Jaap van 't Veen's photos

Kolhorn - picturesquely located behind a dike - is surrounded by a sea of green meadows. It is hard to imagine that the village was once a fishing village beside the (former) Zuiderzee. The village of “Colhorn”, as it was called in 1573, was located on the Zuiderzee until 1844. Due to the creation of some polders it now lies at the heart of the West-Frisian landscape and about 20 kilometers inland. Kolhorn is mentioned for the first time in 1288. But probably it refers to the mooring place, a small harbour which was so called at the location where later the village arose. The first mention as a village is in 1518 when it is called “Kolhoiren”, although the church bell in the belfry dates back to 1418 and may indicate that the village has existed at least since then. Kolhorn nowadays is a Dutch protected village-scape.

Enkhuizen is a picturesque little city, well known for its numerous historic buildings and monuments. During the 17th century it was one off the most prosperous cities in the Netherlands as a member of the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie - VOC (Dutch East India Company); the largest trading company in the world. Its rich history is visible in many villas, ‘Golden Age’ buildings, city walls and gates, churches, channels, harbours. Enkhuizen was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. It received city rights in 1355. In the mid-17th century the city was at the peak of its power and was one of the most important harbour cities in the Netherlands. It lost its position by the late 17th century, due to the wars with England, the silting of its waters and the rise of Amsterdam. Enkhuizen became a sleepy fishermen's town. Nowadays Enkhuizen is famous for its water sports facilities; the town has one of the largest marinas in the country. Many ships from the so called bruine vloot (brown fleet) have adopted Enkhuizen as their homeport.

I had heard about it and saw a lot of pictures of the Inntel Hotel in Zaandam, but never seen it myself. I have to say it is one of the most remarkable (modern) buildings in my country. The very unusual building is located in the new centre of Zaandam. The external walls look like a lot of small houses, all piled up on top of each other. This spectacular design reflects the traditional architecture of the Zaan region with its cozy wooden houses. It seems that there are about seventy house fronts, each one on top of another. The walls are painted in several so called “Zaan-green” colours. Just one house has a blue colour, referring to “The Blue House”, a work by Claude Monet, which he painted in Zaandam in 1871 The hotel - opened in 2010 - was built as part of the so called “Inverdan project”, which started in 2003. The aim of the project was to restructure the centre of Zaandam. This traditional Zaan architecture is also found in other “Inverdan buildings” - like the new townhall of Zaanstad .

Zaanstad is ‘just’ a municipality excisting of seven towns and villages - Assendelft, Koog aan de Zaan, Krommenie, Westzaan, Wormerveer, Zaandam, Zaandijk - with a population of about 150.000 inhabitants. In 1974 this villages and towns were merged into one new municipality. In 2012 Zaanstad became a new town hall, located on the Stadhuisplein , next to the railway station of Zaandam. The town hall was designed as a sequence of several large Zaan houses, in which the characteristics of the local architecture were applied in a new way. On the short side of the building, the council chamber - above the main entrance - has different dormer windows, decorated with the coats of arms of the municipalities that have merged into Zaanstad. The town hall was designed by architect Sjoerd Soeters. The town hall is located nearby the new Intell Hotel .

The Waag (Weigh House) is one of Alkmaar’s landmarks. The building has an interesting history dating back to the late 14th century. It was originally built as a chapel for the adjacent Holy Spirit hospital, where poor travelers could get free accommodation for three days and nights. In 1566 the Bishop of Haarlem gave permission to the Holy Spirit hospital to re-purpose the hospital building for weighing. In 1582, the weighing activities were moved to the larger Holy Spirit Chapel, which by then was no longer being used for divine services. The conversion of the chapel to the weighing house was completed in 1583. The choir of the chapel was removed and a richly decorated façade in Renaissance style with a finely worked gable was constructed. Between 1597 and 1603, the original tower was replaced by the much larger present Waagtoren . Since the 19th century the building has been embellished with a painting on volcanic rock, reflecting trade and industry. Nowadays the building houses the local tourist office and the Dutch Cheese Museum). The Waag - a national monument - is located at the Waagplein ; where from April till September the famous cheese market is held.

The Grote Kerk is a late-Gothic cross basilica, located in Naarden Vesting , one of the most beautiful fortresses in the Netherlands. Prior to the Protestant Reformation it was named St. Vitus Kerk . The tower with an eight-sided spire - 73 meters high - is the oldest part of the church and a remnant of a predecessor of the current church, which was built between 1380 and 1440. The present cross basilica with ambulatory and strikingly low transepts was the result of an extension between 1455 and 1518. In this period the church was destroyed by fire in 1468 and 1481. The side aisles have stone vaults, but the central nave is covered by an oak barrel vault, which was painted between 1510 and 1518 with scenes from the Old and New Testament. The oak choir fence from 1531 with rich renaissance carving also dates from the time before the Reformation. The church is managed by a foundation ( Stichting Grote Kerk Naarden ) and is still used for services of the Protestant Community of Naarden. In addition, events and concerts are held there. The church is very well known known for the annual performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion by the Netherlands Bach Society on Good Friday.

