Voormalige tabaksplantage | Plantage Willem III

East of Elst is a former tobacco plantation: Plantage Willem III. From the 17th century onwards, tobacco cultivation was an important source of income for the inhabitants of Amerongen. Tobacco cultivation was possible here thanks to a favorable southern location in combination with a sandy soil. At the beginning of the 20th century, competition from tobacco grown in warmer regions increased strongly, at the expense of Amerong tobacco cultivation. A brief revival followed in the war years, but then the culture finally came to an end. Only the tobacco museum and the drying sheds, now owned by Het Utrechts Landschap, still remind us of the earlier tobacco industry. The Amerongse Bergschuur information center is located in one of the barns.