Jaap van 't Veen's photos

Veldkamp's Meuln (Veldkamp’s Mill) is a 19th century seven storey tower mill, with a stage at the third floor level. The mill was built in 1855 as a grist and oil mill and owned by the Veldkamp family for many years, which explains the name of the mill. During its existence the mill was regularly damaged by storms, namely in 1895, 1972 and 1976. The mill was restored several times, the last time in 2002. Since then, the mill is regularly operated by a volunteer miller. Most of the husking machinery has disappeared, the mill still possesses two pairs of millstones. Since the year of 1972 the mill is a national heritage site. Nowadays Veldkamp's Meuln is owned by the municipality. The mill is open for visitors, although it has limited opening hours.

Acrocorinth was the fortified acropolis (“upper city”) of both Ancient and Medieval Corinth. It was built on a steep, rocky hill 575 meters high at the highest peak. Acrocorinth is a typical example of castle architecture built in successive phases. Three successive defensive walls lead via an equal number of gates to the interior, covering 240.000 square meters. The ruins of the temple of Aphrodite (5th-4th century BC), several Christian churches, a Byzantine underground cistern, mosques, fountains etc. still survive. The perimeter walls have a length of 3.000 meters, making it the largest fortress in the Peloponnesos. The first phase in the history of the walls dates to the 7th-6th century BC, which was a time of prosperity for the city of Corinth. In 146 BC the walls were destroyed by the Romans. Substantial efforts at fortification were made in the Middle Byzantine period (8th-12th century). In the year of 1210 the castle was taken by the Franks. Over the following centuries numerous repairs and improvements were made, by both the Franks and the Palaeologi, at a time when the city of Corinth seems to have moved inside the castle. Works were also carried out by the Ottoman conquerors and by the Venetians, who reinforced parts of the walls during the second Venetian occupation (1687-1715). More recently, there was a German garrison stationed there during World War II invasion of Greece from May 1941. Nowadays Acrocorinth is not only a particularly interesting archaeological site. Most of the current towers and walls are medieval, but built on ancient foundations. Due to its location it also offers uninterrupted panoramic views across Ancient Corinth , the new coastal city of Corinth and the Corinthian Gulf.

The Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth is one of the earliest Doric temples in Greece. It is the most important monument in the old city. The temple was built around 560 BC of local limestone on top of a low hill and dominates the archaeological site. The Temple of Apollo was a symbol for Corinth, reflecting its growth and prosperity. The temple once had 42 monolithic, limestone columns (6×15), which were more than 7 meters high. Its central structure was divided into three rooms. When the city of Corinth was refounded by the Romans the Temple of Apollo was renovated in order to house the cult of the Emperor. In the Byzantine era a basilica was built on the northeast part of the temple hill. In the Ottoman period, the eastern part of the temple was demolished and a new residence of the local Turkish Bey was built. Today there are only seven standing columns and its foundations are preserved, yet the monument is the emblem of the Archaeological Site of Ancient Corinth.

(Ancient) Corinth was first inhabited in the Neolithic period (5000-3000 BC). The peak period of the town started in the 8th century BC. Representative of its wealth is the Temple of Apollo, built in 550 BC. The city was situated Isthmus of Corinth, which connects the Peloponnese with central Greece and which also separates the Saronic and Corinthian Gulfs from each other. Its position gave Corinth great strategic and commercial importance in ancient times. It therefore developed into a healthy commercial, political and industrial city state. The Romans destroyed Ancient Corinth in 146 BC, but it was later restored by Julius Caesar. The city was re-inhabited in 44 B.C. and gradually developed again.The centre of the Roman city was organized to the south of the temple of Apollo and included shops, small shrines, fountains, baths and other public buildings. The invasion of the Herulians in the year of 267, initiated the decline of the city, though it remained inhabited for many centuries through successive invasions and destructions, until it was liberated from the Turks in 1822. First excavations were conducted in 1892.The systematic excavations of the area started 1896 and are still continuing today. They have brought to light the agora, temples, fountains, shops, porticoes, baths and various other monuments. The finds are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum (PiP5) inside the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth.