The Ruïnekerk (Ruined Church) is dating back to the second quarter of the 15th century and was built on the site of a smaller pilgrimage chapel, which was built after the so called ’Miracle of Bergen’ in 1422. At time of the construction the church was the largest in the province of North-Holland. Originally it was a Gothic church, dedicated to Peter and Paul. In 1574, during the Eighty Years’ War against Spain, the church was looted and burned down by Dutch Protestants troops De Geuzen . The tower was lost completely, but the rulers of Bergen prevented the eventual destruction of the other remains, parts of the outer walls of the nave and the walls of the choir with its flanking chapels. The choir was rebuilt in 1594-1597 to serve as a Protestant church. Between 1955 and 1961 the church was restored and became a new wooden porch. The date 1958 is inscribed on the church facade to commemorate the restoration. In 1970, a 26-bell carillon was installed. Nowadays the church is still used for weekly services, but also for weddings, funerals and other cultural events. The Ruïnekerk - a national monument - is the landmark of Bergen, located right in the heart of the village.

The first Slotkapel (Castle Chapel) - dedicated to Saint Catherine, the patron of the nobility, was built in 1229, commissioned by Willem I van Egmont. It was located next to the castle of Egmond. In 1430 Count Jan van Egmond ordered the demolition and rebuilding of the chapel in its current simple Gothic style as a one-aisled church. The chapel and castle were destroyed in 1573 in the Eighty Years War, during the siege of the city of Alkmaar. In 1633 the chapel was restored by the States of Holland and West Frisia. Various cities, aristocrats and companies from that time made donations for the restoration, including the fantastic stained-glass windows. The unique clock in the centuries-old tower was made in 1682 by Christiaan Huygens. In 1960 the Slotkapel was in a very poor condition and the municipality intended the demolition of the church. Due to the efforts of a group of citizens the chapel was restored and does still exist. Nowadays it serves as a venue for weddings, exhibitions and concerts.

The Hortus Bulborum is the only museum garden in the world where you can find about 4.500 different tulip, hyacinth, daffodil and other bulbous cultivars, species and varieties in bloom. Every spring the garden transforms into a treasure trove full of dazzling colours, beautiful shapes and overwhelming fragrances. Hortus Bulborum offers about 2.650 varieties and species of historical tulips; among them the famous Duc van Tol Red and Yellow ; the oldest known cultivar from 1595. This tulip laid the foundation of commercial bulb growing in the Netherlands. Apart from tulips over 1.100 different varieties and species of daffodils can be admired, as well as more than 100 varieties of both crocuses and hyacinths and 15 of the Fritillaries imperalis. The aim of Hortus Bulborum is to maintain these cultivars and safeguard them for the future generations. 2021 visit: Although the Hortus was officially closed due to the corona pandemic, the gate at the back of the garden was open. When I asked one of the volunteers - busy taking care of the flowers - I got permission to take a few quick pictures. Unlike during our other visits, the daffodils were still in full bloom.

The Poldertuin in Anna Paulowna is well known in the region. It offers a large assortment of tulips (230 species), daffodils (125 species), hyacinths (30 species) and special bulbous and tuberous plants (35 species). During springtime - early April till early May - visitors are treated to a lavish and colourful Poldertuin - also called ‘Little Keukenhof’ - which can be visited free of charge.

After the construction of the Anna Paulownapolder an office of the water board was built. This stately home is locally known as Polderhuis . In 1885 the Poldertuin (Polder Garden) around the house was designed by landscape architect Jan David Zocher jr., who also designed the well known Vondelpark in Amsterdam and the garden of Soestdijk Palace. His gardens are characterized by winding paths and water features with bridges. Polderhuis (nowadays privately owned) and Poldertuin were sold to the municipality. The garden is still owned by the municipality of Hollands Kroon, but since 2014 it is managed by a foundation. In autumn volunteers plant 220.000 flower bulbs, which are blooming between early April and mid May. The flower bulbs are donated by about hundred flower bulb growers in the region. The Poldertuin with its large variety of springtime flowers like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and special bulbs and tubers is also called ‘Little Keukenhof’ and can be visited free of charge. The garden is a real hidden gem in the Kop van Noord-Holland and not very known to tourists.

The so called Kop van Noord-Holland is the northern part of the province of North Holland. This area is our favourite for visiting flowering bulb fields. Perhaps less known than the area around the famous Keukenhof , but definitely more attractive to us. The Kop van Noord-Holland is the largest bulb area in the Netherlands. Colourful blooming bulb fields reach as far as the eye can see. From mid-March to mid-May the region turns into one big sea of flowers. It starts with the crocus season, then daffodils and hyacinths appear and finally the tulips show their striking colours from mid-April until the beginning of May. In addition to these endless bulb fields the Kop van Noord-Holland features a couple of very interesting sights: Hortus Bulborum in Limmen with hundreds of different species of blooming bulbs and the Poldertuin in Anna Paulowna, a public park with 220.000 bulbs.

