Vrijstad

In the City of Vianen, in the heart of the Netherlands, history, greenery and water come together. When the Van Brederode family began their rule of Vianen in 1414, the city began to flourish. At that time, Vianen was a prosperous city and a state at the same time. Vianen was a free city, a refuge for ‘strangers with money’. People of questionable qualities could always go to these free cities; there was always room for refugees. There was only one condition, namely that they brought enough money with them. For example, the phrase “going to Vianen” still exists, which means “going bankrupt”.