Winterswijk

Netherlands

Berenschot's Watermolen Winterswijk is a small city and municipality in the far east of the Achterhoek region of Gelderland, The Netherlands.

Winterswijk, which name means something along the lines of "Place where Winter lives", was founded around the year 1000 and remained an isolated part of the country until 1830, when a road from Borken to Zutphen via the city was built. Ten years later, a wave of migration hit the town. Many of its citizens moved to the United States, particularly Michigan. After 1870 the town became a producer of textiles and eight years later a railway connecting the town to Zutphen was established to benefit this textile trade. One of Winterswijk's most notable citizens has to be Piet Mondrian, who lived in Winterswijk from 1880 to 1892. During this period, Mondrian started the painting career that would make him famous.

Villa Mondriaan

  • Villa Mondriaan, Zonnebrink 4, +31 543 515 400. The former house of Piet Mondrian, which has been turned into a museum.
  • Jacobschurch, Markt 1, NL-7101 DA Winterswijk, +31 543 522 303.
  • GOLS Museum, Kleine Parallelweg 5, NL-7101 HN Winterswijk, +31 543 515 714. Will re-open in 2017. A museum housed in the old GOLS Train station. It has seven of the original vehicles used in the public transport system of the Achterhoek, and a model railway, displaying what used to be the station-network of Winterswijk

Villa Mondriaan, Zonnebrink 4, +31 543 515 400. The former house of [[De Stijl|Piet Mondrian]], which has been turned into a museum.

Jacobschurch, Markt 1, NL-7101 DA Winterswijk, +31 543 522 303.

GOLS Museum, Kleine Parallelweg 5, NL-7101 HN Winterswijk, +31 543 515 714. Will re-open in 2017. A museum housed in the old GOLS Train station. It has seven of the original vehicles used in the public transport system of the Achterhoek, and a model railway, displaying what used to be the station-network of Winterswijk

The Winterswijk Quarry Museum

  • Winterswijk Quarry, Steengroeveweg 50. The only active quarry of significance in the Netherlands. This limestone quarry itself is of relatively low economic importance for construction materials, but what makes it unique is that an exceptional combination of geological circumstances pushed 240 - 236 million year old deposits from the Trias era almost to the surface. As a result, the quarry is famous for its rich deposits of fossils, shells, and several minerals of which Celestine is the most appreciated by collectors. The quarry is opened to visitors a few times per year, during which collecting fossils and minerals is allowed. There is usually a waiting line for registrations, so sign up as fast as possible to secure access to the quarry when it opens.

Winterswijk Quarry, Steengroeveweg 50. The only active quarry of significance in the [[Netherlands]]. This limestone quarry itself is of relatively low economic importance for construction materials, but what makes it unique is that an exceptional combination of geological circumstances pushed 240 - 236 million year old deposits from the Trias era almost to the surface. As a result, the quarry is famous for its rich deposits of fossils, shells, and several minerals of which Celestine is the most appreciated by collectors. The quarry is opened to visitors a few times per year, during which collecting fossils and minerals is allowed. There is usually a waiting line for registrations, so sign up as fast as possible to secure access to the quarry when it opens.

De Revolutie, Markt 27, NL-7101 DA Winterswijk, +31 543 535 600.

Restaurant La Promenade, Markt 24, NL-7101 DB Winterswijk, +31 543 520 968.

De Nachtwacht, Satinksplas 1, NL-7101 GG Winterswijk, +31 543 512 469.

Café-Restaurant 't Weurden, Weurden 1, NL-7101 NG Winterswijk, +31 543 513 760.

Winterswijk is an easy link to Germany, with cities such as Bocholt, Münster and Duisburg not far out of reach. You can also stay in the Netherlands and visit nearby cities such as Arnhem, Doetinchem, Enschede or Zutphen.