Jaap van 't Veen's photos

Haarlem is one of the cities in the Netherlands that has a number of so called hofjes : a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages. Hofje In den Groenen Tuyn is one of the more than twenty remaining hofjes in the city. The plaque above the current residents' entrance depicts a flowering garden. The plaque belongs to the house "Den Groenen Thuijn", where the original courtyard was founded in 1616. In this house, with a beautiful courtyard, 20 small houses were built in the main building and around the garden. In 1885, the courtyard was rebuilt; the number of houses was reduced from 20 to 18. A new stately entrance was also built, for which the last old gothic building in Haarlem was demolished. In 1987, the hofje was restored for the last time. On its 400th anniversary in 2016, a pump was placed in the green garden. Hofje In den Groenen Tuyn is open to the public on weekdays between 10 and 12 am.

The Molentje van Groenendaal (Little Groenendaal Mill) was built in 1780 by order of John Hope, the Scottish owner of the nearby Groenendaal estate, to provide water for the ponds and other water features on the estate in the summer. It is likely that the ponds often dried up in the summer because the water level dropped. The mill probably did not function as it should, because a short time later, a small steam-powered pumping station was built next to it (the second steam engine in the Netherlands), which took over the grinding work from the mill. In 1836, by order of John Hope's grandson, the steam engine was dismantled, but the windmill was preserved. Because Het Molentje van Groenendaal then lost its function, it was shut down early on and remained only as an ornamental object. Probably because of this it was often said that the mill was not a real mill, but a "folly", as they were very fashionable at the end of the 18th century. In 1989 the mill was thoroughly restored and made complete again with a going work. In 2019, Het Molentje van Groenendaal was once again restored. Wth two wooden stages, this small mill is unique in the Netherlands. The Molentje van Groenendaal - also called Groenendaalse Molen - is a national monument since 2004.

The Elisabeth Gasthuishuisjes were built between 1608 and 1612 by order of the owners of the St. Elisabeth or Great Hospital, which is (or better was) located around the corner. Older people with some savings could register as a so-called provenier . This meant that they could buy a one-off lump sum and have accommodation and care until the end of their lives; a more commercial set-up than the traditional Dutch hofjes . After the great fire of 1576, the Elisabeth Hospital was built on a former convent site. Building rental houses was a common form of money investment in the 17th century. Originally, there were twenty identical houses, making the complex one of the earliest examples of serial construction on a large scale. In 1906, eight cottages were demolished. The remaining twelve - together with the former old men's home and later orphanage (now the Frans Hals Museum) across the street - form a unique street scene. Due to an extensive renovation in 1931, the historical layout of the houses was lost. The fronts with the stepped gables were preserved. In 1974-1975, the complex was restored again and since then the Elisabeth Gasthuishuisjes have again been used for housing.

A new slide show to promote Ipernity on Youtube . The slide show is a visit to the hidden gem of the Poldertuin (Polder Garden) in the village of Anna Paulowna in the Netherlands. More than 200.000 flowering bulbs are waiting for you. View and comment please on Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwkgSxoSpBU More info Ipernity/Advertising/Youtube: www.ipernity.com/group/advertising/discuss/195370 . More pictures and info of Dutch tlips and bulbs: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/album/1303332

