"Arnhem, green, green and more green" Top 5 Page for this destination Arnhem by Pavlik_NL

Born and raised in Arnhem, the capitol of the Dutch eastern province Gelderland. With a rich and dramatic (a bridge too far) history the town offers you a little bit of everything. After the battle (september '44) the whole innertown was utterly destroyed, but after the citizens returned the descision was to build up Arnhem as it was. This let to the return of the historical towncentre.

Above all rises the magnificent Eusebius-churchtower (98 mtrs) that - since 1991 has a glass-tubed elevator brings you to the panorama, from where you enjoy a wonderful view over town, riverlands and the forests. Shopping, museums, nightlife but above all ... nature. Nickname of Arnhem is "Longue of the Netherlands" or Park-town. Sonsbeek and Zijpendaal are green pearls and -inside tip- don't forget to visit Mariëndaal where a romantic surprise will delight it's few visitors. The town is cut in two by the river Rhine and south of it stretch the flat riverlands towards Nijmegen. North of Arnhem the forests and heatherfields of the Veluwe keep on going for miles and miles.

Many tourists stay in The Netherlands only in the West (the actual Holland). That is realy a pitty as in my town you can see the splendir of all provinces in the only Openair Museum of my country. Here you can experience HollanDrama, a splendid multimedia-show that gives a nice impression about the Dutch through the ages. Besides that we have the most exquisit Zoo (maybe even of the world) and Safari (animals in the wild), where you can visit not only a normal kind of Zoo (animals in cages, as you might say), but also go to different artificial hemispheres of our wonderful earth. In huge halls the Zoo has created a jungle (largest hall in Europe!), a desert, a mangrove-forest and - most scenic - an Ocean! Come during the off-season or on weekdays and you will see the animals as well (during the weekends and holidays the masses drive them to silent spots of their habitat).

History made the town to the capitol of Gelderland, the largest province of our country. Arnhem was a garizon-town during many centuries and while other harbourtown in the West roamed the seven seas, Arnhem soldiers kept the doors closed for unwished visitors from the East and South. This military past comes back through many castles that lay around th town. Some left as a ruine, but others magnificently kept in perfect shape through the centruries. Castles like "Doornenburg, Doorwerth, Rozendael, Biljoen and Zijpendaal" are open for visitors and bring medieval times closer.

The tragical part of Arnhem's history was in the second worldwar: The infamous battle of Arnhem, als known as "A bridge too far" can be relived in the Airborne-museum in Oosterbeek (Western suburb). Nearby are also the Commonwealth wargraves. Also in the '44-'45-museum one can feel the dark days of WorldWar II in which my town became frontline for almost a whole year. In september '44 the battle took place with an enormous deathtole among liberators and citizens. For three days the town was free, but the Germans were too strong and the Arnhem-inhabitants paid the price. The town was evacuated, plundered and burned to the ground.

However, after the war Arnhem roose from it's ashes and became the beautiful town that it is to day ... waiting for you to see it. Arnhem offers you a lot and if you want ... maybe I can be your guide or at least give you personal tips. Just ask and look in the following pages about my town: Arnhem.

Arnhem is beautiful, but equally wonderful is it's environment. To get a overall picture about the surroundings and thus a possible complete holiday in Arnhem and region, see my pages for:

Beautiful old tree along the dike

In lack of travellogues on the Arnhem page, I have decided to use those of neighbouring villages and small towns to tell you all about them as well as my hometown and about me. First - of course information about the place itself in the tips, then travellogues either informing about an Arnhem-item in this winddirection or some picturebooks of more personal nature. Here is a list with URL's

Driel, a school example of an agricultural river village, where I added some extra information about the riverlands nature reserve Meijnerswijk

Elden, a village inside the town and the closest place to our house. Therefor some extra picturebooks here from Ilja and how he's growing up.

Huissen, the "older" town, Catholic stronghold. In the travellogues some extra views of the Immerloo park. I grew up along the manucipal border of this place and therefor you can find here some old pictures of me trying to grow up.

Doornenburg, a castle on the Rhine. After filling some travelogues about my growing up in the pages of Huissen, here my story goes on.

Elst, fruit-capitol of Over Betuwe (East or Upper Betuwe). Here I will add some pages about the years between my parental homelife and the family times that I enjoy now.

Bemmel, town of the three towers.

Foresty hills with many surprises

In lack of travellogues on the Arnhem page, I have decided to use those of neighbouring villages and small towns to tell you all about them as well as my hometown and about me. First - of course information about the place itself in the tips, then travellogues either informing about an Arnhem-item in this winddirection or some picturebooks of more personal nature. Here is a list with URL's

Oosterbeek, aristocratic dramatic town. Here the heaviest fighting of the "Battle of Arnhem" took place, therefor here more about this historic drama. Also the natural splendour of Mariendaal (the place I work) and Warnsborn are to be admired here.

Doorwerth, foresty hills around a castle. Here to some extra albums of parks like the Duno and yet again Mariëndaal and Warnsborn.

Rozendaal, don't get tricked by the "Bedriegertjes" and it's castle. Park Angerenstein and Klarenbeek have here a travellogue.

Velp, a true suburb of Arnhem. Here I put some extra pictures of the park Presikhaaf where I spend also the first few years of my life. Of that some pictures here too.

Rheden, heatherfields in the hills of the Posbank. Beautiful forests and unique natural splendour.

A few special travellogues about the nature North of Arnhem is / will be on my Schaarsbergen-page. This is the Arnhem neighborhood deep into the forests of the Veluwe and special attention to the parks Sonsbeek, Zijpendaal and Gulden Bodem is available here.