The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Slingeplas

Continuation of the inscription on the pages... p. 6) Saint George was the patron saint of knights. He slew the dragon, the monster of all evil. The gilded image of Saint George of Bredevoort adorns the spire of the old "Sint Joriskerk" (old St. George's Church, Market Square). IMAGE: Knight George on his horse, slaying the dragon with a lance. p. 7) The Nazareth Monastery, also called Schaer (sharp), also blessed Bredevoort. The monastery, 2 km away, was a center of knowledge and culture. Nobles met there, disputes were settled, and it was also a popular burial place. The prior of the monastery was also the parish priest of Bredevoort. The church was founded in 1429 by Knight Derck van Lintelo and the patrician Conrad Slindewater. It later became part of the main monastery in Windesheim near Zwolle. IMAGE: Coat of arms with 3 birds, 2 crossbars, and 1 semicircle p. 8) During the uprising against Spain in the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648), the flatlands around Bredevoort suffered greatly. Soldiers and mercenaries, both allies and enemies, plundered. Farms were often abandoned or destroyed, and most of the land lay fallow. Sometimes the flag of the Spanish king flew over the castle, other times the orange-white-blue flag. p. 9) Prince Maurice was well-versed in new technologies. In October 1597, his soldiers crossed the canals in a spectacular fashion. Floating cork bridges were constructed as pontoons over the water on the southwest side of the town. Bredevoort had already set its cannons alight beforehand. The fortress reverted from Spanish to state ownership (House of Orange). p. 10) Different times, different measures. From 1755 onward, the ramparts, the crescent-shaped fortifications, the bastions with their evocative names Fearless, Mourn Not, Intrepid, Proud Castle, Consequential, and Ox Head, the defensive ditches, and the gates were no longer necessary. Nature and humankind had done their work. Bredevoort lost "zijn jas, maar niet zijn kracht" (its cloak/cover, but not its strength). You have already read the pages of this book in the "book town of Bredevoort," a friend of all printed works since 1993.

This "history book" made of Corten steel is located at the northern end of the market square (behind Stadsbrouwerij de Borghman) at the corner of Het Zand and Kruittorenstraat. Five double-page spreads provide information about the origin and development of the town of Bredevoort. The following is written on it: S1) The only place where one could cross the surrounding marshes with dry feet was here: the Brede-Voorde (broad ford). A suitable location to build a castle. From here, one had good control over the roads, and the castle was difficult to conquer. The owners of the castle also ruled over the surrounding land. The oldest mention of "Castri Bredevurt" dates back to 1188. The Archbishop of Cologne (with three shares) and the Counts of Lohn were the lords of the castle. S2) The town grew up on the south side of the mighty castle. Behind the moats (the castle ditches surrounding the inner and outer castle walls), the feudal lords (Borgmänner) ruled over the Lordship of Bredevoort. This included the town and the villages of Aalten, Dinxperlo, and Winterswijk. IMAGE: Castle and town with inner and outer moats S3) It is unknown whether Brevoort, Breefoort, Breevorde, Bredervoert, Breedevoord, or Bredevoort possessed town privileges. However, they did have the right to mint coins, meaning they could produce their own coins and use them as currency. IMAGE: Coins of Bredevoort S4) The Dukes and Counts of Guelders coveted Bredevoort, as did the Bishops of Münster. Both held equal shares in the Lordship of Bredevoort. The noble feudal lords (Borgmänner) defended the castle and the town in armor and on horseback. PICTURE: Knight on a warhorse or tournament horse with sword, armor, helmet, and crest. (p. 5) Bredevoort was also a war gift. In 1388, Duke William of Guelders gifted the town of Bredevoort and the surrounding lands to Henry of Gemen in gratitude for his assistance during the campaigns in Guelders. Bredevoort was an attractive investment for nobles. This meant, however, a succession of different rulers, different laws, and sometimes higher taxes: The Gemen era lasted until 1492. The era under the Counts of Bentheim-Steinfurt lasted until 1526. The Lords of Guelders ruled again until 1562. Anholt held sway until 1612. Ultimately, the town belonged to the House of Orange.

