Zutphen retains more of its medieval defences than almost any other Dutch town. Substantial stretches of the town wall survive along the Berkel river on the southern side, including towers, gates, and a section of the wall walk. The Berkelpoort, a water gate where the river enters the old town, is particularly photogenic.
The best walk follows the Berkel from the Berkelpoort westward along the old wall, past the Wijnhuistoren (wine house tower) and the remains of several defensive towers. The wall fragments are integrated into the town fabric — houses are built against them, gardens grow in their shadow — which gives them a lived-in quality that more meticulously restored fortifications often lack. A quiet walk that gives a sense of how a prosperous Hanseatic town protected itself.