Straight ahead you’ll spot a tall, pointy-roofed tower made of reddish bricks, with a narrow arched gate at its base and a few quirky windows peeking out-just look left of the big tree and across from the brick villa.
Welcome to the Drogenapstoren-once known as the Salt Gate, but far too interesting to stay salty for long! This impressive tower was built back in 1444 as Zutphen’s city gate. Imagine the sound of boots and horses echoing through that arched passageway, only for someone to wall it up just twenty years later-talk about an early retirement! The tower was soon forgotten… until a city musician, Tonis Drogenap, made it his home in the 1500s. And Drogenap wasn’t his real name-locals gave him the nickname, either because he was never seen without a mug in hand or because his purse was usually emptier than his cup.
By the late 1800s, the townsfolk had another idea: “Let’s make it a water tower!” So up went a gigantic tank inside, full of water sloshing about. But as time marched on and plumbing improved, the city built a new water tower up the road and the Drogenapstoren returned to being-well-just a quirky old tower. Or so they thought. During World War II, a sudden explosion ripped through part of the tower. The invading soldiers didn’t realize it, but the blast destroyed a secret stash of weapons hidden by the resistance. Zutphen’s history sure knows how to keep things dramatic!
You might notice the roof looks newer-the tower got a fresh pointy hat in the 1960s, though they skipped the fancy dormer windows. These days, someone actually lives right inside, living out that medieval tower dream.
By the entrance, look for a bronze statue: not of Drogenap himself, but of his empty cloak and trumpet. Go on and peek through-yes, you can literally “step into his shoes!” And overhead, spot an old stone crest that once belonged to another gate, now proudly displayed after a long journey through Zutphen.
So, ready to march onward? The city’s got more stories up its sleeve-and maybe even more musicians!