Staverden estate is a botanical paradise. There are more than 20 plant species on the list of rare and endangered plants in the Netherlands. In total, more than 300 species occur on the estate and the surrounding nature reserve. Like in many parks and gardens of estates, numerous rhododendrons blossom in spring.

Kasteel en landgoed Staverden (Staverden Castle and estate) have a long history. The counts of Gelderland (later dukes) probably already had a court in Staverden in the 12th century. In 1299, Count Reinald I obtained city rights from the German king Rudolph. But it never came to a real city development. Research has shown that Staverden was probably never meant to become a real city. Staverden Estate however does have 16 farms, spread across its lands; a coach house, orangery, watermill, dovecot, workers' houses, a church and a cemetery. It is officially the smallest city in the Netherlands and most probably in the world with its ca. 30 inhabitants (situation 2018). The castle was frequently used as a hunting lodge by the Dukes of Gelre. Since 1400 there were feudal lords living at castle Staverden, who had to preserve and defend the castle. They also were charged with the duty of keeping white peacocks. The peacock feathers were used to adorn the duke's tournament helmet. There are still white peacocks on the grounds, the castle has a wind vane in the shape of a white peacock and in the surrounding garden one can find a statue of a peacock (PiP 5). Kasteel Staverden (Castle Staverden) is also called Witte Pauwenburcht (White Peacock Castle). Around 1600 the castle was owned by the Van Haersoltes , who rebuilt it into a more habitable house. Around 1840 the manor was rebuilt again; Staverden Castle got its current form between 1853 and 1905, after the estate was purchased by Frederik Bernard s’Jacob , former mayor of Rotterdam. His heirs sold the house to the current owner, the foundation Geldersch Landschap en Kasteelen .

Pictures of flowers taken during a ‘corona-stroll’ in my garden.

The Groene Poeltje (Little Green Puddle) is situated just outside the village of Hoog Soeren in a small valley of a hill named Pomphul . The valley with the puddle has probably already had an attraction and significance for the inhabitants of this elevated part of the Veluwe in prehistoric times. The nearby burial mounds in prove that people lived here from an early age. Due to the high altitude of Hoog Soeren, obtaining sufficient drinking water was often a problem in the past. Around 1800 a pump was installed in the valley of Pomphul. When in summer the rain barrels and wells in Hoog Soeren were dry, the villagers had to fetch water from Groene Poeltje with a barrel on a barrow. The trip with the heavy barrow back up to the village was quite a job. In 1927 the village became its own water piping. Since the 17th century, however, a water pipe made of lead, wooden and earthenware pipes ran from Pomphul to the gardens of Het Loo Palace . The construction of this 13-kilometer long pipeline was commissioned by king Willem III. The difference in height of about 30 meters caused an enormous water pressure. The final result were 20 fountains, each 4 meters high and one fountain 13 meters high; the highest spouting fountain in Europe !!

Hoog Soeren: quiet village during ( ↑ ) and before ( ↓ ) the corona crisis. Even before the beginning of our era, Germanic tribes had settlements in the area where the village of Hoog Soeren is situated. The early 20th century excavated urns from burial mounds are reminders of this. 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 “arid” or “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. Until the end of the 19th century, Hoog Soeren was an agricultural community, which developed into a settlement for forest workers, foresters and gamekeepers. In the 1930’s many local people had to sell their farm and land. From that period on, a village with civilian houses gradually came into being and became a popular settlement for wealthy people from the western part of the country. A number of farms were transformed into residential houses, but many new houses were built as well. In the first half of the 19th century the area also became a tourist attraction - with some hotels and guesthouses - and an attractive place to live and stay for wealthy people. 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.

