Jaap van 't Veen's photos

The town hall of Weesp was built between 1772 and 1776 and was designed by architect Jacob Otten Husly. Although much smaller, the building is more or less similar to the former town hall of Amsterdam (now Paleis op de Dam ). The neoclassical building was a prestige object and relatively large for the city's population. Distilleries and breweries ensured Weesp's prosperity in those days. The wealthy distillers and brewers had seats in the town government and wanted to show off their wealth to the outside world. The town hall served as an administrative building, but it was also used to administer justice. The dungeons and the vierschaar (a historical term for a tribunal in ther Netherlands) used in the process can still be seen. Today, part of the town hall is used for weddings and other official meetings. In addition, part of the building is used by the local museum of Weesp, with, among other things, a collection of porcelain (in the period 1759-1768, the first porcelain of the Netherlands was produced in Weesp). The town hall of Weesp is a Dutch national monument.

Slot Assumburg (Assumburg Castle) is originally dating back to the 13th century, but it was rebuilt in 1546 by Gerrit van Assendelft. Since then the castle has been only a manor for several noble families. Although it looks very impressive it was - due to thin walls - not suitable for defensive purposes. Slot Assumburg is all about appearances. When it ws built in the mid 16th century the role of castles in the Netherlands as defensive strongholds was over. Castles were still being built, but only as comfortable homes. But to show off his power, status or descent the builder of Slot Assumburg gave the castle the current look. In 1694 Amsterdam regent, merchant and banker Jean Deutz acquired the castle. Besides a huge restoration of the building he also created a wonderful symmetrical baroque garden. In 1729 a copper plate of the garden was made. Between 2001 and 2011 this original copperplate was used by the designer of the current garden. Today, the garden is open for visitors and can be visited free of charge. Since 1867 the castle was abandoned until 1911 and almost ruined. Slot Assumburg became a youth hostel and most probably it is still the most beautiful/remarkable youth hostel of the Netherlands.

Fort Ossenmarkt (Fort Ox Market) in the fortified town of Weesp was built to defend the two banks of the river Vecht, the locks, and the Amsterdam–Hilversum railway with the bridge over the Vecht. The small tower fort is dating back to the year of 1861. Later, a protective wall was erected on the east side and the moat was filled. In 1983-1985, this wall was removed and the moat and bridge were restored to their former glory. After 1815, the fortified town of Weesp formed part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (New Dutch Waterline). In 1892 the town was incorporated into the Defence Line of Amsterdam. A while ago Fort Ossenmarkt was restored. The former engineering site houses a garden shop and the wooden artillery depot - dating back to 1877 - is used as an exhibition space. In addition, the Fort at the Ossenmarkt houses a music school and is home to various associations and offices. The fort is not accessible to the public, but is open to a limited extent on certain occasions. As part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie , Fort Ossenmarkt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Theetuin (Tea Garden) is situated on one of the four bastions of the old fortified town of Weesp. The bastion is called “Bakkerschans” and was built in 1674. It is surrounded by a wall on which stately, old trees are growing. This historical location, an oasis hidden in greenery, is the location of the romantic tea garden. In 1986 it was the first tea garden in the Netherlands was established. It was designed by landscape architects and offers a beautiful model garden with special plants, pots and an attractive tea house (limited opening hours). Meanwhile, the garden has grown into a real paradise where the garden enthusiast will have a great time. The Theetuin is well-known due to its plant combinations, mixtures of perennials, shrubs and especially spring flowering bulbs. The garden is at its best in spring, when thousands of bulbs start to flower, ranging from snow drops to late flowering tulips.

Fort Uitermeer - located on the banks of the river Vecht - is dating back to 1873. The restored tower fort, as well as the historic sluice and part of the old canal were partly brought back to their former glory. Fort Uitermeer’s function was to defend the 's-Gravelandsche Vaart, the road running alongside this canal and the railway line Amsterdam-Hilversum. At the location of the fort the 's-Gravelandse Vaart flows into the river Vecht via a sluice. As early as the 16th century, this sluice was defended by a “sconce (small protective fortification made of earth). In 1672 (known as the ‘disaster year’ in Dutch history) the “sconce” was reinforced and a year later it was replaced by a permanent fort, which was constructed around the sluice. In 1815 the fort became part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (New Dutch Waterline). During World War II Fort Uitermeer was bombed heaviley, causing severe damage. During the Cold War, ammunition depots were put up on the grounds of the fort. In 1959 the fortress lost its function as a defensive structure. The remains of the Fort Uitermeer (not accessible to the public) are an important part of Dutch history. The ruin of the tower is rare because only 10 bombproof towers remain in the Netherlands. As part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie , Fort Uitermeer is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The garden around de Polderhuis is still owned by the municipality of Hollands Kroon, but since 2014 it is managed by a foundation. Since the year of 1982 the garden is yearly trnsformed into a feast for the eyes. In autumn volunteers plant thousands and thousands flower bulbs, which are blooming between early April and mid May. The Poldertuin offers a large variety of springtime flowers like tulips (220 species), daffodils (125 speciees), hyacinths (almost 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.

