Jaap van 't Veen's photos

Singraven is an estate near the town of Denekamp. It includes a manor, a garden, a water mill, a carriage house and a number of farmhouses. The estate offers a versatile landscape with forests, lanes, fields, meadows, marshes and the ever-present river Dinkel. The water mill has been part of Landgoed Singraven (Singraven Estate) 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.

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.

Lutterzand is a nature reserve situated in the most eastern part of the Netherlands, nearby the German border. This beautiful area consists of 750 hectares of pine forests, juniper bushes, heathlands, flat moorland and sand drifts through which the Dinkel river runs. The Dinkel meanders through the area, creating beautiful shores and steeply eroded banks. Along the winding river natural sand cliffs - up to eight meters high - have been cut out by the erosion. Even the oldest and firmest trees eventually perish, drifting off in the current.

The Mariakapel (Mary Chapel) was built in the years 1954-1957 using medieval building materials. The bricks are from the foundations of an old monastery and the roof beams are from an old Saxon farmhouse. Money, volunteer labour and design were provided by the local community of Borne. The chapel is 6 metres wide, 4 metres deep and 8.5 metres high. On either side is a stained-glass window. The statue of Mary, carved from sandstone, came from Vreden in Germany, where it had been found in pieces near a bombed-out church. It has been fully restored and provided with head and feet. Borne's Mariakapel is considered being one of the most beautiful in the region. In september 1957, the chapel and the statue of Mary were consecrated.

A “hofje” is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages. The Netherlands has several “hofjes”. The Hofje van Aerden (or officially Hofje van Mevrouw van Aerden ) was established at the end of the 18th century by Maria Ponderus, who wanted to provide free housing for impoverished female relatives from her or her husband's family. The stipulation was that these women had to prove their familial connection and adhere to strict behavioral and religious guidelines: remaining unmarried, of impeccable conduct, and of Protestant faith. Maria's vision was so profound that she ensured its continuation through a foundation established in her will, leading to the opening of the hofje on November 1, 1773. The Hofje van Aerden was designed to house eleven women, but it expanded over the years. By the late 19th century, it could accommodate up to fifteen women. Today, the criteria for residency have evolved, and it now serves as a residence for ten single women. The complex is arranged around a central courtyard, nearly square in shape, measuring approximately 40 by 32 meters. It was constructed on the site of the former Leerdam Castle, which was destroyed during the Eighty Years' War.

Kasteel Ammersoyen (Ammersoyen Castle) is considered being one of the best preserved medieval castles in the Netherlands. The typical Dutch moated castle has four round corner towers, a fortified bailey and is encircled by a moat. The castle was built around 1350 along the river Maas. The river was redirected a short time later, but the castle remained surrounded by water. With its square design and four corner towers, the castle is a good example of the type of castle introduced by Count Floris V of Holland. The castle had many owners until it was severely damaged by a fire in 1590 and it took a long time to repair the damage. In the year of 1667 the “Van Arkel” family restored the castle to its medieval state. Two hundred years later Kasteel Ammersoyen became a convent for the Order of Saint Clare. The moat was filled in and an adjoining chapel was built. During World War II - between 1944 and 1945 - the castle suffered severe damage. The nuns left and the castle came into the possession of the Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen (a Dutch nature and heritage foundation). Restoration work - which took 16 years - has brought back the castle to its former medieval glory.

Kasteel Renswoude (Renswoude Castle), formerly called Borchwal , is a castle and knight's manor and estate nearby the village of Renswoude. The first house probably dates from the late 14th century. Perhaps the name refers to a borgwal (circular rampart) that surrounded the castle. During the Dutch 'Golden Age' - in 1654 – the original house was demolished by order of Johan van Reede and replaced by the current country house in Dutch-classicist style. It was probably built on the medieval foundations. The castle has a special design, which gives it a double appearance. The white plastered back gives the building a real country-house appearance, while the front with its towers is more reminiscent of a castle. The facade of the main building is dominated by the large tower in the middle with a corner tower protruding on either side. Kasteel Renswoude is surrounded by a park, which is open to the public. Nowadays the castle is divided into several apartments where some members of the castle owners' family reside.

Fort Honswijk , originally called Fort Willem II, is one of the most impressive forts of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (New Dutch Waterline: a line of defensive works using water throughout the western part of Holland) which is part of this 200-kilometre long UNESCO World heritage Site. Construction of the tower fortress along the river Lek began in 1841. The tower had three floors with an open artillery battery on the roof. The fort was completed in 1848. In the 1880s, the fort was extensively modified and the top floor was demolished. Fort Honswijk was used during the mobilisation in World War I. In 1935, the fort was briefly used as a concentration camp. It was the first concentration camp in the Netherlands. Dutch soldiers were based there during the 1939/1940 mobilisation. Until 2012, the fort was used by the Ministry of Defence. In September 2016, the municipality of Houten became the owner of the fort and it was restored.

