Contributions of the group " A la découverte du BENELUX // Die BENELUX - Länder entdecken"

Nederland - Tiengemeten

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 20 May 2026 07:18:15 +0000

Tiengemeten used to be about five hectares in size. But due to siltation and reclamation this sandbank in the Haringvliet grew into a real island. In 2006 the island was returned to nature. A hole was made in the dike in the south, so that a large part of the island is now under the daily influence of the river. Similarly, the island offers grasslands, mud flats, swamp and forest.

Tiengemeten gets its name from the “gemet,” an old surface measure, about half a hectare. This island originated around 1600 as a small sandbar of about 10 “gemet” (= Tiengemeten in Dutch).

Since 1997 Tiengemeten is owned and managed by Natuurmonumenten (a Dutch society for preservation of nature monuments).

Nederland - Goedereede

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 18 May 2026 06:40:40 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Goedereede was an important medieval trading town with its own city walls and a unique charm. Goedereede literally means ‘safe harbour’ and, according to archaeological excavations, the town’s harbour was already an important site as far back as Roman times.

Goedereede was formerly used as a place to ship goods and received city rights in 1312. In the centuries that followed, water, storms and fires destroyed the town on several occasions. The town went into a long decline, losing trade to better-sited ports.

The only Dutch Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523) was priest in Goedereede and is commemorated with a statue (PiP5).

Nederland - Zierikzee, Nieuwe Kerk

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 15 May 2026 06:37:19 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The present Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) was built between 1835 and 1848, replacing the large St. Lievensmonster Kerk, which was destroyed bij a fire in 1832; only the tower remains today (PiP3).

The design of the church is executed in a neoclassical style with symmetrical facades, impressive pillars, tall windows and a spacious interior.

The Nieuwe Kerk was closed in 1971. The Reformed church was sufficiently served by another building. Nowadays the ‘church’ is used for (music) performances, expositions and other cultural events.

Nederland - Anna Paulowna, Poldertuin

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 06 May 2026 06:37:47 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

After the construction of the Anna Paulownapolder an office of the water board was built. This stately home is locally known as Polderhuis. In 1885 the Poldertuin (Polder Garden) around the house was designed by landscape architect Jan David Zocher jr., who also designed the well known Vondelpark in Amsterdam and the garden of Soestdijk Palace. His gardens are characterized by winding paths and water features with bridges.

Polderhuis (nowadays privately owned) and Poldertuin were sold to the municipality. The garden is still owned by the municipality of Hollands Kroon, but since 2014 it is managed by a foundation. In autumn volunteers plant thousands and thousands flower bulbs, which are blooming between early April and mid May. The flower bulbs are donated by about hundred flower bulb growers in the region. The Poldertuin offers a large variety of springtime flowers like tulips (220 species), daffodils (125 species), hyacinths (30 species) and 35 special bulbs and tubers.

The garden is also called ‘Little Keukenhof’, although the comparison is not appropriate. Keukenhof is no less than 25 times bigger and just open for eight weeks a year. Poldertuin is open all year, can be visited free of charge and is a real hidden gem and not very known to tourists.

Nederland - Kop van Noord-Holland

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 04 May 2026 06:47:32 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The so called Kop van Noord-Holland is the northern part of the province of North Holland. This area is the largest continuous bulb area in the world. The soil - mostly sand - is extremely suitable for growing bulbs, because the winters are relatively warm and the spring is cool. Due to this climate, diseases are less common.

The Kop van Noord-Holland is the largest bulb area in the Netherlands. Colourful blooming bulb fields reach as far as the eye can see. From mid-March to mid-May the region turns into one big sea of flowers. It starts with the crocus season, then daffodils and hyacinths appear and finally the tulips show their striking colours from mid-April until the beginning of May.

(The Kop van Noord-Holland is my favourite region in the Netherlands for visiting flowering bulb fields. It is perhaps less known than the area around the famous Keukenhof, but definitely more attractive to me.)

In addition to these endless bulb fields, the region features a couple of very interesting sights: Hortus Bulborum in Limmen with hundreds of different species of blooming bulbs and the Poldertuin in Anna Paulowna, a public park with more than 200.000 bulbs.

Nederland - Burgervlotbrug, Fluwel’s Pluk- en showtuin

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 01 May 2026 07:10:56 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Surrounded by large blooming fields lies Fluwel’s - a recognized bulb breeding company - very colourful Pluk- en showtuin.

