Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: village

The Zaanse Schans is a historic neighbourhood in the Zaanstad municipality, which was established by relocating wooden buildings and industrial mills from the Zaan district. To preserve as much as possible original of these timber buildings, in 1949 a special neighbourhood was set up to relocate the houses. From the middle of the 20th century the plans were elaborated. From 1963 many wooden buildings were moved to the Kalverpolder , where the Zaanse Schans was created. Although set up as a 'normal' residential neighbourhood, the area attracted more and more tourists. Between 1970 and 1974, the plan was expanded to include historic buildings and several replicas suitable for catering and tourism. Some of the buildings are now housing museums, small craft businesses and shops. In 1976, the Zaanse Schans became a tourist destination. Nowadays, it is one of the most visited tourist places in the Netherlands with more than two million visitors per year. The Zaanse Schans comprises approx. 30 inhabited houses, 15 commercial buildings/shops and 12 windmills . The neighbourhood has about 75 inhabitants. In 2010 the Zaanse Schans was designated as a protected village sight. The neighbourhood was named after the sconce, which “Diederik Sonoy”, governor in the service of “Willem van Oranje”, had built in the Eighty Years’ War to stop the Spanish troops.

Syrrako is a beautiful and picturesque village, which impresses with its grey stone houses that are perched on a steep slope of Mount Peristeri on an altitude of 1.200 meters. The ‘fairytale’village – located in the heart of the Tzoumerka region - is declared to be a traditional settlement. The village offers stone houses with slate roofs, cobbled alleys, churches, watermills, stone fountains, which are creations of renowed craftsmen. Syrrako was built by Greek Vlach speakers in the 15th century. Around the year of 1480 the village along with other villages in the area, went under the Ottoman domination but managed to secure a privileged tax treatment and some kind of autonomy. Syrrako and neighboutring Kalarrytes were the only villages of Epirus that took part in the Greek Revolution from the first years. During that period, the village was looted and burnt down by the Turks and the inhabitants abandoned it, trying to save their lives. They returned in the year 1825 and rebuilt Syrrako.

Kalarrytes (Kalarrites/Kalarites) is one of the most beautiful villages of Greece. Its houses are built according to the traditional Epirotic architecture. The village boasts beautiful stone bridges, cobbled roads, stone houses with traditional schist roofs, old drinking fountains and watermills. The village - like neighbouring Syrrako - was built in the 14th and 15th centuries by Vlach pastors. The Vlach inhabitants, having secured special privileges and the protection of the Valide sultan. Thanks to their sharp business acumen, helped the village grow through the trade of not only agricultural products, but also the particular goods in which they specialized. The silversmiths of Kalarrytes were known for quality craftsmanship. The family Voulgaris is very well known; one of them moved to Roma in the 1880s and opened a store that would become the famous brand Bulgari. Kalarrytes - surrounded by the imposing mountains of Tzermouka - lies at an elevation of 1200 meters and is sometimes called the ‘Eagles’ Nest of Epirus’.

The picturesque village of Koronisia (or Korakonisia/Kyronisia) was an island until recently. Nowadays it is connected to the sore by Arta by a winding road wit sea on both sides. On one side lies the Amvracian Gulf and on the other the Tsoukalio lagoon with fishing facilities and a lot of bird life. Crossing it was quite an experience and we stopped several times enjoying the great views. Koronisia itself is a (former) fishing village which offers a lot of quietness, sea life and some local tavernas. The village has about 200 inhabitants. On a hill stands the Panagia Koronisia, one of the oldest Byzantine churches in Arta and an architectural juwel dating back to the late 10th century (although often closed, so told an owner of a taverna me). Nearby one can find the small fortress of Koulia with a remarkable modern architecture, nowadays an event venue. The scenic enviremont is also called “Greek Polynesia”.

“De Woude” is a hamlet in the Alkmaardermeer, nowadays part of the municipality of Castricum. The village is located in the “Westwouderpolder” (commonly also called “De Woude”). The picturesque village with its wooden houses has about 160 inhabitants and can only be reached by a ferry. The Dutch Reformed church De Kemphaan is a little wooden church which was rebuilt by the villagers in 2002. The old church from the 16th century had become derelict and beyond repair, and a village house was desired by the inhabitants of “De Woude”. The church is in use for meetings, cultural activities and can be rented for weddings and parties.

Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena is a quiet village located in the green hills north-west of Albenga in the western part of Liguria. The small village has a very well preserved medieval centre with a maze of narrow alleys and steep dark stairs. Stone houses and their ancient architectural features give the village an unspoiled character. Castello dei Clavesana - dating back to the 9th and 10th century - is a castle overlooking the village from the hill behind. The castle was damaged during a siege by an army from Genoa in 1672, since that time it has been in its current ruined condition. Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena developed from the 11th century onwards around the outside of the castle walls. The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption is a very simple small church that was originally built in the 15th century, and then substantially altered in the 17th century to incoporate baroque style elements. Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena is one of the borghi pui bella d'Italia (one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. We visited Castelvecchhio di Rocca Barbena on a Sunday morning. During our vist we didn’t see a single inhabitant and that made the village look like a ghost town.

The village of Orvelte probably originated between the 11th and 13th century. In a charter from 1362 the village is referred to as “Oervelde”. This oldest notation indicates the origin of the place name: the village Over het veld (Across the field). The village with its cobbled streets is made up of a collection of thatched Saxon farmhouses and other heritage buildings. The oldest farm in Central Drenthe - built between 1560 and 1650 - is also located in Orvelte after a relocation. The car-free village still exudes the atmosphere of a 19th century village in Drenthe. In 1967 Orvelte received the status of protected village-scape. Nowadays Orvelte presents itself as a monument village. In addition to the normal daily activity and residential function, many of the farms are equipped to display old crafts and are used by shops, which mainly sell nostalgic and/or vintage items. There are also several small museums; one shows the period rooms of the family who lived there in the 19th century.

