What Gelderland is known for

The capital city of the Gelderland province, Arnhem, is located in the central part of the territory. As a capital city, Arnhem features a relatively high quantity of historical and cultural sights. Concerning more recent events, the John Frost Bridge played a significant role in the Battle of Arnhem during the Second World War. Other historical sights in the city include the Maarten van Rossumhuis, a building also known as the Devil's House; the Sabelpoort gate; and the medieval house called Presickhaeffs Huys. Under the shopping streets of Arnehm old town are found 40 medieval cellars linked together. Currently, the cellars are being restored in order to provide tourists with a glimpse into the medieval times of Arnhem. The "Great Church"—or St. Eusebius' Church—is also found in the city, and it was built in Gothic style, featuring a glass lift that rises up to a height of 73 meters.[7] Just outside the city borders is the Rosendael Park and Castle, a former residence of the Dukes of Guelders. The castle can be viewed as part of a guided tour, while the surrounding gardens are available to tourists without a guide.[8] Another historical settlement in Arnhem is Zypendaal House, with its ground floor open to visitors.[9] The two aforementioned historical sights are part of what is known as the 'Gelders Arcadia,' the landscape of vast country estates and castles. Gelders Arcadia stretches along the southern slopes of the Veluwe. It features over a hundred of such country houses built by nobility under the Duke of Guelders, starting in the Middle Ages.[10]

Another predominant municipality in Gelderland is Apeldoorn, located on the edge of the De Hoge Veluwe National Park. One way the local nature can be explored is by either riding a bike or on foot. It is recommended to cycle to the Kröller-Müller Museum, which is home to the world's second-largest Van Gogh collection.[11] The museum features almost 90 paintings and over 180 drawings by Van Gogh. Other expositions in the museum include works by Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso, and Piet Mondriaan. Kröller-Müller Museum features a sculpture garden as well.[12] However, Apeldoorn is presumably best known for the former royal palace, which presently features a national museum, the Het Loo Palace.[11]

Geography

Gelderland territory is divided by the Lower Rhine and the Oude IJssel rivers, with the main portion of the northern part being formed by what was previously a glaciated region with sandy soil, while the southern part is comprised of fertile clay alluvium. The north part of the territory is divided by the valley of the IJssel into the Veluwe region on the west and the Achterhoek on the east. Veluwe region is a hill plateau covered by heaths and woods primarily composed of fir and beech. Additionally, two national parks, the Hoge Veluwe and Veluwezoom, and a wildlife reserve are also located in the Veluwe region. However, a considerable part of Veluwe is reportedly used for military purposes. Predominant settlements within the Veluwe region include Arnhem and Apeldoorn. In the eastern part of the province's northern territory is the Achterhoek, a wooded pasture region that supports mixed farming. Dairy processing, meat-packing, and leather production are some of the developed industries in the region. The Rhine, Waal, and Maas water the southern division of Gelderland. Situated between Rhine and Waal is the Betuwe, which is a fertile marshy area supporting orchards, market gardening, and mixed farming.[3]

There are two national parks located within the Gelderland's borders. De Hoge Veluwe National Park is located northeast of the city of Arnhem, featuring landscapes of deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests as well as heaths, grassy plains, and shifting sands. Thus, the park is inhabited by a variety of species, being home to more than a hundred Red List animals, which are types of wildlife that have disappeared or are in danger of disappearing from the Netherlands. Among such endangered species are the wheatear, the wryneck, the moor frog, and the grass snake.[4] Another national park in Gelderland province is found to the northwest of Arnhem, named Veluwezoom. The 5,000 hectares of the national park comprise forests, heaths, sand drifts, and country estates.[5]

In terms of local climatic conditions, in Arnhem, Gelderland's centrally located capital city, the warmest month is August, with an average daily temperature of 24°C. February is the coldest month, with 6°C being the average temperature during that time. April tends to be the driest month in Arnhem due to having 39 mm of rainfall on average. The most precipitation falls during December, as the month receives about 78 mm on average. The sunniest month in Arnehm is May, receiving 198 hours of sunshine on average.[6]

History

Presumably, the oldest traces of inhabitation of the Gelderland territory date back to ancient times, when Nijmegen was initially established as a military camp under the Roman Empire. Over time, the camp grew into a city that eventually became one of the places where emperor Charlemagne's palaces were located. According to some historical documents, Nijmegen was Charlemagne's favorite place of residence.[1] However, the rest of Gelderland's history dates back to the ages of the Holy Roman Empire, when the territory took over the name of a nearby German city called Geldern. Since the beginning of the 11th century, the County of Guelders acquired territorial power by controlling the Rhine, Waal, Meuse, and IJssel rivers. At that time, the counts of Gelre were committed to the interests of the Holy Roman Empire and expansion to the south and west.[2]

In the 13th century, the territory was enlarged further by adding the city of Nijmegen. Subsequently, the German king raised the countship to a duchy in 1339. The duchy of Geldern withstood Burgundian attacks but had to subdue Charles V in 1543, forming Burgundian-Habsburg hereditary lands. With the rest of the Netherlands, the duchy of Gelderland revolted against Spanish domination and later joined the Union of Utrecht in 1579. In the following centuries, the Gelderland territories subsequently belonged to Louis XIV and later Prussia. Gelderland finally became a province of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 and has remained part of the Netherlands ever since.[3] Concerning recent history, the Battle of Arnhem during the Second World War, between Allied Paratroopers, the British Corps, and the German Corps, was of considerable importance.[2] 

One of the predominant historical regions that can be visited in Gelderland today is Gelders Arcadia, an area encompassing over a hundred historical county estates. Most of the local country houses were built after the Middle Ages and belonged to the urban bourgeoisie. In today's time, some of the estates come together in thematic historic trails. Others offer accommodations and restaurants or serve as museums. The historical region of Gelders Arcadia includes municipalities of Arnhem, Renkum, Rheden, Rozendaal, and Wageningen.[13]