From Epe to Cannenburgh Castle

This special route starts from the centre of Epe, a cosy Veluwe village, beautifully situated in the middle of beautiful nature. Forests, heathlands, streams and springs provide a great variety. The route starts in the middle of the centre and leads to the village of Vaassen. There you will find the most important cultural-historical attraction of the municipality: Kasteel De Cannenburgh.

De Cannenburgh Castle is best known for its most famous resident, Maarten van Rossum. He built his country house from 1543 on the remains of a medieval castle. Until the 1950s, the castle was family property and the original building plan was well preserved. Since then, the estate and the restored castle have been owned by the Geldersch Landschap and Geldersche Kasteelen Foundation and are open to the public.

Medieval castle
In the Middle Ages, there was already a castle called Cannenburgh. When exactly the castle was built is unknown. The first mention dates from 1365. At that time, it was a fiefdom of the Dukes of Gelre. Little is known about the appearance of this medieval castle. Only some wall remains and part of the underground vaults have been preserved.

Maarten van Rossum
The castle was probably already in ruins when it was purchased by Maarten van Rossum in 1543. Maarten was a notorious fighter. His raids through Holland and Brabant as field marshal of Duke Charles of Gelre made him a very wealthy man. In addition to his famous city castles in Zaltbommel and Arnhem, he owned a number of estates and castles. He had Huis de Cannenburgh built in the style of the Dutch Renaissance on the remains of the old castle. Maarten would not live to see its completion, however.

Family property
After Van Rossum's death in 1555, his nephew Hendrik van Isendoorn inherited the house and it remained in the family for more than three centuries. Hendrik had his uncle's image placed on the large tower. From that high position, Maarten still looks out over his estate in his armor. Over time, the monumental entrance was moved from the middle of the main tower to the side and the castle was expanded with two outbuildings and a stone bridge. Cannenburgh Castle has been open to the public since 1951. The onion-shaped spire was rebuilt and the whole has been furnished as if the noble residents still lived there.

Elspeet
Not only for people is the heathland around Elspeet a great place to stay, take a walk or a bike ride. The bees and the sheep of the sheepfold of Elspeet and Vierhouten also enjoy this beautiful area. In the summer they graze the heathlands between Elspeet and Vierhouten. A feast for the eyes when you encounter them during a beautiful heath walk. The route leads past the sheepfold.