Jaap van 't Veen's photos

Laag-Keppel became city rights as ‘Keppel’ in the year of 1404. With less than 500 inhabitants it is one of the smallest cities in the Netherlands. Laag-Keppel is situated in the so called Achterhoek along the river Oude IJssel between Doetinchem and Doesburg. Since the 14th century Laag-Keppel has a watermill. The current mill was built in the 19th century and until 1945 it was in operation. From that year an electric motor was driving the grinder due to a lack of water. In 1968 a plan was made to grind the mill on its original way by hydropower. Therefore a small windmill - a so called spinnenkopmolen (spider mill) - was transferred from the province of Friesland with the intention of lowering the water level in the mill pond. The capacity of the small spider mill is insufficient for the water mill to function optimally. The combination of a watermill with a windmill offers a unique setting. The watermill of Laag-Keppel is a flour mill and is still in operation.

The Katerveersluizen is a complex of two locks at the mouth of the Willemsvaart in the river IJssel. Their construction was made possible by a major financial contribution from King Willem I, to whom the canal owes its name. The complex of locks and drawbridges forms part of a sconce, which was part of Zwolle's defence line, constructed in 1598. A small lock with a passage width of about 6 metres was built in 1818-1819. In the second half of the 19th century, this lock proved to be too small for the increasingly larger ships. Therefore, in 1873, a new larger lock was built with a width of 12 metres. At the same time the bridges - including the double iron drawbridge shown in the photo - were built over the locks. In 1964, the Zwolle-IJsselkanaal was opened, so the locks are no longer used for boating.

Polder Arkemheen is one of the oldest polders in the Netherlands. In 1356, Graaf Reinoud III van Gelderland granted the inhabitants living there the right to build dikes. For several centuries the polder was able to drain naturally into what was then the Zuiderzee. There was already talk, in 1820, about using a windmill for drainage, but it took until 1863 for the mill to be built, which was named Hertog Reijnout . Twenty years later, in 1883, the windmill was replaced by a steam pumping engine. The old windmill was converted into a home for the pumping station´s operator. The pumping engine has two paddlewheels and can drain an area of 3.000 hectares. It was in service for exactly 100 years. Then, in 1983, drainage was taken over by an electric pumping engine. After a restoration, the steam pumping engine - in the meantime named Stoomgemaal Arkemheen - is open for visitors and is stoked about twelf times every year, occasionally helping out when the electric pumping engine cannot handle the capacity on its own. Stoomgemaal Arkemheen is recognized as a Dutch national monument.

In the Middle Ages the area around Oldenaller was owned by the Van Aller family. In the year of 1494 Reneyr van Aller appears to be the owner of the house. Little is known about the medieval building phases of Kasteel Oldenaller (Castle Oldenaller). The current almost square castle was built in 1655, commissioned by Johan van Wijnbergen. The manor is entirely built of brick in the style of Dutch classicism. In 1848, Baron Goltstein bought the castle and decided a few years later to carry out important modernisations. A major renovation changes the classicist castle into a romantic, whitewashed exterior. The characteristic central tower replaced a monumental chimney. In these years, the austere, symmetrical park layout also changes into a landscape layout with meandering paths and water features. K.G. Zocher is responsible for these changes to the house and park. Jonkheer Boreel van Oldenaller was the last noble owner. In 1972, the entire Oldenaller estate was transferred to Natuurmonumenten (Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands). This preserved the unity of the castle and estate. During a restoration in 1975, the white plaster and a number of 19th century decorations were removed, making the current castle an interesting mix of both construction phases. Oldenaller estate is relatively unknown, but definitely worth a visit. It is a varied area with streams, forest, farms, wooded banks and agricultural land. The icing on the cake is the stately manor house.