The name 'stinzenplanten' originates from the Frisian word 'stins', which means 'stone'. That refers to the time when only rich people had a house of stone. From the 16th century onwards, adventurers took all kinds of bulbous, tuberous and root plants with them from their travels. They sold these plants to people who could afford them: owners of country estates, castles and mansions. ‘Stinzenplanten’ are very suitable for naturalization. On some estates the house has already disappeared, but the plants still bloom every spring. On the Hackfort estate around the medieval castle have always been many stinzenplanten in the landscape park, dating back from around 1820. It is known that there were large areas of forest anemones and lilies of the valley. But more and more blackberries got the upper hand and many of the original flowers disappeared. In 1981, Hackfort Castle and estate were donated to Natuurmonumenten (Netherlands Natural Heritage Society). In 2009 an inventory of the plants was made and a year later the society commissioned landscape-architect Trudi Woertman to make a design for an additional stinzenflora planting on Hackfort. Nowadays the park around the castle is an imposing eye-catcher with thousands of blooming springtime flowers.

The Watermolen Hackfort is located on the estate Hackfort , close to the castle of the same name. The mill was first mentioned in the year 1442, while the current square stone building was built around 1700. The mill is equipped with a water wheel with blades and is powered by water from the Hackfortse Beek. The water wheel drives millstones to grind grain. The water mill also supplies electricity to the electricity network. In 1952 the mill was shut down because of the poor condition of the wheel and building. At that time the stream also contained too little water to power the mill. In 1981, the estate (with castle and mill) passed into the hands of the Natuurmonumenten and was refurbished. After the water board had ensured that sufficient water flowed through the Hackfortse Beek, a new water wheel was installed in 1998. Since that moment the mill has been in use. Volunteer millers are sawing wood and grinding grain for cattle feed on hydropower. On Saturdays and on special occasions the mill is open to visitors.

The history of Hackfort Castle is dating back to the year of 1322, when it was officially mentioned. In 1392 ‘House Hacforden’ was nothing more than just a residential tower. In the 1586 the castle was destroyed by the Spanish troops during the Eighty Year's War (the Dutch Independent War). After the liberation of the region by Prince Maurits van Oranje, the castle was rebuilt in 1598 by Borchard van Westerholt. In 1788, Hackfort Castle underwent substantial renovations. The old gate house and outbuildings were demolished and the canals were filled in. The castle was transformed into an 18th-century manor house. Nowadays only the two thick cylindrical towers are reminders of the (former) castle. The castle is surrounded by forests and meadows and includes the watermill of Hackfort. The castle remained for centuries in the possession of the family Van Westerholt. When the last Baroness Westerholt of Hackfort died in1981, Hackfort Castle and estate were donated to Natuurmonumenten (Netherlands Natural Heritage Society). The house, coachhouse (nowadays a restaurant) and watermill have since been restored and opened to the public.

The Kathedraal (Cathedral) is a work of art by Marinus Boezem. It was donated to the Kroondomein Het Loo (Het Loo Royal Estate) by the then Queen Beatrix on the occasion of her 60th birthday to underline the connection of the House of Orange with this nature reserve. The artwork was unveiled in 1999. The work of art consists of 40 bronze tree trunks on a concrete foundation. They have been placed exactly according to the floor plan of Reims Cathedral, on a surface area of 125 by 35 meters. The stumps are casts of a by the artist modeled clay model. The Kathedraal is one of the most hidden and inaccessible works of art in the Netherlands. Located in the middle of the woods - not signposted - of the Kroondomein Het Loo it can only be reached on foot or by bicycle.