Zalk is a small rural village with less than 800 inhabitants, situated between the towns of Kampen and Zwolle along the river IJssel. The village was part of the heerlijkheid (fiefdom) “Zalk en Veecaten”. After the creation of municipalities in 1813 the fiefdom was transformed to the municipality of “Zalk en Veecaten”. Nowadays Zalk belongs to the municipality of Kampen. The most important building in the village is the Sint Nicolaaskerk (St. Nicholas Church) with a Romanesque tower dating back to 1220. In addition, the village has a flour mill dating back to 1860. Zalk became well-known in the Netherlands as the home of the kruidenvrouwtje Klazien ("herb woman klazien").

Vlieland is one of the so called Waddeneilanden (West Frisian Islands), located between Texel and Terschelling. The island was permanently separated from the mainland during St. Lucia's flood in 1287. The name Vlieland is probably derived from "Insula Fle", which means “the island near the Flevostroom”, which was the estuary of the river IJssel in medieval times. Vlieland used to consist of two villages: West-Vlieland and Oost-Vlieland. Before the latter became of any importance, West-Vlieland (Westeynde) was already a prosperous village. Storm tides in 1717 and 1727 caused the collapse of the village. In 1736, the last houses were evacuated. Oost-Vlieland was is the only remaining village on the island. Because of its cultural-historical value, Oost-Vlieland has had the status of a protected village sight since 1971, with the Dorpsstraat (main image and PiP1) as its most important street. It has 39 buildings that have been declared national monuments. The oldest house on Vlieland is the building in which museum Tromp's Huys is located. This building dates back to 1575. Without doubt, one of the most famous (and important) inhabitants of Vlieland was Willem de Vlamingh: a sea captain who explored the central west coast of Australia in the late 17th century. This explorer is honoured with a statue on the Havenplein in Oost-Vlieland (PiP2 and 3). The island of Vlieland has a surface area of only 39 square km and therefore is the smallest inhabited Waddeneiland of the Netherlands. With about 1.150 inhabitants - about 30 inhabitants per km² - Vlieland is the second least populated municipality in the Netherlands.

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.

Panorama of Zaandijk, seen from the Zaanse Schans Zaandijk is one of the most beautiful villages in the Zaan region. It is located on the banks of the river Zaan, opposite the famous Zaanse Schans . The village has a number of working windmills, but is known for its typical green-painted wooden houses, which are mainly located along the Lagedijk (main image) and in the vicinity Domineestuin (PiPs). The history of Zaandijk goes back to the year 1494 when "Hendrik Pietersz" got a permit to build a house on the lage dijk (low dike) along the Zaan. In 1570 the town consisted of 19 houses. These dwellings were burned by the Spaniards in 1572, during the Eighty Years' War. Zaandijk was an independent municipality until 1974, when it became a part of Zaanstad.

The Zaanse Schans is a historic neighbourhood in the Zaanstad municipality, which was established by relocating wooden buildings and industrial mills from the Zaan district. To preserve as much as possible original of these timber buildings, in 1949 a special neighbourhood was set up to relocate the houses. From the middle of the 20th century the plans were elaborated. From 1963 many wooden buildings from the Zaanstreek were moved to the Kalverpolder , where the Zaanse Schans was created. Although set up as a 'normal' residential neighbourhood, the area attracted more and more tourists. Between 1970 and 1974, the plan was expanded to include historic buildings and several replicas suitable for catering and tourism. Some of the buildings are now housing museums, small craft businesses and shops. In 1976, the Zaanse Schans became a tourist destination. Nowadays, it is one of the most visited tourist places in the Netherlands with more than two million visitors per year. The Zaanse Schans comprises approx. 30 inhabited houses, 15 commercial buildings/shops and 12 windmills. The neighbourhood has about 75 inhabitants. In 2010 the Zaanse Schans was designated as a protected village sight. The neighbourhood was named after the sconce, which “Diederik Sonoy”, governor in the service of “Willem van Oranje”, had built in the Eighty Years’ War to stop the Spanish troops.

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.

Mochlos is located on the north coast of Crete, between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia. Only being accessible along one of the two narrow winding roads from the main road, it still is one of the few truly quiet places left on the island. The heart of the village, where all life is concentrating, is its quiet bay, lined with tavernas and also offering a small beach. A main feature of Mochlos is the island of the same name that is only 150m from the shore. It was probably still connected to the 'mainland' in Minoan times and was an important harbour. The island can be visited, swimming or by a boat from the local jetty.

Siurana is a more or less hidden tiny village, situated on top of a massive fourty metres high limestone escarpment at an altitude of 737 m. The village offesr extraordinary views to the artificial lake Pantà de Siurana and the surrounding mountains of Monsant and Prades, and a nearby canyon with its red, orange, yellow and grey coloured rocks. Siurana is old village, built by the Moors and was the last bastion in Catalonia conquered by the Christians in 1153. Its narrow alleyways wind around a handful of medieval houses, a charming church and the ruins of a castle. Nowadays Siurana has less than 40 inhabitants. The only access to the village is by car through a steep winding road from Cornudella de Montsant. It is often visited by tourists for its history and spectacular vies and by rock climbers due to the abundance of sport climbs.

Hoog Soeren - the chapel, dating back to 1904.