The Groene Hart (Green Heart) of the Netherlands is a relatively thinly populated area, covering much of the middle portion of the Randstad megalopolis. The major Dutch cities of Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Haarlem, Amsterdam and Utrecht surround this area. On a bicycle trip near the Ankeveense Plassen (Ankeveen Lakes) - an area largely formed by the excavation of peat in the 16th to 18th centuries - we were pleasantly surprised by a truly GREEN jungle.

The Hoekermolen is a polder mill, which already appears on a map before the year of 1639. The current mill was built in 1874 on the site of an earlier mill, which burned down in that year after lightning struck. That new mill was a redundant Amsterdam industrial mill. The Hoekermolen drained the polder until 1959. In that year, the polder was connected to the Garstenpolder and the drainage was taken over by an electric pumping station. Around 1963 the mill was restored and sold. It was stipulated that the windmill should always remain available as a back-up pumping station for the combined Hoeker-Garstenpolder. The Hoekermolen therefore always remained operational and actually had to step in once in 1994. In 2005/2006, the windmill was thoroughly restored once more, and a longer screw pump was installed in order to cope with the lowered polder level.

As early as the 17th century, there was a wooden drawbridge across the Vecht. Later, it was replaced by an iron one. This iron bridge was blown up by the Germans at the beginning of May 1945, just before the end of World War II. In 1949, a new bridge was opened: a second-hand double drawbridge dating from 1888, which was transported in sections over water from Weesperkarspel to Vreeland. The Vreeland barrel factory Van Leer financed a large part of the costs. That's why the bridge was named the Van Leerbrug . In 1986, the bridge was replaced by the current bridge, which retained its name.

The Fort bij Nigtevecht (Fort near Nigtevecht) was completed in 1904. The purpose of the fort (part of the Stelling van Amsterdam *) was to defend the accesses to Amsterdam, formed by the Merwedekanaal (nowadays Amsterdam-Rhine Canal) and the river Vecht. It also protected the sluices between these two waters. A second battery is located in the defence line wall near the fort. The fort has also three mounds, which are the remnants of anti-aircraft artillery positions that were installed in 1927. During the mobilization from 1915 till 1918 about 300 soldiers slept in the fort. In World War II, the Germans used it for storage. The fort - hidden in the green - is located on a quiet location near the Amsterdam-Rijn Kanaal. One can walk around wfor free. A large part of this stronghold was made waterproof and restored by Stichting Herstelling , a Dutch foundation that offers work experience to the jobless. Fort bij Nigtevecht is owned and managed by Natuurmonumenten , a Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands. * The Stelling van Amsterdam (Defence Line of Amsterdam) is a 135 kilometers long ring of fortifications around Amsterdam. It was built between 1883 and 1920 and consisted of 46 armed forts and batteries, acting in concert with an intricate system of dikes, sluices, canals and inundation polders. It is a major example of a fortification based on the principle of temporary flooding of the land, aimed at protecting the Dutch capital against a possible foreign attack. The Stelling van Amsterdam is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.

From the 12th century onwards, the wild peat bogs in this area were reclaimed for cattle breeding. Settlers dug ditches and watercourses to drain the water. Due to this water extraction, the land subsided and the natural drainage of water was endangered. In order to prevent the hard-won areas from flooding again, the water had to be drained from the polder using windmills. The Garstenmolen (Garsten Mill) was built in 1876 after its predecessor burned down. The mill served to drain the Garstenpolder until 1960. After this was taken over by an electric pumping station, wheels, axles and spindles were removed to turn the mill into a dwelling. In 2006/2007, the mill was thoroughly restored and made mill-ready again. The mill was fitted with a new longer screw pump, so that water from the polder can once again be milled into the river Vecht. Volunteer millers keep the mill running. The mill can be visited when it is in operation.

