Zaltbommel: the Stadskasteel and the Gasthuistoren
A sixteenth-century town palace and an older tower show different layers of the town.
According to the Stadskasteel, the Maarten van Rossemhuis in Zaltbommel was built between 1535 and 1540 for the Gelderland army commander Maarten van Rossem. Thick walls, corner towers and battlements give the former residence the look of a small castle. The museum is now called Museum Stadskasteel Zaltbommel.
The Rijksmonumentenregister describes the building as a gatehouse built around 1535 for a town palace that was never completed. In 1885 P.J.H. Cuypers restored it extensively.
Since 1934 the house has shown permanent and temporary exhibitions about Zaltbommel and its surroundings. The museum also shows the link with the illustrator Fiep Westendorp, who was born in Zaltbommel.
A second historic landmark is the Gasthuistoren. The Rijksmonumentenregister dates the brick tower to the second half of the fifteenth century. In the lantern hangs a carillon of fifteen bells cast in 1654 by P. and F. Hemony; the horse-rider figure on the west façade also dates from 1654.
The Stadskasteel is at Nonnenstraat 5–7 and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 13:00 to 17:00. Adults pay €9.50, children aged four to fifteen inclusive €3.50, and younger children go in free.
The Gasthuistoren can be viewed from the outside.