Willemstad -- Historical Fortified City Currently Under Siege by Tourists Every Summer
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Willemstad is a wonderful place to spend an hour or a half-day. Located at the meeting of the Hollandsdiep and the Haringvliet, Willemstad is the location of many strategic battles, both 400 years ago and 50 years ago in WWII.
During the tourist season Willemstad is a crowded place. Some people come by car or bicycle, but many more come with a boat, yacht or ship. When I was in Willlemstad with a Dutch speaking friend, a local told my friend that to walk home during the summertime he "walks on the shoulders of the tourists" who pack the streets like sardines. This may be an exaggeration, but I think the fellow was telling the truth.
Willemstad is a quaint interesting town with great beauty and historical significance. The key attractions are the WWII bunkers, the much older town walls built with a geometric shape, the main street with all the bars, the windmill, the harbor, the arsenal building, a lock, a geometric church surrounded by a moat and finally Mauritshuis.
Mauritshuis was the palace of William the Silent, and today houses a VVV office and a museum. There are some paintings and an upstairs attic with reminders of an earlier time in Willemstad. While there are many things to see, it might only take an hour or two.