Kasteel Het Oude Loo (Castle Het Oude Loo) is dating back to the early 15th century when it was a farm, which later was fortified. When it came into the possession of the Bentinck family the moated castle as we see it today was built and enlarged between 1538 and 1540. In those days it was used as a hunting lodge by Karel, Duke of Gelre. In 1684 Prince Willem III van Oranje, Stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland acquired the castle. He also used it as a hunting lodge. Soon the castle became too small for his hunting parties and he built Paleis Het Loo (the Loo Palace) in 1686-88. In 1795, when the French occupied Holland, the castle was used as a military hospital and the castle fell into neglect. In 1806 Napoleon Bonaparte appointed his brother Louis Napoleon as King of The Netherlands. Louis resided in the castle during summers. He filled up the moat around the castle. In 1904 Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands ordered the restoration of the castle. This was done by the famous Dutch architect Cuypers. In the 1950's and 1960's other restoration works were carried out. Since 1968 the castle has been owned by the Dutch state. In 1973 it became a national heritage site. Kasteel Het Oude Loo - located within the Paleispark - is nowadays used by the Dutch royal family as country house and guest residence. The castle itself is not open for the public, but the surrounding fenced garden/park can be visited during April and May.

The Paleispark (Palace park) is a part of Kroondomein Het Loo (Het Loo Royal Estate). With an area of 650 hectare the park is ideal for strolling and walking. It lies adjacent to Paleis Het Loo and around Kasteel Het Loo . Traditionally this park (PiP 5 and 6) was for the relaxation of the royal residents of and their guests. The origins of the palace park can be traced back to stadtholder Willem III, who purchased hunting lodge Het Oude Loo in 1684 together with 200 hectare land. Het Loo Royal Estate was also very important for Queen Wilhelmina. She purchased many acres of land and donated this to the State in 1959, retaining the rights of usage for the reigning monarch. This explains the name for the whole area: Kroondomein Het Loo (Het Loo Royal Estate). The palace park is only a small part of Het Loo Royal Estate. The park features ponds (PiP1), a tea pavilion (main image and PiP2), which was often used by Queen Wilhelmina, a bath-house, a royal horse cemetery (PiP3), an old shooting range, a hunting lodge (PiP4) and several follies. The park is open - against a small fee - the whole year round, the fenced part around Het Oude Loo is open for visitors only during the months April and May.

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.

Kasteel Rosendael (Rosendael Castle) is a medieval castle built in a valley at the edge of the hills of the Posbank . The castle was surrounded by water, making it difficult for the enemy to enter and the residents immediately had sufficient fresh drinking water. Often it looked as if the residents of Rosendael used more money for the garden than for the castle itself. Around 1670 the noble family Van Arnhem had built waterfalls, caves, ponds and fountains. Trends changed and when the Torck family lived on Rosendael, the 'old-fashioned' garden was modernized by architect Daniel Marot. Several parts from that period (around 1730) are still preserved: the unusual shell gallery, a teahouse, a grotto, a chain bridge and the marble waterfall. One of the most well known parts of the garden are the so called Bedriegertjes . These ‘tricksters’ are mini fountains, hidden in a cascade’s mosaic floor which turn on and off unexpectedly and spray the surprised visitors with water. It was a popular destination for school trips well into the 20th century.

Kasteel Rosendael (Rosendael Castle) is mentioned as early as the year of 1314. The castle came into the hands of the counts and later dukes of Gelre. Of the twenty castles in the dukedom, Rosendael was the favourite of many dukes, because of its beautiful location on the edge of the Veluwe moraine. The large medieval complex originally consisted of an irregular four-sided corps de logis with a circular donjon as its south-west corner tower. In 1722 a square house was built abutting the big tower. The side wing and coach house were built a century later. The round eye-catching donjon is about 19 meters and high and has a diameter of 16 meters. Its walls - up to 4 meters thick - are the thickest in the Netherlands. Although it is the highest tower of its kind in the Netherlands, it was originally twice as high. After the counts and dukes of Gelre, the castle became the property of drost (state-holder) Willem van Scherpenzeel. After that Kasteel Rosendael came into the hands of various noble families, who occupied it for almost 400 years. During World War II the castle was hit by an American bomb. It ceased to be a private residence in 1977 when Baron van Pallandt died and the estate was handed over to the foundation Geldersch Landschap en Kasteelen . The castle and garden were fully restored and since 1989 open to the public.