Holten

Geschiedenis

Holten is a small village in the municipality of Rijssen-Holten in the Dutch province of Overijssel, with approximately 10,000 inhabitants. Holten is located in a forested area just south of the Holterberg, a 65m hill, and is part of the "Sallandse Heuvelrug" National Park. The National Park is the only area in the Netherlands in which the black grouse can be found. This grouse population is on the brink of extinction, so parts of the National Park are closed to the public during its breeding season.Holten Canadian War CemeteryHolten Canadian War Cemetery is the second-largest World War II cemetery in the Netherlands and is administered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is located in a forested area 3km north-east of Holten railroad station, and is accessible by car or bicycle via a number of sand roads. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the cemetery on May 4, 2015, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.Notable residentsHolten is the home village of Olympic 1500m speed skating gold medalist Mark Tuitert, jazz trombonist Wolter Wierbos, and film and documentary director and Academy Award winner Bert Haanstra.