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 with its large variety of springtime flowers like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and special bulbs and tubers is also called ‘Little Keukenhof’ and can be visited free of charge. The garden is a real hidden gem and not very known to tourists.

The Anna Paulownapolder - 5.000 ha - was drained in 1846. Nowadays it is an important horticulture area, with among other things an important flower bulb cultivation. The polder is named after the wife of Dutch king Willem II, Anna Paulowna Romanova of Russia. The new polder became part of the municipality of Zijpe. On August 1, 1870, the polder became its own municipality, Anna Paulowna (since 2012 part of the municipality Hollands Kroon). One of the original houses in the village - a plastered neo-classical mansion dating from 1855 - was extended in 1870 when it became the office of the polder administration. The Polderhuis was given a meeting room and an office. When the water board disappeared, the Polderhuis and Poldertuin were sold to the municipality. The garden is still owned by the municipality. The Polderhuis is prvately owned and inhabited.

The oldest mention of the reformed church in Limmen dates from the year 740, when the dilapidated church was renewed. Around 800 there is talk of - presumably - a wooden church in Limbon, which was owned by the St. Maartenskerk in Utrecht. In the 13th century a tower was built, separate from the existing tuff hall church. A century later, a large brick church with a choir was added and the tower was then built in. The whole building was twice as big as can be seen today. In 1598 the church was restored from the destruction by the Spanish troops during the siege of the city of Alkmaar and became its present form. The last ruins were cleared in 1806, but are still partly visible. The church with its tower - which has a bell dating from 1650 - is a national monument. The last restoration was carried out in the years 2000/2001. The church is located next to the Hortus Bulborum

The Hortus Bulborum is the only museum garden in the world where you can find about 4.500 different tulip, hyacinth, daffodil and other bulbous cultivars, species and varieties in bloom. Every spring the garden transforms into a treasure trove full of dazzling colours, beautiful shapes and overwhelming fragrances. Hortus Bulborum offers about 2.650 varieties and species of historical tulips; among them the famous Duc van Tol Red and Yellow ; the oldest known cultivar from 1595. This tulip laid the foundation of commercial bulb growing in the Netherlands. Apart from tulips over 1.100 different varieties and species of daffodils can be admired, as well as more than 100 varieties of both crocuses and hyacinths and 15 of the Fritillaries imperalis. The aim of Hortus Bulborum is to maintain these cultivars and safeguard them for the future generations.

Flour mill De Hoop was built in 1782, when it was used as a saw mill - named De Haan - in the city of Leiden. In 1865 the mill was moved to the village ‘t Zand in North Holland, where it served as a flour mill until the 1920s. In 1940, the mill was increasingly dismantled; only the octagonal thatched body was preserved in reasonable condition. At the beginning of this century, the idea arose to restore the mill to its former glory. This was no longer possible in its old location and so the mill was moved about 400 meters to its current location in 2011. From May 2013 the mill can be visited again and every now and then wheat is grounded. In and around De Hoop is a small museum (limited opening hours) about its history. The grounds are also used for a campground for campers

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. Bulbs grow well because the winters are relatively warm and the spring is cool. Because of this favourable 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 our favourit region in the Netherlands for visiting flowering bulb fields. Perhaps less known than the area around the famous Keukenhof , but definitely more attractive to us. 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.

Today the Netherlands produces billions of flower bulbs each year (of which two thirds are exported worldwide).The business of growing flower bulbs began almost 400 years ago, and The first Dutch flower bulbs grew in Leiden, in the botanical garden of the university. They were planted there by Carolus Clusius, a scientist who wrote the first major book on tulips in 1592. Leiden was the first bulb region of the Netherlands, but initially the tulips did not leave Clusius's botanical garden. Only after a theft cultivation could spread. Once, the value of tulips was enormous. They were imported to the Netherlands from Turkey in the mid-16th century and gradually seized the passions of rich Dutchmen. In the Dutch Golden Age tulips became popular in paintings and festivals; tulip collecting amongst the elites became a popular pastime. In the mid-17th century, tulips were so popular that they created the first economic bubble, known as "Tulip Mania" (tulipomania). As people bought up bulbs, they became so expensive that they were used as money until the market in them crashed. But the Netherlands is still the centre for the trade of flowers and bulbs.

The first Slotkapel (Castle Chapel) - dedicated to Saint Catherine, the patron of the nobility, was built in 1229, commissioned by Willem I van Egmont. It was located next to the castle of Egmond. In 1430 Count Jan van Egmond ordered the demolition and rebuilding of the chapel in its current simple Gothic style as a one-aisled church. The chapel and castle were destroyed in 1573 in the Eighty Years War, during the siege of the city of Alkmaar. In 1633 the chapel was restored by the States of Holland and West Frisia. Various cities, aristocrats and companies from that time made donations for the restoration, including the fantastic stained-glass windows. The unique clock in the centuries-old tower was made in 1682 by Christiaan Huygens. In 1960 the Slotkapel was in a very poor condition and the municipality intended the demolition of the church. Due to the efforts of a group of citizens the chapel was restored and does still exist. Nowadays it serves as a venue for weddings, exhibitions and concerts.

