the 'witch-weighing' scales is the main attraction of Oudewater's little Heksenwaag (Witches’ Weighing House), though it's also worth heading upstairs to watch three videos about medieval witch trials, available in English and Dutch and with written explanatory summaries available in a phenomenal 39 languages.

In the inquisition-fearing 16th century, one bizarre 'proof' of witchcraft was that if a woman was 'suspiciously' underweight, it was so that she might take flight on a broomstick. Many innocents went to the pyre because measurement was so notoriously unreliable. However, in Oudewater, the Hekenswaag's set of 1482 scales was said to be infallibly accurate (and those operating it unbribeable) so those under suspicion would attempt to get here and prove themselves too heavy for heresy.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Utrecht Province attractions

1. Museum Gouda

6.91 MILES

Housed in a medieval hospital building, the town's major museum has a collection of artefacts and artworks related to Gouda and surrounding areas. There's…

2. Sint Janskerk

6.92 MILES

Impressive for both its size and its magnificent stained-glass windows, Sint Janskerk had chequered beginnings: previous incarnations of the building…

3. Gouda Kaasstad

6.93 MILES

This staged cheese market on the Markt draws plenty of local and international day trippers, as do the stalls selling other dairy goods and souvenirs. A…

4. Kaaswaag

6.94 MILES

This museum on the upper floor of the Markt's waag details the history of the cheese trade in the Netherlands, with a focus on Gouda. The downstairs shop…

5. Goudse Waag

6.94 MILES

This former cheese-weighing house was built in 1668. Check out the reliefs carved into the side showing the cheese being weighed. Today it houses a…

6. Town Hall

6.94 MILES

Commanding attention in the middle of the Markt is this mid-15th-century town hall. Constructed from sandstone, this regal Gothic structure is a testament…

7. Kasteel de Haar

8.34 MILES

The nation's biggest moated castle is a remarkable feast of Gothic spires, turrets and portcullis gates. It has a glorious chapel, and is surrounded by a…

8. Museum Speelklok

11.52 MILES

Within an old church, discover a colourful collection of self-playing organs, musical boxes and assorted mechanised noise-makers dating from the 18th…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "the-netherlands/oudewater/attractions/heksenwaag/a/poi-sig/1126289/1315694",
      "destination": "Utrecht-Province",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "The-Netherlands",
      "region": "Utrecht-Province",
      "position": "superzone"
    }