HISTORY OF THE VESTING PARK The Fortress Park is a listed historical park located on the former fortifications and bastions "Treurniet" (= do not mourn) and "Vreesniet" (= do not be afraid) in the northwest of the city. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the ramparts and almost all of the bastions were demolished, and most of the canals were filled in. (Source: Information panel at the park entrance) Bernard Andreas Roelvink was the administrator of Governor William V. His residence was expanded in 1764 into the administrator's house, the present-day St. Bernardus Church. The remains of two bastions (Treurniet and Vreesniet) and the land between them were granted to the Roelvink family on a hereditary lease in 1782. Around 1850, he had an English garden with a teahouse laid out for himself at "Vreesniet." The Roelvink family used to drink their tea there. (Source: Information panel at the teahouse) Following the arrival of the French in 1795, administrative changes took place. The Bredevoort estate was divided. St. Bernardus House was built on the grounds of the outer bailey of Bredevoort Castle. It was commissioned by Jan Satink, a lieutenant colonel in the National Regiment of the Dutch Army. (Source: Hotel de Heerlyckheid website) Around 1900, when tuberculosis (TB) became the number one public health problem, Father Bernardus Mulder purchased the steward's house (dating from 1764) and its garden in 1897 to establish a hospital. Under the direction of the Franciscan Sisters of Thuine, the "Roman Catholic Sanatorium St. Bernardus Foundation" was founded in 1902. The former English Garden was used as a health resort for TB patients. Several sunbathing pavilions (of which only two white carriage houses remain today) were erected along the city moat (Grote Gracht). Around 1900, an orchard was planted in the monastery garden, approximately at the level of the Treurniet Bastion, and in 1912 the nuns had the Lourdes Grotto built in the English Garden. (Source: Information panel in Vestingpark) From 1933, the former administrator's house and its park were used as a retirement home. In 1938, the Sisters of Thuine were replaced by the Sisters of St. Joseph from Amersfoort. In 1985, the Sisters of St. Joseph had to leave Bredevoort permanently. St. Bernardus House was renovated and expanded in 1988 by the St. Bernardus Nursing Home Foundation, which also used the building as a retirement home. In 2008, the nursing home moved to a new location.

B.A. Roelvink had this beautiful teahouse built for himself and his family in 1862. It's charmingly furnished, just as a 19th-century teahouse would have been. One can easily imagine the Roelvink family arriving at any moment to enjoy their afternoon tea. It's locked, but the interior is clearly visible through the glass panes. Simply beautiful and an idyllic spot. ... BACKGROUND 1764: Bernard Andreas Roelvink was the administrator of Governor William V. His residence was expanded into the administrator's house in 1764 (the present-day Boutique Hotel & Brasserie "DE HEERLYCKHEID"). 1782: The remains of two bastions (Vreesniet and Treurniet) and the land between them (the present-day fortress park and orchard) were leased to the Roelvink family in 1782. Around 1850: B.A. Roelvink had an English garden laid out on the grounds for himself and his family, a style that was very fashionable at the time. 1862: The teahouse was built on the former Vreesniet bastion and is now picturesquely situated on a slight rise in the fortress park, which is bordered to the northwest by the Grote Gracht (former moat). (Source: Information signs at the teahouse and in the fortress park)

B.A. Roelvink had this beautiful teahouse built for himself and his family in 1862. It's charmingly furnished, just as a 19th-century teahouse would have been. One can easily imagine the Roelvink family arriving at any moment to enjoy their afternoon tea. It's locked, but the interior is clearly visible through the glass panes. Simply beautiful and an idyllic spot. ... BACKGROUND 1764: Bernard Andreas Roelvink was the administrator of Governor William V. His residence was expanded into the administrator's house in 1764 (the present-day Boutique Hotel & Brasserie "DE HEERLYCKHEID"). 1782: The remains of two bastions (Vreesniet and Treurniet) and the land between them (the present-day fortress park and orchard) were leased to the Roelvink family in 1782. Around 1850: B.A. Roelvink had an English garden laid out on the grounds for himself and his family, a style that was very fashionable at the time. 1862: The teahouse was built on the former Vreesniet bastion and is now picturesquely situated on a slight rise in the fortress park, which is bordered to the northwest by the Grote Gracht (former moat). (Source: Information signs at the teahouse and in the fortress park)