The Grote of Jacobijnerkerk was originally a chapel of the Dominican or Jacobin monks; a monastery which was founded in 1245. The church itself was built between 1275 and 1310 and therefore it is the oldest building in Leeuwarden. In 1392 the building was badly damaged by a fire, but two years later restored. Early 16th century an aisle was added and later the church was extended with a bay. The gothic building was converted into a protestant church during the reformation and lost her altars and many of the decorations. The church is still used by the protestant community of Leeuwarden for their services The Grote of Jacobijnerkerk is one of the three churches in the Netherlands with a royal crypt. Between 1588 and 1765 sixteen members of the Frisian branch of the Nassau family - the ancestors of the current Dutch royal family - were entombed in this church: six stadtholders of Friesland, their spouses and children. Main image: Oranjepoortje (Orange gate) In 1663 a portal in classical style was added to the choir, especially for members of the Nassau family. The current Oranjepoortje still consists of an outer and inner gate, of which only the former has doors. The triangular pediment was given a new Orange Tree in 1948.

De Wildenborch is one of the eight castles in and around the village of Vorden. The country estate consists of a castle with a round tower and side wings, a building house with a coach house attached to it and 38 ha. partly landscaped garden and partly park forest. The gardens of ‘De Wildenborch’ - considered being one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands - are open for public a couple of times a year. In spring, the English landscape garden is traditionally opened one weekend to let visitors enjoy the vast fields of snowdrops (and winter aconites). Between the deciduous trees, along the paths, near the water features; these heralds of spring appear everywhere and form a white carpet of flowers in various places. During our visit in 2021, the winter aconites - unlike exactly ten years earlier - were not yet in bloom. But we were able to enjoy thousands, if not millions of snowdrops.

De Wildenborch (“castle in the wild marsh”), as it is seen today, looks nothing like the strong medieval fortress that had great defensive significance until the 17th century. The castle was located in a watery and wild swampy area and that location made the fortified house an almost impregnable fortress. It is assumed that the house originally consisted of a strong, square residential tower, surrounded by a swampy, repeatedly moated area. Only the current tower of the castle still contains remains of the originally medieval front gate. The oldest mention of De Wildenborch dates from 1371, when it was in the possession of robber knight “Sweder Rodebaert van Wisch”. The oldest known feudal document is from 1449. The castle remained in the hands of the “Van Wisch” family for a long time. The successive lords lived in politically turbulent times and were repeatedly in armed conflict with the cities of Zutphen and Deventer and with the Duke of Gelre. There were several unsuccessful siege attempts around 1500. The “Van Wisch” family died out in 1541. Via a female heiress, the castle came into the hands of the “Van Limburg Stirum” family. Over the centuries there have been several renovations. From the second half of the 17th century onwards, the castle rapidly fell into disrepair, after which it was sold in 1700. At that time only the inhabitable gate tower was remaining. After several changes of ownership, De Wildenborch was auctioned in 1757. The buyers were probably only interested in the five thousand oaks that stood on the estate. After these had been auctioned, the estate was sold again in 1768. In 1780 “Damiaan Hugo Staring” and his wife bought De Wildenborch . His son “Anthony Christiaan Winand Staring” - a well known Dutch poet - was another well known resident of the castle. He filled and planted most of the surrounding marshland with deciduous trees. The house is still inhabited by descendants of “Staring”. Nowadays De Wildenborch is one of the eight castles in and around the village of Vorden in the Dutch province of Gelderland. The country estate consists of a castle with a round tower and side wings, a building house with a coach house attached to it and 38 ha. partly landscaped garden and partly park forest. There are large water features around the house. The house is closed to the public. The gardens of ‘De Wildenborch’ are open for public a couple of times a year.

The Belvedère is a watchtower in the forest area of Oranjewoud. Andreas Willem Tjaarda - owner of Logement Heidewoud, nowadays Golden Tulip Hotel Tjaarda - had a wooden watchtower built on the Berg van Brongerga , a small hill almost ten meters high, in 1917. The area was and is known as Tjaarda’s Bosch (Tjaarda´s Forest). In 1924 this wooden construction was replaced by a reinforced concrete tower due to dilapidation. The octagonal watchtower has nine stairs of twelve steps and a height of eighteen meters. When the height of the hill is added, the eye level of a person on the tower is almost thirty meters above ground level. This tower also fell into disrepair, but instead of being demolished, it was restored after seventy years. The observation tower is a special feature: it is one of the oldest concrete structures with such large dimensions. The Belvedère is a Dutch national monument.