In the pick-your-own garden one can pick its own bouquet of tulips. Next to the pick-your-own garden is a display garden. Here the company shows the tulip varieties they have for sale.

Nederland - Apeldoorn, Het Oude Loo

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:27:29 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Kasteel Het Oude Loo (Castle Het Oude Loo) is dating back to the early 15th century when it was a farm, which later was fortified. When it came into the possession of the Bentinck family the moated castle as we see it today was built and enlarged between 1538 and 1540. In those days it was used as a hunting lodge by Karel, Duke of Gelre.

In 1684 Prince Willem III van Oranje, Stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland acquired the castle. He also used it as a hunting lodge. Soon the castle became too small for his hunting parties and he built Paleis Het Loo in 1686-88.

In 1795, when the French occupied Holland, the castle was used as a military hospital and it fell into neglect. In 1806 Napoleon Bonaparte appointed his brother Louis Napoleon as King of The Netherlands. Louis resided in the castle during summers. He filled up the moat around the castle.

In 1904 Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands ordered the restoration of the castle. This was done by the famous Dutch architect Cuypers. In the 1950's and 1960's other restoration works were carried out. Since 1968 the castle has been owned by the Dutch state. In 1973 it became a national heritage site.

Kasteel Het Oude Loo is nowadays used by the Dutch royal family as country house and guest residence. The castle itself is not open for the public, but the surrounding fenced garden/park can be visited during April and May.

Nederland - Warnsveld, Huis Welgelegen

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:22:18 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

A farmstead with a horse mill stood on the location of the current Huis Welgelegen as early as 1571. From 1650 to 1832, it was used as an inn. It was conveniently situatred on one of the access roads to the nearby city of Zutphen.

In 1832, the complex was converted into a country estate. The former inn was connected to a newly built mansion in the classicist style. The English landscape-style garden also dates from this period. The house subsequently served as a residence for various owners, but has also had other functions. From 1870 to 1897, for example, it was used as a boarding school for girls.

The garden was given the name Overtuin and was enriched with flower beds and fruit trees. The garden is home to unusual trees and is known for the stinzenplanten (historical bulbs growing for centuries as wildflowers) that bloom abundantly in the spring.

Since 1986, Huis Welgelegen has been owned by the Stichting Warnsveldse Monumenten Today Febryuary 2026), it houses a private residential care centre.

Nederland - Apeldoorn, Landgoed Woudhuizen

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:20:15 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Landgoed Woudhuizen has a natural-historical as well as an important cultural-historical past. Already in the 14th century there is evidence of habitation. In view of the flooded environment in many places, it must have looked largely wet and swampy. The estate is officially mentioned for the first time in the year 1582, when it came into the hands of the St. Catharina Gasthuis in Arnhem.

In 1860, the - in Apeldoorn - well known family Tutein Nolthenius bought the western part of the estate and built the mansion Het Woldhuis (main image). In 1964 the municipality of Apeldoorn bought the eastern part. Eleven years later this was followed by the purchase of the other part, making the estate ‘complete’ again.

Landgoed Woudhuizen is characterised by an alternation of woods, meadows, wooded banks and fens. The estate - approximately 225 ha - is intersected by old tree-lined avenues and still has some little old farmhouses . Since March 2020, the estate has been managed by Natuurmonumenten, a Dutch society for preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands.

Nederland - Willemstad, d'Orangemolen

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 08:48:27 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

D’Orangemolen (d'Orange Mill) is a round brick smock mill. The flour mill was commissioned in 1734 by the Prince of Orange. The mill was leased to the miller who offered the most. It was called the ‘compulsive mill’, because all local farmers were obliged to use d'Orangemolen for grinding their grain.

During the liberation in 1945 after World War II, the mill was damaged and subsequently restored several times. Nowadays the mill - with a white plastered rain side - is privately owned, but is still fully operational.

Nederland - Ootmarsum, H.H. Simon en Judaskerk

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:49:47 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The H.H. Simon en Judaskerk (H.H. Simon and Jude Church) is a Roman Catholic, dedicated to the Apostles Simon and Jude Thaddaeus. The church is the only example in Westphalian Romanogothic style in The Netherlands. Although already mentioned in 1162, it largely dates from the 13th century.

