9: Holterberg
Last Saturday I went to watch the Dutch Championships Western Riding in Mariënheem (I will post a ‘Cowgirl-series’ on my photoblog, starting from tomorrow), which is near the Holterberg and thát is one of my favourite places in the Netherlands. So I left the Championships early and headed for the Holterberg.
Don’t laugh, but Holterberg in English is ‘Holtermountain’ and that means ‘mountain of Holten’ and Holten is the village located at the bottom of the mountain. So… now that is all clear and you didn’t laugh about the ‘mountain’ (yet), I will tell you some more about it. The Holterberg is part of a National Park called ‘Sallandse Heuvelrug’ and is covered with heathland and woods. The highest point of the Holterberg is 59,5 meters above NAP. NAP is the Dutch zero point that is used to measure heights for topographic maps for instance. And a meter is about 3.3 feet. Which means that the Holtermountain is about 195.21 (I feel that especially the .21 is very important) feet high!
You promised you wouldn’t laugh about our definition of ‘mountain’.
Actually, the Holterberg is part of a hilly landscape. One of the other hills is the Koningsbelt and that is even higher than the Holterberg. The Koningsbelt is 75.5 meters high! Nów you are impressed, aren’t you?
Anyway, as I mentioned the Holterberg is one of my favourite places in the Netherlands. My parents, my sister, brother and me, and an aunt and uncle and their children used to spend almost every holiday on a campsite in Holten. Childhood memories. Fun! Picking blueberries in the forest (my brother discovered their laxative capacity by eating so many that his poop turned blue and ‘spontaneous’), going for endless walks (well, not really endless, otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here typing this), enjoying nature and just having the best time!
When I went to the Holterberg last Saturday, I expected the heather to be all purple and beautiful, but for some reason it looked rather dead and brown. Hmm. The views are still beautiful on top (cough) of the mountain (double cough), but the colour of the heather was quite disappointing to say the least.
Anyway…, also on the Holterberg, in the middle of the woods, is another favourite place of mine…
10: The Canadian War Cemetery Holten
This part of Holten is official Canadian territory and about 1500 soldiers who died in World War II are buried here.
See for more information about the Cemetery this site, that also contains some great photos, one of which is an aerial view that shows you how enclosed by woodland it is.
This beautiful cemetery is a very peaceful and serene place. Although so many people who lost their lives in liberating a small country they’d probably never even heard of are buried here, it doesn’t feel like a very sad place. It has a very respectful atmosphere. We are forever grateful.
These are my photos:
Cemeteries are such peaceful, interesting places. War cemeteries are always beautifully maintained.
ReplyDeleteI like the Christmas Eve ceremony of the candles. It must be an uplifting sight.
ReplyDeleteThat's 1500 too many who had to die for us...
ReplyDeleteI love your photographs of the cemetery. Very peaceful.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in flat south Florida, our driveway had the slightest of inclines and all our neighbors said we lived "on a hill." The highest point in the whole town was eight feet above sea level.
I would never laugh at your mountains, hills though they may be. I like you too much to denigrate your landscape.
ReplyDeleteI've always found cemeteries of foreign troops a very touching thing. God bless them for their service!
I love the Holterberg. I used to drive over it with my coach, but unfortunately never stopping. Perhaps I should have done, it is such a beautiful mountain.
ReplyDeleteJabblog,
ReplyDeleteI already answered your comment, but made a weird typo so removed that comment and will try once again: this is the only war cemetry I know and it is very well maintained. I see you followed the link; it must be a wonderful sight to see all those candles burning. ;-)
Jinksy,
yes
Rhymeswithplague,
in the Netherlands it is considered very chic to be living 'on a hill' :-)
Suldog,
obviously I have to agree with you ;-)
Mara,
Next time perhaps. Never been to the museum on the top either? And there is a gorgeous hotel there too. I've always dreamed of actually living on the Holterberg. Preferably in the little castle of the Palthe family in Haarle.
I think you will like this blog, Carolina.
ReplyDeleteA hill in Holland must be a novelty at least. The war cemetery looks so well cared for - and at least the heather there was out with lovely colours. The brown on the Holterberg almost looks like its been burnt.
