down-town carillon people tourist-boat Verwerstroom Binnendieze Waterstraat 's-Hertogebnosch 1139 am 251001_0044

Echo in de old city with tourist boats and carillon. A story in sound.

This photo captures a picturesque section of the Verwersstroom, a branch of the Binnendieze (inner city river) in ’s-Hertogenbosch. The water flows beneath a brick archway, part of the historic infrastructure once built to support houses above the stream. Above the water runs a pedestrian path with metal railings, guiding visitors past the square in front of the former Government Building, which now houses the Noordbrabants Museum.
Sunlight filters warmly through the trees, creating lens flares and playful shadows on the ground. Green branches frame the image on both sides, offering a beautiful contrast to the stone and brick architecture. The tall windows and covered entrance of the building in the background lend the scene a stately character, while the gently flowing water and soft light evoke a serene atmosphere.

An electrically powered tourist boat approaches. It emerges from beneath a 45-meter-long vault that runs under the Noord-Brabant Museum.

#1:51 The skipper speaks about what we cannot see—about the history of the vault as it appears under the boat’s artificial lighting. He also mentions the so-called ‘Hellegat’ (Hell’s Howl) to their left: a pitch-dark stretch of water, 100 meters long.

#3:03 The first tones of the carillon music become audible. People are now dancing to the carillon’s melody on the square near St. John’s Cathedral. Everyone is welcome to join. The initiative comes from, among others, the city’s carillonneur Joost van Balkom.

#17:05 The next skipper shares more about the Hellegat. The 500-year-old building above was once a monastery, but Napoleon turned it into a hospital. Many soldiers died there. (At this moment, the boat bumps against the wall and someone jokingly suggests they’ve hit a corpse—laughter ensues.) The skipper explains that the bodies were released into the water through a hatch. Hence the name Hellegat.

#23:00 Through the carillon music, you hear the tower clock strike twelve.

#31:27 The next skipper points above to the well that connects to the museum. He says the cleaners have just finished mopping, and around this time, the water begins to flow down.

#40:00 Now it becomes an auditory mess, as both the church bells and the carillon play simultaneously for three and a half minutes.

#58:25 The final skipper adds even more drama to the Hellegat story. During winter frost, it’s said that corpses were laid down on the ice. In spring, they sank through the melting ice—on their way to hell. He notes that this (fairy)tale is often retold in the city. (Tanks Ko for this nice telling the story to the freesounders)

About the recording setting Echo of urban sounds that are audible beneath the vaults of the overpass above the water. A microphone hangs above the water of the 'Verwersstroom', a part of the city-river Binnendieze, in the old Dutch city of 's-Hertogenbosch. This sound recording captures the subtle echoes of city life reverberating beneath the arched bridge vault above the water. Together, the image and sound evoke a layered sensory experience of 's-Hertogenbosch, where history, architecture, and ambient sounds converge in a quiet moment of urban beauty.

Al tracks here today / More around here during the years
About The Binnendieze / Verwerstroom. A Hidden Waterway Through History:
Flowing quietly through the heart of ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Binnendieze is more than just a canal—it’s a living monument to the city’s medieval past. This intricate network of narrow waterways once served as a vital system for defense, drainage, and transport within the city walls. This part of De Binnendieze is called De Verwersstroom. Over centuries, buildings and streets were constructed above it, creating a unique underground river that winds beneath homes, courtyards, and alleyways.
Today, the Binnendieze offers a rare glimpse into the layered history of the city. Restored with care in the late 20th century, it now welcomes visitors on guided boat tours, gliding beneath centuries-old arches and alongside moss-covered walls. As you drift through hidden passages and open stretches, the blend of architecture and nature reveals how ’s-Hertogenbosch has embraced its heritage while preserving its charm.
Here, the water flows beneath the square in front of the Government Building (now the Noord-Brabants Museum) and is approximately 3.2 meters wide at that point. The newly constructed brick archway is 44.25 meters long and dates back to the time of the Government Building’s construction.
More information about De Binnendieze

Date/time: October 1, 2025, 11:32 am

Weather: 11 ºc, clouds 0 %, wind ene 3-11 km/h, 2029 hPa, humidity 99 %, visibility 500 m, dew point 9 ºc, cloud ceiling 12 km,
Location; Dieze Binnendieze. - Verwersstroom, Waterstraat, ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch), Noord-Brabant, Netherlands (Holland), Europe. GPS 51.68683 5.30442
Gear chain: Sennheiser mkh30/50 MS, in Rycote cyclone small, windjammer > Tascam FR-AV2. Post editing: Decoded Mid-side to STEREO. EQ correction for the blimp and limiter on -3 dB when necessary.

Original 116 minute MS-track 48/32 bit-float only available for motivated pro's and artists.
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