In 1491-1492 a new late-Gothic choir was added, followed by a second transept east of the old one. Except for one window above the south portal, all windows have been enlarged. The entire church is built of Bentheimer sandstone.

From 1626 until 1809 the church was used by the Protestants. In that year King Lodewijk assigned the church building to Roman Catholics, as the Protestant congregation was much smaller. When it was returned to the Catholics, it was in a bad state. The original Romanesque tower was replaced by a new facade and a small wooden tower in 1842.

Nederland - Ootmarsum

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:13:52 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Ootmarsum has a long history. Around 770 one of the first churches in the region Twente was built here and in the year of 1000 Ootmarsum was one of the largest parishes.

Ootmarsum received city rights in 1325. The town was then converted into a fortress with ditches and earthworks. In the 16th century Ootmarsum was occupied by the Spanish during the Eighty Years War, but in 1597 was captured by Maurits, Prince of Orange.

Nowadays it is a popular tourist destination; well known for its meandering streets and narrow alleyways lined with historical buildings like the H.H. Simon en Judaskerk and former town hall. Nowadays the center of Ootmarsum offers lifestyle shops and a lot of galleries.

Ootmarsum was a separate municipality until 2001, when it became a part of Dinkelland.

Nederland - Denekamp, Watermolen Singraven

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:30:31 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Watermolen Singraven (Singraven watermill) has been part of Landgoed Singraven since 1448. The mill consists of an oil mill (no longer in operation and partly demolished, nowadays housing a restaurant), a corn mill and a saw mill. The corn mill and saw mill are still in operation and can be visited. The mill is run - mostly on Saturdays during summer time - by volunteer millers.

Watermolen Singraven is the last water-driven undershot sawmill in the Netherlands. Its water supply comes from the small river Dinkel, which rises in the town of Holtwyck in Nordrein Westfalen (Germany).

The mill has three water wheels, each with a diameter of 5.5 metres. The left wheel against the restaurant is from the former oil mill. The oil mill was demolished in the early 20th century, so the wheel is the only remaining part. The middle wheel is from the corn mill and the right wheel from the sawmill.

Nederland - Denekamp, Sint-Nicolaaskerk

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:50:32 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The history of the Sint-Nicolaaskerk (Church of Saint Nicholas) is dating back to the year of 1276, when Denekamp was mentioned as a parish for the first time. The church is one of the few religious buildings erected in the region of Twente in the 13th century that is still largely preserved.

The medieval part of the present church consists of a single-bay. As far as this region of the Netherlands is concerned it is the oldest preserved single-bay church, though no longer completely intact.

The medieval parts were built of sandstone from nearby Bentheim. The tower was built against the church in the second half of the 15th century (or early 16th century). Later there were many more enlargements, the last one started in 1910 with the construction of a new transept and choir and apse, which were built with bricks. Architect ‘Te Riele’ also gave the tower - which had been fully closed - an entrance in a pseudo-Romanesque style.

After the reformation the church was used by the protestant minority for about two centuries. In 1809 King ‘Lodewijk Napoleon’ gave back the church to the Catholics. The church is still used for services.

Nederland - Tubbergen, Sint Pancratius Basiliek

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:35:45 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

In the past Tubbergen had a chapel dedicated to Sint Pancratius (Saint Pancras), which was served from Ootmarsum. This chapel was expanded and served as the parish church for the town from 1576 onwards. In 1634, a priest was appointed.

Although the population remained largely Roman Catholic, the church passed into Protestant hands. When Lodewijk Napoleon heard in 1809 that there were only 68 Protestants living in Tubbergen compared to 1.000 Catholics, he ordered the return of the church.

In 1896, construction began on the current Sint Pancratius Basiliek. A year later the dedication ceremony took place. The Gothic tower dates from the early 16th century and was erected using sandstyone from Bentheim. In 1978, the tower was raised in height by three metres.

On 6 January 2000 the church was elevated to the status of Basilica Minor by the Vatican.

Sint Pancratius Basiliek. is well known for its precious stained-glass windows, which were crafted by five generations of the Nicolas family of glaziers. The first windows were installed in 1897 upon completion of the new church. The last windows date from 2002.

Nederland - Delden, Oude Blasius

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:02:41 +0000

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The reformed old church in Delden - originally dedicated to St. Blasius - is an example of church construction that is frequently seen on the other side of the German border. The Oude Blasius (Old Blasius) or Blasiuskerk, is first mentioned in a manuscript from 1119, when it was given to the chapter of St. Pieter in Utrecht. This makes the church even older than the town of Delden itself.

