Vaassen the Loo and Teuge

This fun bike ride crosses the beating heart of the Veluwe: the attractive, bustling and Royal Apeldoorn. The city is surprisingly different from other cities, because despite the fact that the city is bustling with life, the wooded area brings peace. The green dominates the street scene and gives the monumental buildings that little bit of extra cachet. You can park your car for free at Attent SidB\\\'s Heerenloo Apeldoorn. Before you start the almost forty-kilometer bike ride, it is wise to drop into the supermarket and buy some healthy snacks for the road. Fresh fruit, something to drink, a few sandwiches or savory biscuits will do you good on the way! You soon cycle out of the built-up area and after a few kilometers you will see De Levenstuinen of Groot Hontschoten. Step off to stroll through the beautifully landscaped botanical gardens, teeming with butterflies and birds. The gardens cover 1.6 hectares and have a special theme: they represent the stages of life, starting with fertilization and ending with death. Walking through the gardens you will come across a tea house, a temple, a gazebo, a peacock house, a zen garden and an artificial waterfall. When you arrive in Vaassen you will see the Cannenburger Molen, a water mill of which the year of construction is unknown. What we do know is that in 1387 there was already a water mill on this site. The owner of De Cannenburgh Castle sold the rights to no fewer than 20 windmills in the immediate vicinity. This still existing mill is probably the oldest of these and was also owned by him. In 1872 the mill was bought by the Te Riele family; the fifth generation of this family now grinds at the mill. After the mill burned out in 1942, it was rebuilt in stone and as a turbine mill. The mill is still running every day. A major restoration was started in 2010. Half a kilometer away is Cannenburch Castle, the castle to which the Cannenburger water mill used to belong. The sixteenth-century castle was built on the remains of an earlier castle; traces of this former house can still be seen in the basement of the current castle. In 1534, the castle became the property of Marshal Maarten van Rossum. He then had the castle renovated, but died during this process in 1555. His successor completed the construction. The castle was in danger of being demolished in 1865 but could be sold to Eduard baron van Lynden. The last private owner was Richard Cleve. After the Second World War, the castle was confiscated by the Dutch state and in 1951 it was sold for a symbolic amount to the Friends of the Geldersche Kasteelen Foundation. At an auction in 2006, the foundation was able to buy back a large part of the original furniture, such as silverware, horse blankets and furniture. Vaassen is also home to the beautiful Daam\\\'s Mill. This tower mill was built in 1870 and worked on wind power until 1934. In 1989, a reconstruction was commissioned by Stichting Vaassen Molen and on National Mill Day in 1990 the windmill turned again as usual. The original design of the mill has changed considerably during this reconstruction. Because there were plans in 2008 to completely renew the village center, the continued existence of the mill was under discussion. Because the mill would probably catch less wind due to new construction, the mill has been raised. The mill of Wenum and the Wenumsemolen are two mills that are close to each other. The windmill of Wenum is a ground sailer; the blades almost touch the ground when it turns, and the Wenumsemolen is a beautiful old water mill. The thatched ground sailer was the third mill on this site in a short time; two previous mills burned down in 1908 and 1913. The current mill was built in 1840 in Baambrugge and has been moved in its entirety. In 1924 the mill got an auxiliary engine, so that it could also grind when there was no wind. The history of the water mill goes back a bit further; the first mentions of a water mill on this site date back to 1313. In 1395 this corn mill came into the possession of the Duke of Guelders and in 1493 the Monnikhuizen monastery, near Arnhem, acquired the water mill. Before it became private property, the mill was still owned by the Provincial Executive of the Veluwe Quarter around 1580. The mill has had many different functions: in 1767 the owner had the mill converted into a copper mill, in 1858 the mill was rebuilt into a corn mill and a run mill was added, which was later converted into a cheese dairy. The current mill was built and erected in 1917 and was used exclusively to grind grain. Since 1972, the mill has been managed by Stichting De Wenumse Watermolen. Part of the building now functions as a banquet hall. Milling for animal feed is still done on a voluntary basis. Back in Apeldoorn, we can of course not skip the most famous building in the city on our route: Paleis het Loo National Museum. Paleis het Loo is located on the edge of the city of Apeldoorn and gives the city Royal allure. The palace is owned by the State and is in the top 100 Dutch UNESCO monuments. William of Orange's great-grandson, Stadholder William III, bought the castle in 1684 as a new hunting lodge. Due to the natural water supply from the hills, the grounds of Paleis het Loo are ideal for landscaping and waterworks, for example. After a thorough restoration, the Palace has been open to the public since 1884. Jacobus Roman designed the square main building in classicist style with a side wing on both sides and the palace was expanded with four pavilions after William III became king of England. To the left and right of the main building are two pavilions connected to service wings around the forecourt. Parts of the museum collection can also be seen on the spot where the kitchens used to be. The Museum of the Chancellery of the Dutch Orders is located on the top floor of the building. The museum staff is located in the former Oranjerie. The west wing of the building is used for temporary exhibitions. The baroque gardens and the palace park are also worth a visit. The interior was designed by Daniel Marot.