Fort Werk IV in Bussum is an unique fortress fort within the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (New Dutch Waterline). This defence line spans 85 kilometres; it starts at Muiden and ends at the Biesbosch and is 3 to 5 kilometres wide. It consists of 45 forts, 6 fortified towns, 2 castles, 85 machine gun casemates, over 700 concrete troop shelters and casemates as well as more than 100 military sluices and water engineering works. The New Dutch Waterline is the largest National Monument in the Netherlands. Naarden - one of the fortified towns - is located in the foothills of a high sandy area and remained a weak spot in the waterline; inundation was not possible in this elevated area. Due to the improvement of the artillery, especially the range of the cannons, the fortress of Naarden had to be defended from a greater distance. It was therefore decided to construct a circle of five fortresses around Naarden in the period from 1868 to 1870. Four of the five mainly earthen works have meanwhile disappeared. The largest fortress, Fort Werk IV , has been preserved. It is built on a rather high point and is a fortress without water. It only has a ‘dry moat’, containing a wall with loopholes as a physical barrier. This crenellated wall is unique in the Netherlands and one of the main reasons why the fort is a National Monument. The Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since July 2021. Fort Werk IV has been restored to its former glory. As of July 2018, the fort is owned by theatre Spant! and nowadays used for business meetings and other events. The fort is freely accessible.

The Singer Laren sculpture garden is designed by Piet Oudolf, a well-known Dutch garden architect. The garden contains sculptures by contemporary Dutch artists, all of them on the theme of the relationship between culture and nature. The Singer Laren sculpture garden is accessible free of charge.

In the 13th century, Kasteel Nederhorst (Castle Nederhorst) was no more than a simple moated tower. These structures were usually not intended for permanent residence but were purely defensive. As with many other of these donjons, a residential wing was added later, after which the complex grew into a castle. The castle - formerly known as Horst op de Berg - was founded around the year of 1260. From 1301 to 1560 the castle was owned by the Van der Horst family. Another important owner was Godard van Reede. He undertook many activities, such as having the Reevaart canal dug, which enabled visitors to reach the castle by boat. He also gave the castle its present appearance around 1635.The house acquired the character of a country estate. In winter, the elite lived in the city, but in summer they moved to the country estates. Nederhorst remained a country estate with some grandeur until the Napoleonic era. It then came into the possession of the Freule De Warin, who lived at Nederhorst during the summer for most of the 19th century. In the early 20th century Kasteel Nederhorst came into the possession of the Van Lynden family. After a renovation, the castle became suitable for permanent residence. After the World War II the house was neglected, fell into disrepair and was finally uninhabitable. In 1959, the building in this dilapidated state was bought by Jan Lourens Jonker. He restored the castle to its former glory. On 10 January 1971, when the restoration of the castle was practically finished, a big fire broke out. With the help of additional funding by state, provincial and local governments, renovation could start again and was completed in 1973. Today the Kasteel Nederhorst hosts a private company. The park and the driveway (with a wrought iron entrance gate from 1730 between stone pillars in Louis XIV style) are free accessible.

Naarden is already officially mentioned in documents from around 900. Naarden was granted its city rights in 1300. Around 1350 the city was destroyed. Because at its original location it also suffered from the nuisance of the former Zuiderzee, it was decided to rebuild the city a few kilometers away on a sand ridge between Naardermeer and Zuiderzee. Naarden was then also given ramparts and walls to protect the residents against enemy troops. Nevertheless, in 1572 the city suffered a terrible massacre by the Spaniards during the Eighty Years' War. The citizens, who escaped this, brought new life into the city. Proof of this was the beautiful town hall from 1601, which was built in the Dutch Renaissance style with a double stepped gable; an architectural style dating from the Golden Age, when the Netherlands was the economic and political center of the world. Nowadays the city hall of Naarden - a Dutch state monument - is used for city meetings, weddings and cultural activities. During our visit in August we were able to visit some of the rooms inside the building. The interior of the ground floor is still exactly as it was at the beginning of the 17th century.

