Jaap van 't Veen's photos

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.

The Ostmühle (East Mill) on the Mühlenberg (100 meter above sea level) in Gildehaus is a Dutch-style tower mill. The mill was built in 1749/1750 from Bentheim sandstone and has a long and turbulent history. Three year before a violent storm destroyed a wooden mill on the same spot. The mill was privately owned from 1913 to 1986. It was in danger of being demolished several times. After a restoration the mill has been in operation again. Today, it is preserved as a historical monument and is open to the public on certain days, allowing visitors to see its historic milling equipment.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The history of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of our Lady) began in the 9th century with a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady. In 1124, it was granted parish church status and replaced by a larger Romanesque church. When that became too small, an ambitious project was launched in 1352: the construction of the largest Gothic church in the Netherlands with two identical, tall towers. After almost 170 years, the Cathedral of Our Lady was completed. The north tower was finished with a height of 123 metres. The south tower only reached halfway. After a fire in 1533, completion was never resumed. In 1559, the church was given the title of “Cathedral”. The building was not spared from disaster. During the Iconoclastic Fury in 1566, the Protestants destroyed a large part of the interior. Years later, numerous art treasures were destroyed, removed or sold. When the French conquered the city in 1794, they plundered the church. In 1816, the Cathedral of Our Lady was restored to its former glory with the return of important works of art, including three paintings by Rubens.

Het Steen is the oldest preserved building in Antwerp. Its location has been essential to the development of the city. As early as the 9th century, the first settlement with earthen ramparts was established here. A castle, a stone wall and a gatehouse were built at the entrance, which later became Het Steen . Over the centuries, the function of the impressive building changed frequently: from gatehouse to prison, from sawmill to museum. After its latest renovation in 2021, the medieval fortress of Het Steen houses a tourist centre for the city of Antwerp. In front of Het Steen stands the Lange Wapper : a statue of a legendary giant from Antwerp folklore, who comes to life at night and chases drunks wandering through the city (PiP 3).

Arboretum Poort Bulten is a tree park with 2,500 trees and shrubs, divided into 1,000 species (‘each’ of them having an informative display). In 1912, the Gelderman textile family commissioned a landscape architect to design the park. The pond landscape was added to the garden around 1980.

The Roman Catholic inhabitants of De Lutte initially had to attend church in Oldenzaal. However, they wanted their own parish. This was granted and a “barn church” was built in 1785. Partly thanks to donations from King William I, it became possible to build a so-called “waterstaatskerk” (government-funded church) in De Lutte. This late Neo-Romanesque church with a high tower was completed in 1831. A hundred years later, it was rebuilt into the current neo-Gothic <iLSt. Plechelmuskerk (Saint Plechelm church). The church has beautiful stained glass windows (PiP 3 and 4), originating from the original old church.Next to the church is a Lourdes grotto (PiP5), made of Bentheimer sandstone. In 2004, the church was listed as a municipal monument of De Lutte.

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.

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.

De Parken is a neighbourhood of the city of Apeldoorn. This residential area arose between the old village and the small settlement around Het Loo Palace. The neighborhood is named after the more or less contiguous parks: Oranjepark, Wilhelminapark, Prinsenpark and Verzetsstrijderspark. In the 19th century the area had three estates: De Pasch, De Vlijt and Sophia's Hoeve. From 1874 until the beginning of the 20th century, these were acquired by project developers. They built the public parks and roads and sold plots of land for the construction of villas. Most of the houses were built between 1880 and 1920. Initially, the neighbourhood was very popular with wealthy pensioners, manufacturers and senior civil servants from the west of the Netherlands. Even today the Parkenbuurt is a very popular residential area, because of its location close to the center of Apeldoorn, but also because of the green park-like surroundings, with relatively large gardens and tree-lined streets. Pictures: main image “Oranjepark”, PiP1 “Wilhelminapark”, PiP2 “Verzetstyrijderspark”and PiP3 “Prinsenpark”.

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.