Around the year of 1150 work began on a new church, a one-aisled cruciform basilica. For unknown reasons the construction of the church stopped twenty years later. When work finally continued in the mid-13th century, a new plan was made to rebuilt the church into a three-aisled hall-church, similar to churches built in Westphalia (Germany) in that period.

The church underwent a drastic change in the period 1464-1538: the nave was tripled, although there was apparently not enough room on the northern side. Thus, a hall church with two naves of equal height arose from the original nave with two low side aisles. The building of the tower, which probably replaced a Romanesque predecessor, was started in 1516. At 2/3 of the height, construction was stopped, probably due to lack of money.

In 1583 protestant troops attacked Delden, a year later the town was set on fire. The church lost its roof and part of the vaulting. In 1602 the church was assigned to the Protestants.

In the years 1968-1970, the church was completely restored. The entire interior was also renovated. The Oude Blasius is still used for church services.

België: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver, Wintertuin

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:14:16 +0000

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The Wintertuin van de Ursulinen (Winter Garden of the Ursulines) Garden is a real Art Nouveau gem. The garden is Belgium's largest Art Nouveau site open to the public.

The winter garden, with its colourful stained-glass dome dating from 1900 - whose architect remains unknown - is part of a monumental building complex where education, architecture, art and history come together.

The Winter Garden was part of the Ursulineninstituut, a former international boarding school for girls. This “Pensionnat de demoiselles” was a centre for girls' education. Thanks to its green location, well-maintained buildings and excellent educational provision, it became a boarding school of international renown. Around 1900, almost a quarter of the pupils came from abroad.

The Wintertuin has been a listed building since 1987 because of its historical, artistic, and architectural value.

België - Mechelen, Sint-Romboutskathedraal

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:40:52 +0000

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Sint-Romboutskathedraal (St. Rumbold's Cathedral) was built in the 13th century. From the outset, it was larger and more impressive than all other parish churches, and later it also became “the church of the archbishops”. The first building on the site of the immense cathedral was a three-aisled cruciform church. Only after a series of renovations and extensions did the church become the eye-catcher of Mechelen, with its 97-metre-high tower as its highlight.

During the religious wars of the 16th century, the church suffered greatly. Much of the old interior was lost. The Calvinist regime at the end of that century removed everything that referred to Catholic worship. But the church weathered more storms. Mechelen was bombed during the Second World War and a major fire broke out in 1972. Time after time, St Rumbold's Cathedral survived.

In 1999, the tower of the cathedral was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, in recognition of its architecture and its importance in civic duties such as a watchtower.

België - Mechelen, Stadhuis

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:00:19 +0000

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Mechelen town hall is located on the east side of the Grote Markt and consists of three parts.

- The Paleis van de Grote Raad (l + PiPs) (Palace of the Great Council) was built in 1526. However, the building was never completed and remained unfinished for almost 400 years. Between 1900 and 1911, it was finally completed according to the original 16th-century plans.

- The Belfry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the other belfries in Belgium and France. It is a Gothic building from the 14th century and has various Baroque elements from the 17th century. The tower itself was never fully completed as planned. In addition, the north side was demolished to build the Palace of the Grand Council.

- The Lakenhal (r) (Cloth Hall) was built in the early 14th century and was used for trading in textile products. In 1342, a fire broke out, after which there was no money to complete the building.

België - Antwerpen, Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:58:54 +0000

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In 1615, Jesuits from Antwerp began construction of their Baroque church. In 1621, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk - as it was initially called - was completed. In 1773, the Jesuit order was abolished. A few decades later, the church became the parish church that it still is today and was given the name of its new patron saint: Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk (St. Charles Borromeo Church).

This is the Rubens Church par excellence. As a painter, decorator and architect, Peter Paul Rubens had a hand in the tower, the façade, the high altar, the ceiling stucco work and the Lady Chapel.

Large sums of money were spent on decorating the interior. It was not for nothing that the church was called “the marble temple”. On 18 July 1718, lightning struck, destroying no fewer than 39 of Rubens' ceiling paintings in the flames. This was followed by a somewhat austere reconstruction of the column basilica. During the restoration in the 1980s, attempts were made to recreate the original interior from before 1718.