The Bakenesserkerk (Bakenesser Church) started as a simple wooden chapel in the middle of the 13th century, dedicated to Mary. Most likely, Count Willem II of Holland, the later Roman Catholic king, ordered the construction of the old chapel. At that time, the church was the centre of the Bakenes , the oldest part of the city, which was therefore called Oud Haarlem (Old Haarlem) until the 16th century. The construction of the present church, which was then called Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kapel (Chapel of Our Lady), probably started after 1461. The beautiful and impressive tower - built of white sandstone - of the church is a real eye-catcher. It dates from 1530 and is almost identical in shape to the spire of the Grote of St.Bavokerk . They are also called “twin towers”. The churches in Haarlem used to be city property. When church and state were separated in 1808, the churches in Haarlem were ceded to the Reformed community. The church towers were excluded from this deal and are still municipal property. In 1620, the Bakenesserkerk was prepared for Reformed use. A new entrance door (PiP) on the east side of the church bears the date 1620 and is attributed to Lieven de Key. The lion above the gate is a reconstruction. From 1779 to 1954 the Bakenesserkerk was used as a so-called Kinderkerk (Children's Church). The children of people who were supported by the Reformed Deaconry were obliged to attend these services. If they did not attend, their parents' allowance was cut. A private person bought the Bakenesserkerk in 1996 because it was a financial load for the Reformed Church. After a few years, the Haarlem municipality bought the church. The building has been restored and is the new home of the Archaeology Department of the municipality.

The Grote of St.-Bavokerk (Great or St.-Bavo Church) is located in the center of the city of Haarlem. With its 76 meters high wooden tower - covered with lead - the church is a well known landmark. The medieval gothic cruciform church is one of the largest in the Netherlands. The impressive interior of the gothic church offers a lot of splendid (architectural) highlights. Unique in the church are the beautiful wooden ceiling vault, the many stained-glass windows and the the floor, which consists entirely of 1.500 gravestones; the oldest is dating back to the 15th century. Until 1831 graves were allowed in the church, and many illustrious Haarlemmers through the centuries are buried there. The choir - built in 1370-1400 - is closed off at the front by a masterpiece of medieval craftsmanship: a copper choir screen from 1517. The choir stalls are dating back to the beginning of the 16th century; the coats of arms were applied later. The famous Müller organ was played by many well known musicians, including Mendelssohn, Händel and the 10-year-old Mozart. The organ counts 5.068 pipes and is almost 30 meters high.

The reformed Grote of St.-Bavokerk (Great or St.-Bavo Church) is a former Catholic cathedral. The church is a late Gothic cross-basilica with a slim line cross tower. The very first St. Bavo Church was already mentioned in 1245 and was considered prominent, among other things because of its belfry. The Church is built in basilical style: the nave is twice as broad as the side aisle. The direct predecessor of the present church consisted from a choir, nave, transept and a west tower which was tall enough to be used as a watchtower for firemen. This tower had a peak made of slate and probably also lead and possibly also a small lantern. It was provided with a weathercock and a clock with a bell. In 1423/1433 a richly decorated Font Chapel was built against the west side of the church with a charming baptismal font in it with a wrought-iron tap. The design for the stone tower was made in 1502. The tower seemed to be too heavy for the crossing pillars and one of the pillars sank; some gravestones around it cracked. Between 1514 and 1517 the tower was then broken off again and replaced by a wooden crossing tower covered with lead. The dimensions of the 76 meters high tower are immense: 35 to 40 meters height, an ‘onion’ of 3 meters high and in diameter; a cross of 550 kg, a cock of 65 kg and a carillon with 47 bells of more than 10.000 kg and the weight of the leaded paneling about 85.000 kg. Some more facts and figures of the church: length 108 meters, width of the nave + side aisles 31 meters, widest point of the church 47 meters, height of the nave 29 meters, The Grote of St.-Bavokerk was and still is an important landmark for the city of Haarlem and has dominated the city skyline for centuries.

