Ellecom – Cultural History and Nature

If you’re looking for a hotel in Ellecom, cultural history and nature can offer two distinct focuses for your stay. Local history includes the Dorpskerk, the Middachter Allee and a Jewish memorial. Other themes offer opportunities for walks and nature watching: a park, woodland areas and the Havikerwaard.

Building History and Memorial in Ellecom

The Dorpskerk brings together traces of different building phases. Archaeological investigations uncovered charred remains of posts. They show that a wooden predecessor once stood on the site of the church; the finds suggest it was destroyed in a fire around 900 AD. The Romanesque tower of the Dorpskerk was built between 1150 and 1175. The church is a protected monument and was entered in the Dutch register of monuments in 1970 under number 42128.

The Middachter Allee is another historic landmark. The beech avenue dates from 1751 and lies between De Steeg and Ellecom. Two double rows of old beech trees line the avenue. Its straight, tree-lined appearance sets it apart from the church’s architectural history: here, a historic landscape feature shapes the impression, while there, archaeological finds and the tower tell the story of successive building phases.

The Joods monument

The Joods monument commemorates three Jewish men who lost their lives while working on the Landgoed Avegoor estate. The memorial takes the form of a cast-bronze table, on which 136 pebbles lie. You’ll find it in the garden of Villa Irene on Zutphensestraatweg in Ellecom. Its form, the number of stones and the occasion it commemorates make the site a tangible way to connect with the history of the Second World War.

Walks and the Short Circular Route

Landgoed Avegoor includes a park with opportunities for walks. The short “Veluwerandrondje Ellecom” circular route also takes in Avegoor. The route, described on 28 October 2024, runs through Ellecom along the edge of the Veluwezoom and the IJsseldal. Its woodland paths pass streams, bridges and a waterfall. It also follows a footpath towards the centuries-old Dorpskerk, then continues to Landgoed Avegoor.

The circular route therefore offers a different way to experience the landscape than a single visit to a monument: its description links woodland paths and water features with a stretch towards the old church, followed by the route to the estate. If you’re interested in this circular walk, you can use this sequence as a guide when planning.

Natural Areas and Wildlife Watching

Ellecom’s natural and activity areas include the Middachterbossen and the water extraction area. The Havikerwaard is a pasture area associated with Ellecom and an important feeding ground for geese in winter. In the Middachterbos, north of the Arnhem–Zutphen railway line, walkers may encounter wild boar or red deer during quiet periods.

So nature-watching opportunities vary by location and conditions: the Havikerwaard is notable as a winter feeding ground for geese, while possible encounters with wild boar or red deer in the Middachterbos are limited to quiet periods. If you’re interested in woodland and wildlife, this comparison is more helpful than forming a general expectation of the landscape.

Events at the Dorpskerk

The Dorpskerk serves as a venue for concerts, lectures and presentations. If an event is important to your stay, check the latest dates in advance: the programme may change.

Discover more destinations: Rheden, De Steeg, Velp, Dieren.

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