Contributions of the group Veluwe - nature and culture

Nederland - Hoog Buurlo

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:33:09 +0000

Hoog Buurlo is an agricultural enclave amidst heathland, woods and beech avenues. In the past field farming, keeping sheep and chopping oak (tannic acid from oak bark was used in the tannery) provided the necessary income. The name (Hoog) Buurlo appears already in the 9th century and is a combination of "bur" (small house) and "lo" (forest).

Hoog Buurlo is most probably the smallest hamlet of the Netherlands, with two former farmhouses, two sheepfolds, just a couple of residents and over a hundred sheep.

Nowadays the hamlet is well known for its sheepfold and herd. It attracts many visitors, especially in spring when lambs are born.

Nederland - Hoog Soeren

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:01:18 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Hoog Soeren is one of the oldest settlements in the Veluwe and originated on high dry parts of the Veluwe. The proximity of some fens made an existence here possible.

Early 9th century the village was mentioned as “Suornom” or “Suornum”. It had several other names before the village became in the mid 19th century its current name. This may be derived from the Old Saxon “sôr”, which means “dry”. Not strange as Hoog Soeren is located on a height of 85 meters, a high and dry part of the Veluwe, the largest nature area in the Netherlands.

Hoog Soeren is surrounded by the woods of the Kroondomein Het Loo (Het Loo Royal Estate) and is a protected village area. It has only three paved roads with a name, all other houses along dirt roads have as address the name of the village with a number.

Nowadays Hoog Soeren has about 250 permanent inhabitants, living in 100 houses. It has no school either a shop, but a lovely little village church, which was built in 1904.

Nederland - Vaassen, Kasteel Cannenburch

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:36:14 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Kasteel Cannenburch (Cannenburch Castle) was built in 1543 by a well known Dutch field marshal, Maarten van Rossum (also Marten van Rossem). He constructed a country house - in the style of the Dutch Renaissance - on the spot of a medieval castle.

Van Rossum died in 1555 and his nephew, Hendrik van Isendoorn, inherited the castle and it remained in the family for more than 300 years. In 1882, however, it was acquired by Eduard Baron van Lynden by purchase. In 1905, it came into the possession of Mrs. Frida Cleve-Mollard from Berlin, whose husband Richard Cleve was the last private resident of the castle. Over the years, the castle has been altered and extended many times and it became also a stone entrance bridge.

Since the 1950’s Kasteel Cannenburch and surrounding park are owned and managed by the Stichting Geldersch Landschap en Geldersche Kasteelen, a Dutch heritage foundation.

Nowadays the castle is is a Dutch national monument.

Nederland - Klarenbeek, Beekbergerwoud

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:34:47 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Beekbergerwoud was once the last primeval forest in the Netherlands. For more than 8,000 years, trees grew luxuriantly here in the wet, marshy landscape. Until 1871, when the last tree was felled and the area was transformed into agricultural land with meadows and fields.

Natuurmonumenten - a Dutch society for Preservation of Nature Monuments - was able to purchase this area and has been working to restore nature since 2006. This has created a varied area with grasses, reeds, shrubs and trees. In recent years, the terrain has developed back into a marsh landscape. Due to the high water levels and the many pools and ponds, it is wet and marshy.

The changes in the landscape are clearly visible when you compare photos of the Beekbergerwoud today with those from 2010: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/18593417.

Nederland - Kasteel Staverden

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 08:01:34 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Kasteel Staverden (Staverden Castle) was frequently used as a hunting lodge by the Dukes of Gelre. Since 1400 there were feudal lords living at Staverden Castle, who had to preserve and defend the castle. They also were charged with the duty of keeping white peacocks. The peacock feathers were used to adorn the duke's tournament helmet. There are still white peacocks on the grounds and the castle has a wind vane in the shape of a white peacock. White peacocks still live at Staverden, in a peacock cage a few hundred meters from the castle. Kasteel Staverden is also called Witte Pauwenburcht (White Peacock Castle).

