Church architecture, religious imagery and designed landscapes shape Heilig Landstichting’s cultural character. The building history and the different historical references of individual sites are particularly revealing. Two Ommetjes add another perspective with walks that each have their own focus: one presents local history, while the other leads through the landscape of Westermeerwijk.

Churches and Architectural History

Cenakelkerk is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. It was built between 1913 and 1915 on behalf of Heilig-Land-Stichting, based on designs by J. Stuyt and his assistant draughtsman J. Margry, in collaboration with visual artist P. Gerrits. The Heilig Landstichting complex is a rare expression of the emancipation movement of the Roman Catholic population, which began in the 19th century.

Museumpark Orientalis is a 30-hectare national monument in Heilig Landstichting, where experiences, architecture and nature come together. Between 1911 and 1940, numerous buildings and interiors were created there based on designs by Jan Stuyt and Piet Gerrits. Their architectural references are in Syria and Jordan. The unfinished Heilig-Hartbasiliek reflects a different state of completion: only the atrium and part of one arm of the cross were completed. Today, the building serves as the main building and exhibition space for Museumpark Orientalis.

The historical models also differ. Beth Juda was designed by Piet Gerrits between 1916 and 1918 as a representation of an early 20th-century Palestinian village. By contrast, the synagogue’s layout and furnishings are based on a Sephardic synagogue from 300 to 600 AD. Piet Gerrits studied this model in the Holy Land between 1906 and 1911. The buildings thus draw on references to different periods and places, which can be distinguished when viewed.

Religious Motifs and Designed Sites

The Sermon on the Mount reliefs render a biblical scene as a series of eleven concrete reliefs. They are set in a natural-stone retaining wall and depict Christ’s Sermon on the Mount according to Matthew. In the walled Hof van Olijven, a grotto contains an olive press, a burial chapel and two artificial-stone figures. The Geboortegrot presents another motif as a concrete rock formation: its polychrome sculpture shows Mary with the child and the sleeping Joseph. The reliefs, grotto and sculpture thus express religious themes in different forms.

The Wijnpers at Profetenlaan 2 is also described with specific architectural details: it consists of two large and two small basins, with a bower on top. In Begraafpark Heilig Land, the Calvarieberg (Golgotha) was the destination of the pilgrimage. The Begraaf- en Gedenkpark Heilig Landstichting, in turn, is characterised by undulating terrain, irregularly shaped burial plots, winding paths, and deciduous and coniferous trees. Here, the terrain and network of paths shape the landscape impression alongside the individual memorial sites.

Walks and Getting Around

Two Ommetjes offer different focuses for a walk. Ommetje De Ploeg is 3.7 km long and takes you on a cultural walk through the green village of Heilig Landstichting. The route presents a century of history, from the De Ploeg settlement to Heilig Landstichting. Ommetje De Vier Perken leads through the centuries-old landscape of Westermeerwijk and starts at ’t Zaaltje, Carmelweg 2, in Heilig Landstichting. These details therefore provide two different ways to choose: a measured cultural route with local history, or a walk connected to the landscape of Westermeerwijk.

For orientation around the museum grounds, Profetenlaan is a specific point of reference: it is now the main entrance. The starting point for De Vier Perken, by contrast, is ’t Zaaltje at Carmelweg 2. When planning your time in Heilig Landstichting, you can combine the buildings’ cultural focus with one of the walks described, without assuming that both routes have the same length.

Discover more destinations: Berg En Dal, Groesbeek.

Back to the broader travel overview: Groesbeek.