If you have read my previous post, you know I like to travel, but wanted to be a tourist in my own country a bit more. Thus, my girlfriend and I grabbed our bikes and went for a trip. As they say in Dutch: “Add action to the words” (“Daad bij woord voegen”).

NH Curch from around 1400 A.D.. It is not uncommon for The Netherlands to have churches older than 600 years.

We rode our bikes via Kortenhoef to ‘s-Graveland. A little village that developed well in the 16th century. Today there only live approximately 1.250 people. Most of them live in historic buildings.

There is something to the Dutch country side that takes you back in time. Picturesque villages with old churches and scenic views where you can come to rest. The people who live in the country side are a bit calmer than the people living in the big cities, who always seem to be in a rush.

The calm life of the country side.

‘s Graveland and Kortenhoef are among one of those places where time seem to have been standing still. As seen in the previous post, the houses and farms are old, and so are the landmarks. Take for example Trompenburgh, a 17th-century manor house in ‘s Graveland.  A building surrounded by water and built to resemble a ship.

Trompenburgh, a 17th-century manor house in ‘s-Graveland, The Netherlands.

This remarkable building is now home to the INVK: Nederlands Instituut Voor Kennisoverdracht (Dutch Institute For Knowledge Transfer). An institute with the goal to transfer knowledge to the select group of members, sharing a motto: “Think differently”. Of course they use knowledge from the old wise men like Einstein, Plato, and the Dutch Masters.

Trompenburgh, a 17th-century manor house in ‘s-Graveland, The Netherlands.

Riding your bike through these villages, along all these landmarks, under the Dutch sun is an absolutely relaxing experience. In the country side it is useful to wear sunglasses, since there are a lot of flies trying to get into your eye (what seems to be their favourite place to land).

Each village has at least one old church.

One last landmark we crossed was Boekesteyn. In 1634, a merchant from Amsterdam called Benedictus Schaeck bought some land to build a property to live in. Today this property is a nice place to visit, with a lovely garden surrounding it.

Estate Boekesteyn in ‘s-Graveland, The Netherlands.

I hope you liked this week post on my home region! A great area worth visiting. Many castles (like Loenersloot and Eikenrode), churches, and a wonderful landscape (I might post a little about the nature of my home town soon).

Thank you for reading and kind regards,

Tieme