Vianen city centre is surrounded by a city wall which still has a cannon with cannonballs standing atop it. Within these walls, at the square called Hofplein today, you would once find Castle Batestein – a relatively large castle that was considered to be among the most beautiful in the Netherlands. It was built by Gijsbert van Beusichem, Lord of Vianen. In 1414, his granddaughter Johanna van Vianen married Lord Walraven l of Brederode, after which ownership of the castle transfered to the Brederode family.