Oldehove was an artificial dwelling mound in the provice Frisia, which - together with Nijehove and Hoek - became the town of Leeuwarden in 1435. In the same year, Leeuwarden received city rights. In the late 9th century a Catholic church - dedicated to Saint Vitus - was built on that mound. Construction of the adjoining Late Gothic tower began in 1529, after the citizens of Leeuwarden demanded a tower taller than the one in the city of Groningen, the Martinitoren. The original plan included attaching a new church to the tower, which would replace the old Saint Vitus church, but this was never realised. Master builder Jacob van Aken was unlucky from the start, because the tower began to sink during construction. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, it was decided to continue to build perpendicular on top of the leaning bottom. Because of this the tower is also curved. Construction was subsequently halted in 1533 and has never been resumed. The tower never reached its intended height of about 120 meters. In 1595–1596, the then derelict church was demolished, but the tower remains. Although the Oldehove - as the tower is called - has never been used for special purposes, nevertheless it acquired a symbolic status. Inhabitants of Leeuwarden are proud of their Oldehove. “I feel rather homesick, when I cannot see the Oldehove”, is a well-known saying among the locals. The Oldehove is 39 meters high; the number of steps to reach the top is 184. The angle of leaning is 1,99 meters. The Oldehove has been used as timepiece, storage space and observation post; nowadays the tower is used by the Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden (Historical Center Leeuwarden).

Gasthuizen have been a form of housing for poor people for several centuries. Gasthuizen can be found in most cities in the Netherlands, and were generally built with community in mind and by the church. In the city centre of Leeuwarden one of the prettiest is the Sint Anthony Gasthuis . The Sint Anthony Gasthuis - also called Sint Anthoon - started in the Middle Ages. The oldest mention of the guest house dates from 1425, ten years before the settlements of Nijehove, Oldehove and Hoek were merged into the city of Leeuwarden. The current guesthouse is officially called the Nieuw Sint Anthony Gasthuis and the buildings dates from 1864. This section consists of four neo-classical pavilions with characteristic facades bearing the arms and names of the noble families who were associated with the guest house as benefactors in early history, such as Burmania, Minnema, Wiarda and Auckama. Since the last renovation was completed in 1990, the guest house has focused solely on housing for the elderly. Elderly people from the age of sixty can rent a flat in the Sint Anthony Gasthuis .

The special thing about the toverhazelaar (Witch Hazel) is that this shrub blooms in the winter months (from the end of December/beginning of January with yellow/orange spidery flowers). The name toverhazelaar comes from the English "Witch-hazel", which is actually derived from "Wice-hazel". Because of this flexibility, this hazel is also said to have been frequently used as a dowsing rod. The first witch-hazel imported into the Netherlands was the American 'Hamamelis virginiana'. This was a medicinal plant among the Indians. It is still used for medicinal purposes today

In 1639 Johan Coolwagen bought part of an estate along the Hierdense Beek . In 1652, his son Maarten built a country house on this land called De Essenburg , probably named after the essen , which means farmland. The estate remained in the possession of this family until 1688. In 1721 the estate experienced a golden age when it came into the hands of Mr Antony van Westervelt, a large landowner and mayor of Harderwijk, a city nearby the castle. He enlarges the house and turned the surroundings into a park, inspired by the gardens of the Louvre. The estate subsequently had various owners, until it was bought by the Norbertines in 1950 to establish a monastery. They still use a part of the buildings. Today, Kasteel de Essenburgh - a national monument - houses a hotel and restaurant.

Nationaal Park Veluwezoom (Veluwezoom National Park) is the oldest national park of the Netherlands. It has a surface area of 50 square kilometers at the southeastern edge of the Veluwe, a complex of terminal push moraines, dating back to the Saalian glaciation (150.000 years ago). For the Netherlands the park has a pronounced relief with the highest point in the park at (almost) 110 meters above sea level. The landscape of the park - formed during the two most recent glacial periods - consists of forests, heathland and a small sand drift. The park has a large amount of heathlands. Especially the area around the Posbank - a 90 meters high hill - is one of the most popular destinations when the heather is blooming. From the top of the hill one has astounding views over the area. The Vereniging Natuurmonumenten (Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands) bought the first piece of the Veluwezoom in 1911. Since then it has acquired more areas. In 1930 it became the first national park in the Netherlands. The park is freely accessible.

Strand Noordpier (Noordpier beach) is located directly north of the Noordzeekanaal (North Sea Canal) and south of Wijk aan Zee. The beach is one of the widest in the Netherlands. The Noordpier - built to prevent the harbour from silting up and to offer ships a safe passage to the North Sea Canal - causes a special wind and waves, making the beach a popular spot for wave, wind and kite surfing. Officially, the pier and the beach are located in Velsen-Noord, but can only be reached via Wijk aan Zee. That is why many people call it the pier of Wijk aan Zee. The beach may be beautiful and wide, but what struck me during a visit on a freezing winter's day was the horizon pollution caused by the Tata Steel factory and some wind turbines. This makes it for me also one of the ugliest beaches in the Netherlands.