A picturesque park with paths, a bridge, old trees, a teahouse, a grotto, and a tree trail. The renovated white pavilions offer a comfortable place to sit and relax. In 2015/16, the garden underwent extensive renovations, including the removal of diseased trees and the planting of new saplings. A suspended concrete walkway, over two meters wide, was constructed through the park, with its concrete elements protruding approximately 25 cm above the ground. (Note: When I visited in winter, the walkway was unusable due to icy conditions and the risk of slipping!)

This map shows the locations of the important places in the town of Bredevoort. It also highlights the fact that the town is a "lordship"*) and was of great historical significance. Since 1993, Bredevoort has been officially known as the "Book Town" and has also developed into an important center for art and culture in recent decades. In addition to the many bookstores, booksellers, and other businesses, several galleries, artists, and traditional craftspeople (such as watchmakers and goldsmiths) have established themselves here and operate their studios in Bredevoort. The Lordship of Bredevoort*) was a historical territory in the Achterhoek region, an independent administrative district under a noble lord who exercised specific rights such as hunting, fishing, and mill rights, as well as high jurisdiction. Bredevoort The earliest known written mention of Bredevoort Castle is found in the property register of Philip I of Heinsberg, Archbishop of Cologne, from 1188, listing three shares of Bredevoort Castle. The Lordship of Bredevoort was an independent high lordship within the County of Zutphen. It comprised the town of Bredevoort and the villages of Aalten, Dinxperlo, and Winterswijk with their hamlets (small inhabited places with their own names, often without a church, market square, etc.; today, these are districts of a town). Today, the situation is reversed: Aalten is the town (population 12,990), and Bredevoort (population 1,960) is a district of Aalten. In addition to Bredevoort, Aalten also includes the districts Dinxperlo (7,275 inhabitants), De Heurne (1,030 inhabitants), Heurne, IJzerlo, Lintelo, Haart, Dale, 't Klooster.

Here, at the site of the HL (presumably a memorial or monument), on the southwest edge of the market square, stands the statue of Hendrickje Stoffels on a brick pedestal. Hendrickje was born in 1626 in Ramsdorf, Germany (others say Bredevoort, Netherlands, though this is uncertain), the daughter of Stoffel Stoffelse, also called Jegers/Jaegher (d. 1646), and Mechteld Lamberts (d. c. 1661), into a family of soldiers. The couple had five more children and moved to Bredevoort, to Muizenstraat, where her father's garrison was stationed. In 1646, lightning struck the powder tower of the castle, causing an explosion that claimed many lives, presumably including Hendrickje's father. A year later, her mother wanted to marry the neighbor, which displeased Hendrickje. She went to Amsterdam to start a new life. ... She became Rembrandt's housekeeper in 1646 on Sint-Anthonisbreestraat (now Jodenbreestraat), his partner in 1649, and the mother of their daughter Cornelia in 1654. Hendrickje died in 1663 (possibly of the plague) and was buried in the Westerkerk in Amsterdam. A year later, Rembrandt referred to her in a document as his "Blessed Wife." This suggests that he considered her his de facto wife, even though they were not officially married. H. posed for the painter (as did his wife Saskia and lover Geertje) for numerous works: "Portrait of Hendrikje Stoffels, Munich, Alte Pinakothek/ Hendrickje Stoffels in Bed, Edinburgh, National Gallery of Scotland/ Young Girl at the Window, 1651, Stockholm, National Museum/ Hendrickje Bathing in the River, 1654, London, National Gallery/ Young Woman with Earrings, 1654, St. Petersburg, Hermitage, etc." (Source: wikipedia.org)