Holiday apartment in Wilhelminaoord: colonial history and garden diversity

The village is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Colonies of Benevolence and lies within the UNESCO component Frederiksoord-Wilhelminaoord. The so-called “free” colony is characterised by small farms along tree-lined avenues; at the same time, alongside numerous monuments, Wilhelminaoord has a rectilinear avenue structure. Those walking through Wilhelminaoord encounter not only individual buildings, but also a cohesive settlement landscape of farms, avenues and monuments.

Colonial history reflected in the villagescape

The Koloniekerkje on the border between Frederiksoord and Wilhelminaoord was built in 1851 to fulfil the obligation to provide church services within the colonies. The Schooltje Wilhelminaoord was established in 1821 together with the schoolmaster’s house; children aged six and over were required to attend school there. Wilhelminaoord was also where the Netherlands’ first homes for the elderly were built in 1893; these form part of Rustoord.

Buildings, cemetery and crafts

The cemetery of Wilhelminaoord is also one of the area’s notable historic sites. It was laid out around 1820 for directors, officials and colonists of the Maatschappij van Weldadigheid. It contains the cast-iron grave monument of Daniella Elisabeth van Oosterhoudt, the widowed De Sturler and mother of Johannes van den Bosch’s second wife; the monument is a Rijksmonument. The combined Mandenmakerij/Weverij, built in 1900 after the previous factory burned down, is part of the history of work. The Mandenmakerij provided factory work as an alternative occupation for colonists who were not suited to heavy agricultural labour. The colony’s work history therefore includes not only heavy agricultural labour, but also factory employment. Another chapter in the village’s history is told by Hoeve Prinses Marianne: it was initially called Hoeve De Dankbaarheid, until it became known that the anonymous donation for its construction had come from Princess Marianne.

Exhibition and music in the colonial village

The outdoor exhibition “Het Verhaal van Kolonie Wilhelminaoord” provides information about the first schools and homes for the elderly built there. It can be viewed at “Ons Dorpshuis” in the heart of the colonial village of Wilhelminaoord. Kolonieconcerten presents classical chamber music on Sunday afternoons in the Koloniekerkje in Wilhelminaoord. The building is also available as a venue for weddings, family celebrations, anniversaries, conferences and other gatherings.

Garden diversity and trails

The Botanische Tuin - Mei Chu adds a strong natural accent. The three-hectare garden combines 80 bamboo species with various Asian plants, original Philippine bamboo houses and several bodies of water. It also houses three national plant collections registered with the NPC (Nederlandse Planten Collectie). The Weldadig Rondje is signposted in both directions with green signs bearing the words “Weldadig Rondje”. The two-way signage allows for flexible navigation on the circular route; there is no need to follow a prescribed direction. A walk can be extended to Wilhelminaoord to discover historic buildings and sites there. The extension to Wilhelminaoord places historic buildings and sites at the centre as specific destinations of the walk.

Further places to consider in the region

If you would like to expand your regional selection, you can find further places here: Wateren, Havelte, Dwingeloo, Wapserveen, Vledder, Vledderveen, Doldersum and Wapse.

To the main travel overview: Westerveld.