In Lottum, rose-growing history, religious buildings and varied landscapes each have their own place. The Rozenhof offers a point of interest for rose enthusiasts; chapels, historic buildings and natural areas round out the picture of the town. When planning your stay, you can decide whether roses, architectural history or landscapes should be its focus.
Rose Culture in Lottum
The first roses were cultivated in Lottum around 1875. Today, about 20 million shrub roses are grown each year in Rozendorp Lottum and the immediate surrounding area. This represents 70 percent of Dutch production; this share may change over time. The figures give an idea of the significance of roses here, while the history reaches back to the beginnings of cultivation.
The Rozenhof Lottum Museum presents the history and development of roses, their role in culture and new developments in rose breeding. The Rozenhof is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May through October. As opening information may change, check the hours before your visit. The Rozenhof is also a good starting and ending point for walking routes; check route availability in advance. The Rozenroute is marked with green signs reading “Rozenfietsroute.”
A Landscape of Meadows, Woodland and Streams
Kaldenbroek lies in an old, largely silted-up arm of the Meuse. The area consists mostly of a mosaic of partly wet hay meadows and alder carr. The Siebersbeek nature reserve offers a different landscape: it is one of the few places where streams have retained their natural character and the flow of the water shapes the landscape. For trip planning, these are two distinct nature themes: Kaldenbroek’s wet meadows and woodland, and the landscape near Siebersbeek shaped by natural streams.
Estates, Mills and Church Architecture
De Borggraaf was first mentioned in 1501. The historic estate includes a compact manor house with a forecourt and outbuildings surrounded by water. Its complex is well preserved in a largely undisturbed rural setting and is of general and cultural-historical significance. The date and the layout offer two different insights: the 1501 mention places the site in history, while the arrangement of the manor house, forecourt and outbuildings describes its architectural character.
An former oil mill is also located near Siebersbeek and was already mentioned in a document from 1440. The chamber for the waterwheel survives. The site thus links an early written reference with a surviving part of the mill.
Lottum’s chapels and churches also reflect different periods. The original Quirinus Chapel was probably founded around 1638 by Jacob van den Hondskamp. A Quirinus Chapel was built in 1946 to replace a chapel destroyed in the war. The Roman Catholic parish church of St. Gertrude was built in 1950 on the same site as the church destroyed by the Germans in 1944.
The Holy Family Chapel was built in 1947 by residents of the hamlet of Houthuizen in gratitude that the hamlet had emerged from the war unscathed. It is located on the Pieterpad. In May and October, the rosary is recited there on Sunday afternoons. St. Anne’s Chapel, built in 1909 and restored in 2002, serves as a resting altar during the annual fair and Corpus Christi procession; the procession always takes place on the first Sunday in July. The chapels therefore differ not only in their building histories, but also in their respective religious traditions.
Getting Around
The Lottum-Lomm car ferry connects Lottum with Lomm. If you include the ferry in your travel plans, check that it is operating before you set out. For a stay focused on roses, the museum, the history of rose growing and the signposted Rozenroute offer different points of interest; those more interested in cultural history will find another range of subjects in the estate, mill and religious buildings.
Discover more destinations: Melderslo, Meterik, Broekhuizenvorst, Evertsoord, Sevenum, Hegelsom, Horst, Grubbenvorst.
For the overview of the wider area: Horst Aan De Maas.
