Discover Benschop

Benschop combines church architecture and village history with a distinctive farming landscape and experiences centered on the polders. There are several ways to shape your stay: historic churches and memorial sites, the village’s ribbon-like layout, and routes and visitor attractions with regional connections.

Churches, memorial sites and village history

St. Victor’s Church is a Roman Catholic cross basilica, designed by A. Tepe and built in the neo-Gothic style between 1886 and 1888. Its three-aisled design divides the church interior into a nave and two side aisles. Its construction period and architectural style offer visitors interested in architecture concrete points of reference for understanding the church’s design.

The Marian Chapel at St. Victor’s Church is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Check the opening hours before your visit. Beside the church cemetery path is a contemplative garden with poems, inviting visitors to pause, meditate and reflect. The chapel and garden thus offer different reasons to visit the church.

The oldest part of Benschop’s Hervormde Kerk dates from the 14th century. Its chancel contains the tomb of Captain Van Zijll. The village square lies in front of the church, with an old water pump at its center. The church, tomb and pump are tangible points of reference for exploring different aspects of the village’s history.

The “Drama van Benschop” war memorial commemorates eight victims of war who died on February 13 and 17, 1945. It was designed by Sybold van Ravenstein and created by sculptor Johannes W. Uiterwaal. For visitors interested in remembrance, the memorial adds a precisely dated chapter to the older history of the church and village.

Herman de Manhuis is also associated with a family story: Herman de Man’s family moved to Benschop in 1906 and rented a house there on the corner of the village square. This connection adds a specific year and a link to the village square to the local history.

Farms, polders and routes

Most of Benschop consists of ribbon development, with farms along the Wetering. The linear shape of the village and its location beside the watercourse are of interest to anyone interested in rural settlement patterns. The Benschoproute passes many listed farms and offers another way to explore the local cultural landscape.

The bus stop by the former town hall is opposite the starting point of the Benschoproute; there is ample parking nearby. Both the stop and nearby parking options are identified to help you find the start of the route.

Recreatie Landschap Rosenboom is located on the site of the oldest continuously operating farm in the Netherlands. A 16-meter-high observation tower overlooks the polders and can be climbed by arrangement. If you plan to climb the tower, make arrangements with the site in advance. Gasterij De Toren at Recreatie Landschap Rosenboom serves bread from an artisan baker, cheese and milk from a dairy farm, and regional artisan pastries.

The Plukroute offers another way to explore regional produce. It starts at Boerderij Rosenboom near Benschop and passes stalls and booths selling products from the region. Alongside the historic buildings and polder landscape, regional produce is another distinct focus for your visit.

At Beleeftuin Benschop, visitors can sit on a bench with a cup of tea or walk to the water and watch the birds. Opening hours are irregular; check them before your visit. The garden and the Benschoproute offer different experiences: a peaceful break by the water on one hand, and views of the farms along the route on the other.

Discover more destinations: Polsbroek, Lopik.

Go to the main travel overview: Lopik.