Ter Aar: Cultural History and Landscape

When planning a trip to Ter Aar, two interests stand out: local history and the landscape along a cycling route. Historical points of interest include churches, peat workers’ houses, a war memorial and a museum. If you are looking for a hotel in Ter Aar, consider which of these aspects you would like to shape your stay most.

Churches and Houses with a History

The Dutch Reformed Church at Aardamseweg 3 is a Rijksmonument, or national monument. Three peat workers’ houses from the second half of the 19th century stand on the same street at numbers 43, 45 and 47. The name of the houses reflects their connection to peat work; the three addresses form a distinct group of historic buildings. A Reformed church dating from 1912 stands at Oostkanaalkade 2. Together, the date of this church and the period when the peat workers’ houses were built represent two clearly distinct periods in the town’s history.

Another historic point of interest is at Ringdijk 20: a Schouw is housed in a farmstead. The farmstead is designated a Rijksmonument.

A Memorial Site and Museum

The war memorial in Ter Aar commemorates 19 fellow citizens who lost their lives in the Second World War or during the colonial war in Indonesia, in the former Dutch East Indies, as a result of the fighting. It consists of a red natural-stone plaque with a female figure. She holds a sword in her right hand and a dove on her left. The circumstances, number and design are all connected: the memorial commemorates people from two historical conflicts and is also described by its specific form.

The Cultuur Historisch Museum Ter Aar features a permanent exhibition on the past of Ter Aar and its surroundings. Tours for associations, schools and families are available by appointment for groups of ten or more. Group boat trips are also possible aboard the restored Kagenaar De ‘Vrijwilliger’; the museum provides a contact for arranging a date. Tours and boat trips are therefore group activities, while the permanent exhibition is the museum’s historical focus.

Langeraar and the Landscape by Bike

Present-day Ter Aar was formerly called Langeraar. A turning point in Langeraar’s history came in 1788: after a dike breach at Braassemermeer, the village was destroyed and rebuilt elsewhere nearby, close to the Langeraarse Plassen, which were named after the village. The name, destruction and rebuilding link the village’s history to a specific event and a changed location.

The “De Smaak van de Veenweiden” cycling route offers a different perspective. It passes lakes, expansive meadows and villages, and includes Ter Aar. This gives you a choice of historical themes and a route with scenic highlights when planning your trip.

First decide which themes you would like to shape your stay, then search for hotels in Ter Aar.

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