Haarlem is one of the cities in the Netherlands that has a number of so called hofjes . A hofje is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages. In the past Haarlem had forty of them, nowadays there are more than twenty historical and some new ones left. Characteristically, almost all are built around an inner garden. Some of them are still in use with boards of regents. Many of these are members of the Stichting Haarlemse Hofjes (Foundation Hofjes of Haarlem). The word hofje means “small garden”, because the hofjes are generally small houses grouped around a community garden with a water pump. Often they were attached to a larger field for bleaching linen or growing orchards, but today those fields have been long used for city expansion and only the central gardens can still be seen. The historical hofjes were built from the 14th to the 19th century. They were often paid for out of inheritances from childless wealthy people from Haarlem. Many are named after such a wealthy person. The “Hofje van Bakenes” - founded in 1395 - is the oldest hofje . It was named after Dirck van Bakenes. The hofjes were built for indigent elderly (mainly women). They were housed in small houses around a courtyard designed as a garden. Age was not the only admission criterion. Being a member of the right church community, or belonging to a guild was a decisive factor in being allocated a house. Another requirement was that residents had to be self-reliant. Often the entrance was formed by a gate that was locked in the evening. Sometimes, only such a gateway still reminds of the place where one of the hofjes was once located. Nowadays they have not changed in museums: hofjes are still inhabited today. Often by elderly ladies, sometimes a mix of ages and a few hofjes also admit couples or men. Besides being a place to live, hofjes are also a tourist attraction. Many of the hofjes are freely accessible, but be aware they have limited opening hours. During our stay in Haarlem, we did the so called “Hofjes wandeling”. A great way to discover some of these hidden gems and the city of Haarlem

In 1778 the Amsterdam businessman Adriaan de Boois bought an old defense tower in the city of Haarlem. He received permission to build a windmill on top of the old Goê Vrouw tower. As a result, the blades of windmill De Adriaan rise high above the river Spaarne and catch every breeze possible. Due to its location the mill is a remarkable urban landmark. On 19 May 1779 the Adriaan smock mill was put into use. For years De Adriaan crushed tuff - a sort of volcanic stone - into trass; a special additive added to mortar to make walls waterproof. It also milled seashells and oak bark. In 1802 the windmill was sold to a tobacco merchant. At that time taking tobacco snuff was very popular. The mill was given new machinery, and tobacco rolls were processed into snuff powder for decades. In 1865 the mill changed ownership and function again. De Adriaan was converted into a flour mill and millstones were installed. But in early 1932 the last owner stopped milling, as it was no longer profitable to mill flour. April 1932 De Adriaan was completely destroyed by a devastating fire. Although the inhabitants of Haarlem immediately organised a fundraising campaign for a new windmill it took 70 years that the city got its windmill back. Since 2003 windmill De Adriaan houses a mill museum and is also a weddig and meeting location. When the weather permits, the mill turns and visitors can see it in operation.

Kasteel Wijchen (Wijchen Castle) is a moated - almost square - castle with a small courtyard. It is not exactly known when the castle was built; due to architectural details probably somewhere in the 14th or early 15th century. The castle was first mentioned in a written source in 1392. From the 14th to the 17th centuries, it served as a defensive tower and castle. During these times, it was occupied by a number of families, was severely damaged, ransacked and rebuilt on numerous occasions. In 1609, Kasteel Wijchen came into the hands of Emilia van Nassau, a daughter of Willem van Oranje, Father of the (Dutch) Nation. The money for the purchase was raised partly from the sale of a valuable pearl necklace. This was necessary because her marriage to Don Emauel of Portugal was not blessed by the Dutch stadtholder. They rebuilt the castle to its present Renaissance appearance. After the death of Emilia in 1629 the castle was sold by her children. In the 17th and 18th century Kasteel Wijchen had several owners. In that period the castle fell into disrepair when it was used as a summer residence by Belgian owners. In 1903 the castle was sold at a public auction. Its new owner became Lady AW. van Andringa de Kempenaer. She renovated the castle only for it to be struck by a devastating fire in December 1906. Luckily the castle was rebuilt two years later. In 1932 Kasteel Wijchen was bought by the town of Wijchen and became a town hall. At present part of the castle still serves as a town hall. Other parts nowadays are used as a museum.

