Churches & Castles

GENTLEMEN AND LADY VAN VOORNE
The Jacobaburcht was founded in the late 12th and early 13th century by the powerful Lords of Voorne. It owes its name to Jacoba van Beieren, who was the owner around 1400, but according to tradition only stayed there once. The foundation and some walls have been beautifully renovated and are one of a kind. Well worth a visit.
LOOK OUT AND WALK OUT
You can see the Catharijnekerk or Brielse Dom from afar and if you have climbed all 318 steps of the stairs in the tower, you will be rewarded with a beautiful view up to the Brielse Meer. Follow in the footsteps of Mary Stuart who waved goodbye to her husband Willem III from this tower in 1688 when he sailed to England with a war fleet.
RUINE RAVESTEYN, HEENVLIET
In order to protect the Bernisse, Dirk van Voorne donated the Heerheid Heenvliet to his son Hugo around 1229. Hugo had a castle built, the current ruin of Ravesteyn. In 1469, Heenvliet received a'half city right\\\', which over time grew into a full city right due to new rights and privileges. One of those rights was to hold a horse market, which is still organized annually on Whit Monday on the Market.
ON THE PILLORY
The old center of Geervliet is a protected cityscape with historic buildings such as the former town hall and the parish church from 1307 with the tomb of Nicolaas van Putten and his wife. Outside the church is the pillory that once stood at Hof van Putten castle. This medieval castle stood south of Geervliet and was demolished in the early 1900s. Taste the atmosphere of the former Geervliet at the lock.
WIND AND EYE CATCHER
The mill of Geervliet is a real eye-catcher. The original mill was built on a watchtower of the medieval city wall and loopholes can still be seen in the hull of the mill. After Geervliet was granted city rights in 1381, work started on the construction of the very first mill on that site. The mill was decommissioned in 1947 and after restorations in the fifties and seventies it has been furnished as a restaurant.
POLDER DIKE LANDSCAPE
The first polders that were diked around 1200 were small and had a ring dike. They lay like islands in a vast bunting area that was used for hunting, grazing cattle and collecting firewood. The first dikes were built on the higher parts of the landscape and thus followed an erratic course. The original polders can still be recognized in the pattern of the current dikes.
FORT PENSERDIJK
This fort from 1883 is identical to Fort Noorddijk near Hellevoetsluis and both are part of the defense line of the mouths of Maas and Haringvliet. The fort lies like a hill in the polder landscape. Go off the route for a while and cycle to the entrance gate over the canal and enjoy nature, the silence and the view at the resting point. View more cycling routes at www.opvoorneputten.nl