Nowadays the Hervormde kerk (Reformed Church) - originally named Cathrijnekerk consists of a 19th-century nave and a detached, 15th-century tower. The oldest mention of a church dates back to 1395. The brick tower dates back to the second half of the 15th century and is built in late-Gothic style. The construction was plagued by flooding from the river Linge, which regularly washed away the soil from underneath the tower. The builders tried to correct this problem half way up, which only caused it to lean to one side. In the 18th century, the upper part of the tower was demolished to prevent the it from toppling over all-together. The rest of the church was also demolished after it had been badly damaged by a hurricane in 1674. It was replaced by the current Reformed Church in 1844. The remaining tower is 17.5 metres high and still consists of two sections. The top of the tower is tilted 115 cm off-centre. Its angle is in fact almost similar to that of its famous Italian counterpart, the “leaning tower of Pisa”. In the tiny churchyard one of the graves belongs to “Cornelia Pisa”. Cornelia’s name and the tower’s crooked appearance have contributed to the tower´s nickname as the scheve toren van Pisa te Acquoy (leaning tower of Pisa in Acquoy).

Slot Loevestein (Loevestein Castle), or officially Museum Slot Loevestein , is one of the most well-known castles of the Netherlands. The castle was built by the knight Dirk Loef of Horne (hence "Loef's stein" (stone) house) between 1357 and 1368. Around 1575 it was expanded to a larger fortress surrounded by earthen fortifications with two (later three) stone bastions, two moats, an arsenal, and barracks for a commander and soldiers. The castle was also integrated into the Hollandic Water Line. From 1614 on Slot Loevestein was used as a state prison. In 1619 a famous Dutch jurist, humanist, lawyer and poet “Hugo de Groot”, was imprisoned in the castle together with his wife and daughter to serve a life term sentence. In 1621 however he managed to escape from the castle by hiding in a big wooden bookcase, which was being brought out of the castle. In the 19th century the castle was incorporated into a new and enlarged earthwork fortress, which made the castle an important stronghold in the New Dutch Waterline (a line of defensive works using water throughout the western part of Holland) and is part of this 200-kilometer long UNESCO World heritage Site. During all these works the bailey of the castle was torn down, the sole remnant is the round tower which was used as a powder magazine. Loevestein Castle lost its military function in 1952. Nowadays Slot Loevestein is used as a medieval museum and function centre.

Sint-Alexiusbegijnhof (St. Alexius Beguinage) is an oasis of quietness in the heart of Dendermonde. It has 61 houses around a green trapezium-shaped courtyard with a chapel in the middle. The beguinage was built in 1288 and has been occupied ever since. At one time two hundred and fifty beguines, members of a religious sisterhood, lived here; the last died in 1975. Her former home houses a museum of folklore. To keep the memory of the beguines alive, one small house has been furnished as an authentic beguine's home. Since the year of 1998 the Sint-Alexiusbegijnhof is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

After Belgium became independent in 1830, the fear of a European conflict or invasion remained. Because Belgium had no noteworthy natural defense, it was opted not to defend the whole country, but to opt for a 'National Redoubt'. For strategic, political and economic reasons, the city of Antwerp was chosen to become that National Redoubt. In 1859 the Belgian government decided to defend Antwerp by building a new rampart around the city, called the 'Big Rampart', after a plan of the military engineer Capt. Henri Alexis Brialmont. It consisted of 15 km long earthen rampart with 19 gates around the city. It also had a ring of 8, almost identical, brick forts. These forts were built almost 2.5 km outside the city, at 2 km from each other. They had to protect the city from enemy fire. Every fort was about 30 hectares and consisted of a central reduit, caponiers, platforms and earthen walls for artillery, all surrounded by a wide moat. Although building the rampart and forts was a massive and very expensive undertaking, it was finished in 1864. In 1907 the rampart and forts were modernized. The rampart was demolished in 1960. The forts are now more commonly known as the “Brialmont Forts”. Fort 4 in Mortsel is one of the seven remaining “Brialmont Forts”; it is made from brick with sandstone decorations. Between 1909 and 1911 a gun turret was built in Fort 4, which was later strengthened with concrete. During WW II the German Army occupied this fort and built several barracks. After the war it was used by the Belgian Army up until 2000.