Nijmegen received city rights in 1230 and was expanding rapidly. The buildings 'crept' slowly up the hilla from the quay along the river Waal. The construction of the Stevenskerk (officially the Great Church or St. Stephen's Church) on top of the Hundisburg - one of the seven hills on which the city was built - was a kind of capstone. Construction of the church began around 1254 and it was consecrated in 1272. What remains of the originally Romanesque-Gothic church are the understructure of the tower and a few bays of the nave. In the following centuries, the church was rebuilt and enlarged again and again. After the Iconoclastic Fury in 1591, the church came into the hands of the Protestants. In the process, statues of saints and other objects were destroyed. With one exception, all the heads of the statues in the church were chopped off. The interior was also whitewashed. The interior offers elegant domes, the monumental Köniorgan, splendid stained glass windows, age old graves and a spectacular row of chandeliers. The 71 metre high tower of the Stevenskerk was damaged several times by fire or acts of war. The church and the tower were severely damaged after a bombing raid in February 1944 during World War II. After the war the church was thoroughly renovated; the tower was the first to be rebuilt in 1953, and the church was officially reopened in 1969. Stevenskerk nowadays is still the 750-year icon of Nijmegen and used for for weekly ecumenical church services, exhibitions, activities of student associations and orations. The church is open for visitors.

The Overasseltse en Hatertse Vennen is a special nature reserve of 520 ha with sloping river dunes, more than 20 fens, heathland and pine forests. The rivers Maas and Waal - which are now relatively far away from this area - are the creators of this landscape. After the last Ice Age, some 10,000 years ago, the Netherlands was a polar desert. Sand from the bed of the river Maas was blown here creating high dunes. The river Waal had previously deposited a layer of clay that was compressed into an impenetrable layer. As a result, rainwater was stored in the form of fens. From the 19th century, pine trees were planted here for the Limburg mining industry. The fen area had its own water management, independent of the regional groundwater. This changed around 1900; both municipalities and private individuals dug ditches and trenches to drain the water. Because the fens were in danger of drying out, part of the woodland was converted to heathland in 2013. This preserves the unique flora and fauna that are dependent on these fens. At the edge of the Overasselt en Hatertse Vennen are the ruins of the medieval St. Walrick's Chapel and a so called “clootie tree”, also known as a “rag tree”. The popular story goes that if you hang a piece of cloth from a sick person in this oak tree, the tree will make the illness disappear (PiP5).

Fort Pannerden - located on a tongue of land at the junction of the river Waal and the Pannerdensch Kanaal (PiP3) - was constructed between 1869 and 1871 as part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (New Dutch Waterline). Originally the fort was built completely out of brick and mortar, with just one main battery guarding the rivers. It was upgraded significantly during 1885-1895. Fort Pannerden is the most easterly of the 50 sturdy forts of the New Dutch Waterline, a series of water-based defences. Soldiers were able to see from afar whether enemies were approaching on the river Rijn. They had to secure the flow of Rijn-water towards the waterline. Fort Pannerden is therefore also known as “the tap on the New Dutch Waterline”. Since July 2021 the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort had strategic significance because it guarded the Pannerdensch Kanaal/Rijn, which supplies the water for the inundations of the New Dutch Waterline and could potentially be used as a route towards the main line of defence. In World War I the Netherlands remained neutral, although the fort was manned as part of a general mobilisation. During the German invasion of the Netherlands in of World War II (May 1940), the fort was first bypassed. One day later it was surrounded and cut off from the rest of the Dutch army, the commander of the fort surrendered under threat of artillery bombardment and air attack. After the war the fort became a quarry for building materials and a dump for ammunition. The fort itself was already decommissioned in 1959 and abandoned. Fort Pannerden then stood empty until 2000 when it was taken over by squatters. Years of court cases and evictions followed, finally resulting in an agreement; the squatters were appointed as temporary caretakers of the fort, but they could not live there anymore. In 2008 the former squatters left the fort voluntarily and a restoration of Fort Pannerdan started, which ended in 2011 with the fort being opened to the public. Nowadays Fort Pannerden - also housing a museum (PiP4) - can be visited for a fee. The fort is located nearby the medieval Kasteel Doornenburg .

