Apeldoorn

Oranjepark: hoarfrost on the trees.

Oranjepark: hoarfrost with low sun and backlight.

The Verzetsstrijderspark is a city park in my hometown Apeldioorn. Locally it is also known as Marialust , named after the former estate on that location. Since 2009 the pond of the park is decorated with a fountain, the so-called Kwartjesfontein . The name arose because the fountain was (partly) financed by contributions from Apeldoorn citizens in the form of a kwartje (= a former Dutch coin of 25 cents). The fountain was unveiled on 31 August 1932 by then Princess Juliana, but in the Oranjepark , another citypark. After 50 years, the fountain was removed from the park, but was preserved. Once again, a fundraising campaign was held among companies and residents, allowing the Kwartjesfontein to spout again after a thorough restoration. On 31 August - the date of the former Queen's Day in the Netherlands - 2009, the fountain was put into operation by Princess Margriet.

Memorial for resistance fighters (verzetstrijders) from Apeldoorn, which was unveiled in 2010. (In the background 'Het Koetshuis' once part of the rural estate 'Marialust'.)

‘De Freule’ is not just one of the more than sixty bridges that cross the ‘Apeldoorns Kanaal’. It is a special bridge for two reasons: firstly it is only a pedestrian/bicycle bridge and secondly it is as a matter of fact also an art work. The 90 meter long bridge - made of iron and bronze - was designed by Tirza Verrips, an artist living in Apledoorn. It was built and opened in the year of 2000. The bridge connects the city centre of Apeldoorn with a new built neighbourhood called ‘Welgelegen’ on the eastern bank of the canal. More than 200 years ago an estate with the same name was located in that area. It was owned by the famous Dutch admiral ‘J.H. van Kinsbergen’, where he was taken care of for many years by three ‘freules’ (dames/peeress). Many years later the bridge was named after the ‘freules’.

Landgoed Woudhuizen - commonly called Woudhuis - 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 (PiP1). 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 (main image and PiP2), wooded banks (PiP3) and fens. The estate - approximately 225 ha - is intersected by old tree-lined avenues (PiP4) and still has some little old farmhouses (PiP5). Since March 2020, the estate has been managed by Natuurmonumenten, a Dutch society for preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands.

Wenum - watermill: built in or even before the year 1313 it was first a grain mill. In the 18th century the mill was used as a copper mill. In 1917 the stone building was built and the mill used again as a flourmill

Windmill Oranjemolen ('t Haasje) in Wenum (north of Apeldoorn), after the restoration.

Wenum is more of a hamlet, coming into being on a east-west ridge of sand. The landscape around Wenum is characterized by streams, fields and meadows close to each other. This small scale landscape changes gradually eastwards into an open agricultural landscape. Characteristic is the Wenumse Enk ('upland field’), a large spherical open field on the sand ridge. Landmark of this Enk is the windmill ‘Oranjemolen’, also called ‘t Haasje’ (PiP).

Apeldoorn - Dierens Kanaal is the second part of the Apeldoorns Kanaal, a waterway from Hattem in the north to Dieren in the south. After arriving of King Willem I digging of the northern part started in 1825. Plans for the southern part between Apeldoorn and Dieren (river IJssel) came into execution and digging began. Ten years later the canal was officially opened. In 1972 the canal was closed for shipping traffic; nowadays you only may see a canoe, rowing boat or pedal boat in the canal. More information about the Apeldoorns Kanaal (Dutch)l: www.apeldoornskanaal.com

Autumn along the 'Apeldoorn - Dierens Kanaal' nearby Oosterhuizen. This is the second part of the 'Apeldoorns Kanaal', a waterway from Hattem in the north to Dieren in the south. After arriving of King Willem I digging of the northern part started in 1825. Plans for the southern part between Apeldoorn and Dieren came into execution and digging began. Ten years later the canal was officially opened. In 1972 the canal was closed for shipping traffic; nowadays you only may see a canoe, rowing boat or pedal boat in the canal. More information about the Apeldoorns Kanaal (Dutch)l: www.apeldoornskanaal.com

Ruitersmolen, watermill nearby Beekbergen, dating back to the year of 1606.

The ‘Beekberger Enk’ is located between the villages Beekbergen, Lieren and Oosterhuizen more or less against a moraine, which came into being during the last ice age about 150,000 years ago. In the 19th century parts of the ‘enk’ still were heath land and shifting sand dunes. Farmers held sheep on these waste grounds. Sheepfolds were often found in the villages and every day the sheep were driven out to the heath and returned every night to their barn. The manure of the sheep in the barn, mixed with heather sods, was used to fertilize the landscaped acres. On this way came contiguous agricultural lands into being between the three villages. They were called ‘enk’. Some fields have been raised a meter or more during the last centuries. They still have a typical profile: high in the center and lower at the borders. The fields on the ‘Beekberger Enk’ are still used as arable land and one can still see the ‘hilly’ profile.

Beekbergerwoud: a 'new' nature reserve, restored on the location of the last Dutch primeval forest, which was cut down in 1871.

Waterfall of Loenen, one of the highest of the Netherlands. This waterfall in the so called ‘Vrijenbergspreng’ has a fall of 10 metres (in two steps). As a matter of fact there is a second waterfall downstream with four steps and about 15 metres high.

Kasteel ter Horst/Castle ter Horst, medieval castle in Loenen (Veluwe).

Apeldoorn, Loenen - Kasteel ter Horst/Castle ter Horst.

'De Middelste Molen': old water mill along the Voorsterbeek or Loenense Molenbeek. The mill already started in the year of 1622 producing paper and still is a small, but working paper factory. It is the only authentic paper mill in the Netherlands.