Huis Doorn in Utrechtse Heuvelrug

13 April 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  7 minutes

The bust of Wilhelm II, sculpted by Max Bezner © Hanseichbaum

The bust of Wilhelm II, sculpted by Max Bezner © Hanseichbaum

Huis Doorn (Doorn Manor) is a small manor house that lies outside of Doorn, a small town near Utrecht, in the Netherlands. The 15th-century house was rebuilt in the late 18th century in a conservative manner and, in the mid-19th century, a surrounding park was laid out as an English landscape garden. Baroness Ella van Heemstra (1900–1984), the mother of actress Audrey Hepburn, spent much of her childhood living in the house. The property was purchased in 1919 by Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor, as his residence-in-exile (1920–1941), following his abdication after World War I. During his years in exile, he was allowed to travel freely within a 15 mile radius of his house, but journeys farther than that meant that advance notice had to be given to a local government official. As he disliked having to kowtow to a minor official, he rarely journeyed beyond the ‘free’ limit. The former Emperor regularly exercised by chopping down many of the estate’s trees, splitting the logs into stacks of firewood, thereby denuding the matured landscape as the years progressed. Hence he was called by his enemies ‘The Woodchopper of Doorn’. The Dutch government seized the manor house and its household effects in 1945 and, since then, many new trees have been re-planted and the wooded parkland is returning to its earlier glory.   read more…

Diest in Flemish Brabant

14 September 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  5 minutes

Market Square © Bescha

Market Square © Bescha

Diest is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. Situated in the northeast of the Hageland region, Diest neighbours the provinces of Antwerp to its North, and Limburg to the East and is situated around 60km from Brussels. The municipality comprises the city of Diest proper and the towns of Deurne, Kaggevinne, Molenstede, Schaffen and Webbekom. Diest had a total population of 23,150.   read more…

The Way of St. James

22 August 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Editorial, EU blog post series, European Union, Bon voyage, Museums, Exhibitions, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  12 minutes

Ways of St. James in Western Europe © Manfred Zentgraf/CC-BY-SA

Ways of St. James in Western Europe © Manfred Zentgraf/CC-BY-SA

The Way of St. James or St. James’ Way (Spanish: El Camino de Santiago) is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried. The Way of St. James has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times, together with Rome and Jerusalem, and a pilgrimage route on which a plenary indulgence could be earned; other major pilgrimage routes include the Via Francigena to Rome and the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.   read more…

Dordrecht in South Holland

21 August 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

City Hall © Danovic

City Hall © Danovic

Dordrecht, colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009. The municipality covers the entire Dordrecht Island, also often called Het Eiland van Dordt (the Island of Dordt), bordered by the rivers Oude Maas, Beneden Merwede, Nieuwe Merwede, Hollands Diep, and Dordtsche Kil. Dordrecht is the largest and most important city in the Drechtsteden and is also part of the Randstad, the main conurbation in the Netherlands. Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland and has a rich history and culture.   read more…

Breda in the south of Holland

6 July 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Great church seen from Grote Markt square © ClaudeJacques

Great church seen from Grote Markt square © ClaudeJacques

Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa (‘wide Aa’) and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance. Although a direct Fiefdom of the Holy Roman Emperor, the city obtained a municipal charter; the acquisition of Breda, through marriage, by the house of Nassau ensured that Breda would be at the center of political and social life in the Low Countries. Breda’s urban area is home to an estimated 316,000 people.   read more…

’s-Hertogenbosch, capital of the province of North Brabant

25 May 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Shopping area © flickr.com - PhilipC

Shopping area © flickr.com – PhilipC

‘s-Hertogenbosch (literally “The Duke’s Forest”) is a municipality in the Netherlands, and also the capital of the province of North Brabant. It is located in the southern Netherlands, some 80 km south of Amsterdam. The Dutch colloquially seldom say ‘s-Hertogenbosch but rather Den Bosch, which is traditional Dutch for “The Forest”.   read more…

The media city Hilversum

17 April 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Main building of the Sonneheerdt estate © DennisM

Main building of the Sonneheerdt estate © DennisM

Hilversum is a municipality and a town in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called “‘t Gooi”, it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages. Hilversum is part of the Randstad, one of the largest conurbations in Europe. Hilversum lies some 30 km south-east of Amsterdam and 20 km north of Utrecht.   read more…

Theme Week Netherlands – Gouda, historic town in the green heart of the Netherlands

27 March 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Building at Market Square housing the tourist information © Afhaalchinees

Building at Market Square housing the tourist information © Afhaalchinees

Gouda (population 71,000) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. In the Middle Ages, a settlement was founded at the location of the current city by the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took its name. The area, originally marshland, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a canal was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary was transformed into a harbour. Gouda’s array of historic churches and other buildings makes it a very popular day trip destination.   read more…

Almere is the youngest city in the Netherlands

26 March 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Almere Harbour © Dysturb.net - Ekim Tan

Almere Harbour © Dysturb.net – Ekim Tan

Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort (under construction) and Almere Pampus (design phase).   read more…

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