Kasteel De Kinkelenburg was known during the late Middle Ages as Hof te Bemmel . The house was first mentioned in the year of 1403, when Johan van Ambe inhabited the moated house in Bemmel. These counts used the castle as a hunting lodge, so it probably never served as a real castle. The castle probably consisted then of a square stone tower-house. The attached gate tower may date from the same period. Somewhere in the 16th and 17th centuries, the towers were connected by a building. In 1765 the house was expanded with a wing. It is unknown where the name Kinkelenburg comes from. The castle was converted into a villa by private individuals in the 19th century and lost its medieval character. The last private owners and residents were members of the Homan van der Heide family, who sold the castle in 1948 to the municipality of Bemmel. During World War II, the municipality commandeered De Kinkelenburg as emergency accommodation and was used as an emergency hospital. The largest part of the building was demolished and rebuilt according to the model of old drawings. It was then put into use as the town hall of the municipality. Today De Kinkelenburg is a wedding and meeting location of the municipality of Lingewaard. Since 1971 the castle is a national state monument.

Kasteel Doornenburg (Doornenburg Castle) - located next to the village with the same name - was first mentioned in 1295. It consists of the main castle and a front castle which are connected via a small wooden bridge. It is one of the biggest and most well-preserved castles in the Netherlands. Kasteel Doornenburg was originally a fortified manor - known as Villa Dorenburc - built in the 9th century. In the 13th century the manor was converted into a proper castle. Gradually, through the centuries, the castle was expanded further into its current form. The front castle was built in the 15th century. It contains sleeping quarters, a chapel and a farm, the latter being quite a unique feature for a Dutch castle. Kasteel Doornenburg was occupied until the 19th century. After the last resident, Maria Clara van Delwig, died in 1847, Kasteel Doornenburg fell into disrepair. In 1936 the castle was bought, in dilapidated shape, by a local industrialist J.H. van Heek, who handed it over to the Stichting tot Behoud van den Doornenburg (Foundation for Preservation of the Doornenburg). A large restoration followed, which was completed in 1941 . By the end of the World War II the castle became a German headquarter and in March 1945 it was almost completely destroyed by a British bombardment. The castle was rebuilt again by the foundation between 1947 and 1968. Nowadays Kasteel Doornenburg houses a museum and can be visited.

Unlike the name suggests, the Kootwijkerveen is not located near Kootijk, but somewhere hidden in the woods between the hamlets of Nieuw Milligen and Assel. It is a nature reserve that is unusual for the Netherlands: a peat lake surrounded on all sides by wooded shifting sand hills. The Kootwijkerveen has a long history that goes back to the Ice Age. It was originally a marshland area on the western slope of the Veluwe . Because of an impermeable layer, the water remains there and creates ideal conditions for the formation of moor peat. Peat was extracted here up until the Second World War. Later, pasture land was created. In the 1970s, the Dutch government organisation for forestry and the management of nature reserves ( Staatsbosbeheer ), began restoration work. The result is a beautiful lake at 40 metres above sea level: a wet oasis in the middle of dry sandy soil; created by ice ages, peat cutters and nature managers. The Kootwijkerveen can be visited along a signposted walking route, which starts at a car park near Nieuw Milligen.

The Aardhuispark is a fenced-off part of Kroondomein Het Loo (The Loo Royal Estate). It is situated - as the name suggests - around Het Aardhuis . 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 wildlife spotting. During my last visit, I saw a group of 15 to 20 deer grazing and resting there (PiP1).

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. Het Aardhuis is situated on the Aardmansberg (from which the name is derived), which at 102 metres is one of the highest points in the Veluwe. This location offered Willem III a magnificent view of the manoeuvres that the soldiers from a nearby camp were performing on the heathlands. 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-restaurant. On the first floor, one of the rooms is still furnished as it was in the days of King Willem III and Prince Hendrik, with a lot of attention for hunting (PiP3). Another larger room serves as an information centre for Kroondomein Het Loo (Het Loo Royal Estate).