ReplyDeleteOh come on - mountain!?! I would hardly even classify it as a hill, let alone a mountain. And yes, I did laugh. Sorry. But I live in British Columbia, where we have real mountains, all covered in snow and everything.
ReplyDeleteHave to agree with the last comment - it would be a small hill here in North Carolina where we have the highest mountain east of the Mississippi. But not quite as high as though in British Columbia and rarely covered in snow.
ReplyDeleteBut, I love the Dutch countryside. . .
jennyfreckles,
ReplyDeletewe call every bump in the road a 'mountain' and I think you're right about the burnt heather ;-)
Don't Bug Me!,
But... but... but... in winter, when it snows, our 'mountains' are covered in snow too ;-)
Karen,
Yes, yes, yes, I know. Our molehills are a pathetic excuse for a mountain. But we're proud of them! ;-)
Thanks for popping over to see my photographs of your lovely country. I have enjoyed reading about the Netherlands on your blog too.
ReplyDeleteI didn't laugh about your definition of a mountain as I coe originally from Lincolnshire, which has a lot in common with the Netherlands and there the tiniest pimple is called a hill too. Do call and see me again.
I followed a few links on other blogs and ended up here. Very glad I did. Your pictures of the cemetery brought a wee tear to my eye - my uncle was killed in April 1945 and is buried at Holten. My husband (whose parents are both Dutch) and I have started saving our pennies and hope to make the trip over in a year or two. Looking forward to exploring your blog.
ReplyDeleteHi What a beautiful photo's I am from Gelderland I never went to Holterberg I had to look it up to see that it is in overijssel. My mum had lots of canadians in her home who all went to Arnhem (a bridge to far) Non of them returned. I like your blog I will add it to mine
ReplyDeleteThe Weaver of Grass,
ReplyDeleteThanks for returning the visit and your nice comment. Of course I will come and see you again ;-)
Liz,
I'm so sorry that my post made you feel sad. Had I known your uncle's name I'd have looked for him and could have send you a photo of his grave. Maybe I'll be going there again in the near future and I can always look for him. You can perhaps email me his details? But the best thing will be if you can visit our country yourselves of course. ;-)
Marja,
From Gelderland and never been to the Holterberg? Shame on you! ;-)
Every new warmonger should go and spend some time in one of these cemetaries; so many young lives lost unnecessarily, so much promise killed off, so much joy and laughter cut off before its time.
ReplyDeleteAs for climbing the Holterberg, did you have an oxygen mask?
Look! It's the Holterhump!
ReplyDeleteI'm not laughing, I swear.
That cemetery is lovely though, very peaceful.
Friko,
ReplyDeleteYes. And what have we learned from past experiences? Nothing.
As for the Holterhump; I climbed that without even a Sherpa to carry my luggage. That's how tough I am!
;-)
Land of shimp,
Thank you for that. I will from now on only refer to the Holterhump as that ;-)
Hey wow! A little piece of Canada is over there. My grandfather actually has a small tin of dirt from when he was in the Netherlands in the war. I kinda feel bad now. Maybe your "mountain" would be higher if he hadn't taken it. Maybe you're even farther below sea level now. Maybe I should send it back. He also has dirt from Africa and England if you want to start a new dike.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if I take a chopper over there and landed on the Canadian territory if I would still have to go through customs? Maybe the customs people would arrest me as soon as I left the cemetary.
Your mountain is comparable to a small hill that children would sled down in the winter here. In Canada your mountain would be part of the "gently rolling landscape". It is still significantly larger than any hill I have here in Southern Ontario. It's completely flat and horrid here. The glaciers rolled right over top of us and took all the hills up North. Good for crops, boring for people. So be PROUD of your "mountain" I say. It's more than some people have. Children don't ride sleds in Southern Ontario. It's a very sad thing.
My mare would LOVE that 'Mountain!"
ReplyDeleteSorry the heather was kinda brown..but i did laugh about your brothers blue stool! HA!
What neat-o- memories C!
The photo's of the Canadian cemetary were stunning and one of the photos looked just like the Canadian park Buchart(sp?) gardens!
Thanks for this,
XO
Kac