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

Some autumnal pictures of the Dutch province of Drenthe.

For centuries the province of Drenthe was a poor and rural area. Over the last 200 years vast areas of peat were extracted and the population grew quickly from 40.000 to almost 500.000 people now. The Balloërveld (also named Ballooërveld) is one of the rare areas that remained more or less untouched. The heathland of the nature is interspersed with peat moors, pine woods and some small sand drifts. It is also home of a sheep herd. The Balloërveld, now managed by Staatsbosbeheer (a Dutch Forestry Commission), has an eventful history that even goes back to prehistoric times. The area originated in the Elster Ice Age. The Balloërveld also housed an important line of defence for the German occupiers in the World War II. The current nature area of 367 acres is part of National Park Drentse Aa.

The Hortus Botanicus in Haren is one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1626 by the pharmacist and botanist Henricus Munting and was originally situated in the city of Groningen. Because of space considerations it relocated to its current location; from 1929 on a new botanical graden was created on that site and became the largest botanical garden in the country. At the Hortus, which covers about 20 acres, there are a large number of very different gardens. Among others the garden consists of an arboretum, pinetum, English garden, a water garden, a rock garden, bamboo garden, a grass garden, agricultural gardens, and Celtic gardens. Since 1995 it also has a walled Chinese Garden . The Hortus was part of the University of Groningen and until the 1980s’ played an important role in the teaching and research of biology especially. Since 2002 a foundation is managing the gardens. We visited the Hortus in late October, so there were almost no flowers to be seen. We just could make a walk along trees and shrubs in beautiful autumn colours.

Park Zypendaal (also called "Zijpendaal") is a city park on the north side of Arnhem. The park is situated on a lateral moraine that was pushed up by glaciers in the penultimate ice age (about 150 million years ago) at the southern edge of the Veluwe. As a result, there are quite large height differences for the Netherlands. The park is named after the water that “sijpelt” (seeps) from the ground in some places. The Sint Jansbeek has its source in the park and flows via ponds and waterfalls 35 metres lower into the river Rhine. Park Zypendaal is designed by landscape architect Eduard Petzold and dates from 1864. The park is sloping and wooded with pine and deciduous trees and meadows in the north. Huis Zypendaal - a beautiful 18th century country estate - is situated in the park.

The protestant church of Nuenen was built in 1824 and is a simple aislesless church in neoclassic style, which seats about 60 people. Originally it was known as ‘Willemskerkje’, as King Willem 1 often hunted nearby Nuenen and supported the construction of the church. But the church became world-famous after Vincent van Gogh - while living in Nuenen - early 1884 created an oil painting of the church. Vincent painted the church - where his father was parson - and dedicated it to his mother, who was in bed with a broken thigh bone. After he added the churchgoers more than a year later it became its present name “Het uitgaan van de Hervormde Kerk te Nuenen” (Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen). See PiP. The painting was exposed in the Amsterdam Museum of Van Gogh for a long time, until 2002, when it was stolen. In September 2016 the painting was recovered in the home of a high member in the Italian mafia.

Lake Brienz: looking westward from the jetty in Brienz.

Autumn along the 'Apeldoorn - Dierens Kanaal' nearby Oosterhuizen. This is the second part of the 'Apeldoorns Kanaal', a waterway from Hattem in the north to Dieren in the south. After arriving of King Willem I digging of the northern part started in 1825. Plans for the southern part between Apeldoorn and Dieren came into execution and digging began. Ten years later the canal was officially opened. In 1972 the canal was closed for shipping traffic; nowadays you only may see a canoe, rowing boat or pedal boat in the canal. More information about the Apeldoorns Kanaal (Dutch)l: www.apeldoornskanaal.com

First signs of autumn in Park Sonsbeek. Park Sonsbeek is one of the most beautiful city parks in the Netherlands. It is one of the three parks penetrating the heart of the town from the north. It has a splendid variety in landscape. Forest and fields are combined with some of the most picturesque monumental places within Arnhem. Most probably the park is named after Anna van Sonsbeeck, who was owner - early 17th century - of one of the watermills along the Sint Jansbeek (flowing through the park) and Huis Sonsbeek. Others say that its name came from the Sint Jansbeek, in the middle ages named Sonte Johannesbeek and later bastardized to Sint Jansbeek.

Apeldoorn - Dierens Kanaal is the second part of the Apeldoorns Kanaal, a waterway from Hattem in the north to Dieren in the south. After arriving of King Willem I digging of the northern part started in 1825. Plans for the southern part between Apeldoorn and Dieren (river IJssel) came into execution and digging began. Ten years later the canal was officially opened. In 1972 the canal was closed for shipping traffic; nowadays you only may see a canoe, rowing boat or pedal boat in the canal. More information about the Apeldoorns Kanaal (Dutch)l: www.apeldoornskanaal.com

Kersendijkje: foot/bike path from 'Castle De Cannenburch' to the water mill 'Cannenburghermolen'.

'Wijerd' (storage reservoir) for watermill 'Cannenburghermolen' at the back of 'Castle De Cannenburch'.

Fall along the Griendtsveencanal with the drawbridge nearby the Ericaweg, one of the four original drawbridges, dating back to 1905. More info about the bridge (Dutch): rijksmonumenten.nl/monument/523254/ophaalbrug+ericaweg/griendtsveen More info about Griendtsveen: members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/240aff

Kasteel Staverden/Castle Staverden, also called 'Peacock Castle', because of the white peacocks which were (and still are) kept here. The present building was built in 1905; the first castle on this spot dates back to the year of 1298. In that year one of the Dukes of Gelre became the city rights for Staverden, nowadays - with only 40 inhabitants - most probably the smallest city on earth.

Kasteel De Cannenburch/Castle 'De Cannenburch" is a 16th-century castle in Vaassen in the province of Gelderland. The castle seen from the east surrounded by ponds and a moat.

The Verzetsstrijderspark is a city park in my hometown Apeldioorn. Locally it is also known as Marialust , named after the former estate on that location. Since 2009 the pond of the park is decorated with a fountain, the so-called Kwartjesfontein . The name arose because the fountain was (partly) financed by contributions from Apeldoorn citizens in the form of a kwartje (= a former Dutch coin of 25 cents). The fountain was unveiled on 31 August 1932 by then Princess Juliana, but in the Oranjepark , another citypark. After 50 years, the fountain was removed from the park, but was preserved. Once again, a fundraising campaign was held among companies and residents, allowing the Kwartjesfontein to spout again after a thorough restoration. On 31 August - the date of the former Queen's Day in the Netherlands - 2009, the fountain was put into operation by Princess Margriet.

Fall along the Helenawaterway.