The castle gardens of Staverden are among the most beautiful in the Netherlands. It offers flower beds, elegant water features and centuries-old trees. The gardens are designed in a classic English landscape style. In a large geometric garden laid out in 1907 - one can find ‘of course’ a sculpture of two peacocks. It is unclear how old the sculpture is and who created it; it may have been on the estate for much longer. This sandstone statue on a tall square pedestal is an official Dutch national monument.

Nederland - Rozendaal, Kasteel Rosendael

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 08:30:17 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Kasteel Rosendael (Rosendael Castle) is mentioned as early as the year of 1314. The castle came into the hands of the counts and later dukes of Gelre. Of the twenty castles in the dukedom, Rosendael was the favourite of many dukes, because of its beautiful location on the edge of the Veluwe moraine.

The large medieval complex originally consisted of an irregular four-sided corps de logis with a circular donjon as its south-west corner tower. In 1722 a square house was built abutting the big tower. The side wing and coach house were built a century later. The round eye-catching donjon is about 19 meters and high and has a diameter of 16 meters. Its walls - up to 4 meters thick - are the thickest in the Netherlands. Although it is the highest tower of its kind in the Netherlands, it was originally twice as high.

After the counts and dukes of Gelre, the castle became the property of drost (state-holder) Willem van Scherpenzeel. After that Kasteel Rosendael came into the hands of various noble families, who occupied it for almost 400 years.
During World War II the castle was hit by an American bomb. It ceased to be a private residence in 1977 when Baron van Pallandt died and the estate was handed over to the foundation Geldersch Landschap en Kasteelen. The castle and garden were fully restored and since 1989 open to the public.

Nederland - Vaassen, Kasteel Cannenburch

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:20:58 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Kasteel Cannenburch (Cannenburch Castle) was built in 1543 by a well known Dutch field marshal, Maarten van Rossum (also Marten van Rossem). He constructed a country house - in the style of the Dutch Renaissance - on the spot of a medieval castle.

The medieval Cannenburch Castle is located in a beautiful old park with meadows and an orchard. The park covers 24 hectares and features winding paths, avenues lined with oak and beech trees, waterways and ponds.

Since the 1950’s Kasteel Cannenburch and surrounding park are owned and managed by the Stichting Geldersch Landschap en Geldersche Kasteelen, a Dutch heritage foundation.

Nowadays the castle is is a Dutch national monument.

Nederland - Ugchelen, Het Leesten

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 08:35:40 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Het Leesten - meaning “small valley” or “gully” - is located on the Veluwe on a height of about 50 meters. This region was pushed up during the Ice Age, and Het Leesten lies in a valley that was created after the ice melted.

The landscape has a rich history. There are places where gravel and sand used to be extracted, and gullies can be seen that are reminiscent of iron mining in the Middle Ages. There are also traces of former human habitation, including a burial mound from Roman times.

Het Leesten is nowadays a nature reserve - managed by Staatsbosbeheer, a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves - that is characteristic for the Veluwe. The landscape offers a unique combination of nature and history.

Nederland - Apeldoorn, Park Berg & Bos

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 08:28:25 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

At the end of the 19th century large pieces of the estate Berg en Bosch were bought by the Belgian merchant J.C. Wils (there is still a J.C Wilslaan in Apeldoorn). He had conifers planted, which were used for mining. After his death, the municipality of Apeldoorn bought the site. Part of it was used for the construction of a residential area; the other part remained available as a walking forest for city residents and tourists.

In the twenties of the 20th century the first initiatives for Park Berg & Bos were made. During the crisis years (1934) the large pond called Bosvijver was dug by hand by unemployed workers from the municipality as a procuring of employment project.

Nederland - Putten, Schovenhorst

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:17:30 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Landgoed Schovenhorst (Schovenhorst Estate) was intended as an arboretum and laboratory for research into species of trees from all over the world. In 1848 its founder, J.H. Schober, bought a piece of heathland from the municipality of Putten. He imported seeds from every corner of the globe for researching whether or not they would grow in the Veluwe region.

Nowadays Schovenhorst is well known for its five tree gardens. The estate consists of a small and large pinetium (a conifer garden), an arboretum and a three continents forest. Among the trees are giant redwoods, firs and cedars.

The estate is open (free of charge) for walks.

The main image shows a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) from Californië. This tree was planted around the year 1900 and is approximately 40 metres tall.