The Zuiderheide is one of the heathland areas in Het Gooi ; an area centred on the spur of the so called Utrechtse Heuvelrug (Utrecht Hill Ridge). The height differences in the area were created 120,000 years ago during the penultimate ice age. There are several ca. 4,000-year-old prehistoric burial mounds on the Zuiderheide , which protrude above the heathland like clearly recognisable green domes. The southernmost part of the heathland - near Theehuis 't Bluk - consists of shifting sand, in fact a Dutch 'desert'. The sand that lies here was once brought by the polar storms of the last ice age. After being pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the area last year, this year we visited especially for the blooming heather fields. And partly due to the wet spring, the Zuiderheide was also purple as purple can be !!

Knowing Laren as the place where rich and wealthy people live and as a village with imposing villas and mansions, I did not expect a windmill here. But surrounded by buildings and vegetation, I found this flourmill on a bicycle trip through the Gooi region. To this day, it is not absolutely clear when a windmill was first built in Laren. Compared to the surrounding places, Laren was granted the construction of its own mill relatively late, undoubtedly due to the fact that such a little village couldn´t provide enough work for a miller. A deed dated May 14th, 1704, shows that in Laren buckwheat was being husked a crudely ground as early as the beginning of the 18th century. It has to be assumed, however, that this was not done in a windmill but in a treadmill being operated with the help of horses or oxen. The first reference to De Korenmolen in Laren (Laren windmill) in today´s state can be found in a document dated 20th November, 1747, in which Jan Roel Calis is specifically described as a corn miller in the village of Laren. The present mill was built in 1773, and may have been a displaced polder mill. During the 20th century the mill had a couple of restorations. Nowadays both wind-powered and electric grinding still take place. In the adjacent shop - still run by the Calis family - flour is sold that has been milled in De Larense Molen .

The reformed Grote- of Schildkerk is the oldest church in Rijssen - a town which became city rights in the year of 1243. Its oldest part is the northern wall, which originally was part of a Romanesque church and dates back to the 12th century. Its current shape largely dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. In the early 16th century a second aisle was added, transforming the building in a two-aisled hall-church, like many churches in the province of Overijssel. The neo-classical front was added in 1828-1829 to replace the Romanesque tower which had collapsed in 1826. In 1924-1925 the church was once again enlarged. Architect Tj. Kuipers added a third nave in neo-Gothic style, consisting of three traves, each with a seperate gable and roof and a choir-like eastern part. The name of the Grote- of Schildkerk was Dionysius Church until 1598. The church derives its current name from its location on the square Het Schild .

The Wekeromse Zand is one of the last shifting sand areas in the Netherlands. The nature area consists of coniferous forest, arable land, sand and heath (PiPs). The area is home to mouflon and heath cows, among other animals. Archaeologically, the area - which was already inhabited in the Iron Age - is also interesting. Traces of posts from Iron Age farmhouses have been found in the soil. Using that pattern as an example, a small Iron age farmhouse and a 'spieker' (storage shed) were reconstructed. Local materials were used as much as possible. A reconstruction of a prehistoric raatakker ) (Celtic field) is located next to the farmhouse.

Enkhuizen is a picturesque little city, well known for its numerous historic buildings and monuments. The most remarkable and best-known landmark in Enkhuizen is the defense tower - known as Dromedaris (Dromedary) - at the entrance to the Old Harbour. It is named after its similarity with the one-humped camel (to be honest you need some imagination to see this similarity). The tower was erected as a defense work at the entrance of the Old Harbour and it used to be the south gate of Enkhuizen. The tower was built in 1540 and got its current form in the 17th century. The old name of the building is Zuiderpoort or Ketenpoort , which refers to the salt works ( zoutketen ) south of the city, which could be reached via this gate. The tower has a carillon of 44 bells dating from 1677. The Drommedaris was renovated (1649-1657) to its present appearance after the Eighty Years' War with Spain. Over the centuries the building has been used to store gunpowder and house prisoners and guards. It also served as an excise office, spinning/weaving mill and telegraph office. The tower was seriously damaged in a bombing raid near the end of World War II. The gate on the city side was riddled with bomb fragments. Nowadays the Dromedaris is used as a cultural centre, with three stages.