The history of Arboretum Kalmthout goes back as far as 1856, when the Antwerp dendrologist Charles Van Geert started a proving ground in Kalmthout for his nursery in Antwerp. It remained a nursery until 1952, when the brothers Georges and Robert de Belder bought the site to create their private botanical garden there. Under their leadership Arboretum Kalmthout grew into one of the world's most prestigious botanic collections. They introduced hundreds of new plants, which came from friends and growers all over the world. They collected seeds in the wild, and also selected a number of new cultivars. In addition to collecting new plants, increasing importance was given to scientific and educational aspects. The garden grew into one of the most valuable collections of woody plants in Europe. In 1986 Antwerp Provincial Authority purchased the site and the property has been expanded and now measures over 33 acres The independent non-profit organisation “Arboretum Kalmthout” retained full responsibility for management, upkeep, and operation. Jelena de Belder – the wife of Robert - was a big fan of Cyclamen, the tuberous plant from the forests of her homeland Slovenia. She planted very many of them in the garden since the 1980s. During our visit in September, we took a walk along the Cyclamen-trail with many so-called autumn cyclamen; sometimes a few together and in other places whole carpets of flowers.

Kevelaer is one of the most famous and largest Marian pilgrimage sites in Germany. Probably the most important date for the history of the city is June 1, 1642. Just before Christmas 1641, at the crossroads of the old trade routes Amsterdam-Cologne and Münster-Brussels, the Geldrian merchant Hendrick Busman heard three times the mysterious cry: "On this spot you shall build me a little chapel!".Triggered by these events, he made the decision to heed the call and to built a shrine on that location. The Kerzenkapelle (Candle Chapel) is the oldest pilgrimage church in Kevelaer, which is why most processions still take place here today. The number of coats of arms, the abundance of candle offerings, windows and signs of thanks document the old tradition of many processions and the liveliness of the pilgrimage. More than 300 candles from the various pilgrim groups are placed here during the pilgrimage season, showing the connection with Mary of those who have long since returned home. More than 100 candles burn every day during the Marian Praise.

Kevelaer is one of the most famous and largest Marian pilgrimage sites in Germany. Probably the most important date for the history of the city is June 1, 1642. Just before Christmas 1641, at the crossroads of the old trade routes Amsterdam-Cologne and Münster-Brussels, the Geldrian merchant Hendrick Busman heard three times the mysterious cry: "On this spot you shall build me a little chapel!".Triggered by these events, he made the decision to heed the call and to built a shrine on that location. The shrine, later Chapel of Mercy , became a very popular pilgrimage site. When it couldn’t any longer accommodate the numerous pilgrims the Marienbasilika (Basilica of Mary) was built. The neo-Gothic church building was built between 1858 and 1864, whre the larger holy masses are celebrated. In 1923, the pilgrimage church was elevated to the status of a Papal Basilica. Around the turn of the century, the exceptionally colorful painting of the transept and the choir followed. The organ of the Marienbasilika , with its 135 registers, is the largest German-Romantic organ in the world. The 90 meter high tower of the church dates from 1884.

Kevelaer is one of the most famous and largest Marian pilgrimage sites in Germany. Probably the most important date for the history of the city is June 1, 1642. Just before Christmas 1641, at the crossroads of the old trade routes Amsterdam-Cologne and Münster-Brussels, the Geldrian merchant Hendrick Busman heard three times the mysterious cry: "On this spot you shall build me a little chapel".Triggered by these events, he made the decision to heed the call and to built a shrine on that location. The chapel was consecrated and on 1 June 1642, the Sunday after Assumption of Mary, the print was displayed in it, and the chapel became such a popular destination for pilgrims that a church was built for them between 1643 and 1645. The little chapel was replaced in 1654 with a larger one, the current Gnadenkapelle (Chapel of Mercy or Chapel of Grace), which still houses the miraculous image “Consolatrix Afflictorum”. The hexagonal domed building is one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in north-western Europe and has drawn pilgrims to Kevealer from all over the world for more than 360 years.

A “hofje” is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages. Dordrecht has several “hofjes”. Arend Maartenshof was founded in 1625 by Arend Maartenszoon in an attempt to shake off his bad reputation in the city. The entrance is through a lavishly decorated renaissance gate. Atround a courtyard with centuries old trees and a well are 38 houses built, which were destined for poverty-stricken women and widows of soldiers. Since the 1980s, admission rules for the cottages have been relaxed. But two rules of the old founder stand: residents must be of impeccable conduct and they must lovingly care for the living environment. The municipality of Dordrecht bought the Arend Maartenshof at the end of the 20th century and carried out a complete renovation.

Huis Van Gijn was the residence - built in 1729 - of the banker and avid collector Simon van Gijn, who lived here from 1864 until his death in 1922. He left the house and most of his collections to the Vereniging Oud-Dordrecht (Old Dordrecht Society). His wanted to make his collections publicly accessible and for his home to be converted into a museum, maintaining the interior in its original state as much as possible. Since 1925 Huis Van Gijn has been open to the public, allowing visitors to experience upper class living during the nineteenth-century. Nowadays the museum offers a wide variety of exhibits, ranging from paintings and prints, arms and ships to furniture, silverware and ceramics. The attic holds a unique collection of 19th-century toys. His collection was merged with the collection of the Vereniging Oud-Dordrecht and is constantly being expanded.