Nederland - Kapel Hoog Soeren

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 06:45:25 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Religious services had been held in an old, dilapidated farmhouse with broken interior walls at the site where the Hoog Soeren Chapel now stands since 1892. The first stone of the current chapel was laid in August 1904. On 6 November of that year, the chapel was consecrated.

In 1933, the chapel underwent extensive renovation and expansion. The facades were given a (white) plaster coating and the windows were fitted with stained glass. A bequest from a resident of Hoog Soeren in 2000 made a complete renovation possible, resulting in the chapel in its current form.

On Sundays during the summer months, the chapel is used for short church services. It also hosts weddings and other gatherings.

Nederland - Kasteel Staverden

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 16:28:21 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Kasteel Staverden/Castle Staverden, also called 'Peacock Castle', because of the white peacocks which were (and still are) kept here.

The present building was built in 1905; the first castle on this spot dates back to the year of 1298. In that year one of the Dukes of Gelre became the city rights for Staverden, nowadays - with only 40 inhabitants - most probably the smallest city on earth.

Nederland - Hoog Soeren, Aardhuis(park)

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 08:34:19 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Het Aardhuis was commissioned by King Willem III and designed by court architect Henri Camp in 1861. Originally, the chalet-like building was mainly used as a military meeting centre and as a place to rest after a hunt. Prince Hendrik also liked to stay in Het Aardhuis which he used while hunting. That is why it is mainly known as a hunting chalet.

In 1972, Queen Juliana decided to give the impressive black wooden building a different purpose. From a hunting chalet, it became an information centre about nature and wildlife. Today, the ground floor of Het Aardhuis houses a café. On the first floor, one of the rooms is still furnished as it was in the days of King Willem III and Prince Hendrik. Another larger room serves as an information centre for Kroondomein Het Loo (Het Loo Royal Estate).

Het Aardhuis is located in the Aardhuispark; a fenced-off part of Kroondomein Het Loo. The park offers a mixture of open landscape with a wildlife meadow, lanes with old beech and oak trees and water pools. A three-kilometre walking route has been marked out in the park. This route also leads to a hideout for (semi)wildlife spotting.

Nederland - Apeldoorn, Paleispark

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:43:06 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The Paleispark (Palace Park) is a part of Kroondomein Het Loo (Het Loo Royal Estate). With an area of 650 hectare the park is ideal for strolling and walking. It lies adjacent to “Het Loo Palace” and around Castle Het Oude Loo. Traditionally this park was for the relaxation of the royal residents of the palace. and their guests.

The origins of the park can be traced back to stadtholder Willem III, who purchased hunting lodge Het Oude Loo in 1684 together with 200 hectare land. “Het Loo Royal Estate” was also very important for Queen Wilhelmina. She purchased many acres of land and donated this to the State in 1959, retaining the rights of usage for the reigning monarch. This explains the name for the whole area: “Het Loo Royal Estate”.

The palace park is only a small part of “Het Loo Royal Estate”. The park features ponds, a tea pavilion (main image and PiP1), which was often used by Queen Wilhelmina, a bath-house (PiP2), a royal horse cemetery, an old shooting range, a hunting lodge and several follies. The park is open - against a small fee - the whole year round, the part around Het Oude Loo is open for visitors only during the months April and May.

Nederland - Vaassen, Daams Molen

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 08:07:20 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Daams Molen is dating back to the year of 1870. The mill was used by a cattle feed company as a windmill until 1934. In that year, the mill was dismantled and until round 1965 only electric milling was used.

For about twenty years the mill served only as a storage silo. In 1985, there were plans to demolish the mill. Fortunately the foundation Stichting Vaassens Molen made plans to restore the mill. Reconstruction of Daams Molen started in 1989 and one year later the mill was once again running in all its glory as a windmill.

During the restaorstion the original layout was changed quite a bit. Originaly the millstones were on the scaffold (not unusual in this region), but now placed one attic higher. Also, the mill used to be covered not with thatch, but with wood and roofing leather.

As of 2008, the mill was in full discussion because of plans to partly renovate and add new buildings to the center of Vaassen. Due to the expected reduced wind catch, it was necessary to raise the mill. This work started in March 2012. First, the overhead part of the mill was moved about 30 metres, across the street. Then a new foundation with basement was made on the actual site. In May the mill was brought back on the new foundation.
In September the raised Daams Molen was officially put into operation as a grinding mill again.

Since April 2014 the groundfloor houses a lunchroom: Koffie-en Theehuys 'De Korenmolen.

Nederland - Elspeet, De Hoop

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 08:17:17 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Already in the year 1565 there was a windmill in Elspeet. Perhaps it was this mill that burned to the ground in 1893. The present windmill De Hoop - the successor of the burnt down mill - originates from Wateringen, where it was built in 1847 as a poldermill. The year it was rebuilt in Elspeet is probably 1894.

De Hoop was restored in 1962 and 1972, but after the last restoration it was no longer in use. For years the mill was very desolate. In November 2010 this came to an end with the start of a thorough restoration. Both the exterior and the interior were restored. In the spring of 2013 the mill could be used as a corn mill again.

De Hoop is a special mill, because it is a combination of a belt (= man made mound) and a stelling (= stage tower) mill. Originally, a platform was attached to the 3.60-metre-high mound. During the last restoration, the platform was removed. There is a mill shop in the mound, which sells various types of flour.

Nederland - Hoenderloo, Heldringkerk

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 08:03:38 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The Heldringkerk was built in 1857-1858, commissioned by the Reverend Ottho Gerhard Heldring. The foundation stone was laid by his daughter on 29 August 1857. The consecration of the church took place in 1858 during the feast of Pentecost. The church is one of the oldest buildings of Hoenderloo.

Heldring visited the village of Hoenderloo in 1839 and decided to offer a better future to the inhabitants, who still lived partly in sod huts. He did this by building a school, digging a well and constructing the church and clergy house.

The simple hall church - in neo-Gothic style - is characterised by plastered and white-painted facades. The church is built in a hilly area and is therefore popularly called de witte kerk op de bult (“the white church on the hill”). But the white colour was only given to the originally grey church in 1980. Since 2000 the church is a national monument.

witte wollen herfsttoiletjes

nobody@ipernity.com (Syborgh) — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 19:18:58 +0000

Syborgh has posted:

Veluwse heideschapen op landgoed Westerheide

Nederland - Niersen, Motketel

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 08:53:13 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

The Motketel is originally a wet area, where the groundwater level is close to the surface. The name probably refers to a low area with humus frequented by wild boar. A mot or motte is a female pig and a boar's daytime resting place and nest is called ketel.

Between 1600 and 1800, the high groundwater level was used to dig water wells here. The water from the more than 20 wells was discharged via man made brooks and streams to the village of Vaassen. Running water meant business and therefore income. With watermills, the water was used for washing, grinding, hammering and cutting.

In the 18th century, 17 watermills were operated, using the water from the Motketel springs. The watermills have almost all disappeared, but the Cannenburchermolen, near the castle of the same name, is still there.

The watercourses of the Motketel form the most intact and complex system, which is still visible in the landscape and is one of the most unique in the Netherlands. The system is opened up by a network of footpaths.

Nederland - Hoenderloo, plaggenhut

nobody@ipernity.com (Jaap van 't Veen) — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 08:59:34 +0000

Jaap van 't Veen has posted:

Hoenderloo is a village, which only came into existence at the beginning of the 19th century on the rough lands of the Veluwe. In the spring, eekchillers went to this area to strip felled oak trees of their bark, which was used for tanning leather. The eekchillers lived with their families in temporary huts made of sods.

Heather mower and shepherd Albert Brinkenberg was the first permanent resident of Hoenderloo. He built a sod hut (a simple hut partially buried and with a roof covered with sods) between 1813 and 1815. After him, more colonists followed. The residents were poor and worked as forest laborers, sheep shepherds, and plowmen, among other things. Slowly but surely, a small colony of huts made of sods arose. It was called Hoenderloo, after the many korhoenders (black grouse) that roamed there.

The reconstructed cottage is really a stone's throw away from the hut that Brinkenberg built. The present wooden house (unfortunately not open to the public) gives some impression of how sober life must have been.