Rhenen is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of
Utrecht. The municipality has 20,086 inhabitants (1 August 2020) and
has an area of 42.99 km² (of which 1.28 km² water). In addition to
the city of Rhenen, the municipality includes the villages of Elst
and Achterberg.
Rhenen works together with the municipalities
of Veenendaal, Wageningen, Ede, Barneveld, Nijkerk, Scherpenzeel and
Renswoude in the regional partnership Regio Foodvalley.
Rhenen, a historic town in the Netherlands, boasts several notable
landmarks that reflect its rich architectural and cultural heritage.
The Cunerakerk stands as a prominent late Gothic hall church in the
heart of Rhenen, serving as the town's main religious structure and a
former key pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages due to its housing of
Saint Cunera's relics. Its striking tower, constructed between 1492 and
1531, is renowned as one of the premier examples of late Gothic
architecture in the country, featuring impressive elevations along the
Lower Rhine and beautiful stained glass windows that date elements of
the building back to the 12th century.
The Gedachteniskerk, also
known as the Church of Remembrance, is a modern Roman Catholic memorial
church erected between 1958 and 1959 to function both as a parish site
and a national tribute to the victims and atrocities of World War II.
'De Brakke' is a charming historic building dating back to 1787, located
on Molenstraat 25; it's a small, single-story house with an attached
barn under a shared tiled roof, featuring masonry from various periods
and recognized as a protected Rijksmonument since 1967.
Scattered
remnants of Rhenen's medieval city wall, originating from the 14th
century, offer glimpses into the town's defensive past; these
fortifications were commissioned in 1346 by the bishop of Utrecht
following Rhenen's grant of city rights around 1256-1258, highlighting
its strategic importance along trade routes.
The Binnenmolen is a
distinctive round stone grain mill built in 1893, replacing an earlier
post mill on the same site along the northern city wall; it incorporates
components from its predecessor and contributes to Rhenen's iconic
skyline alongside the Cuneratoren, though it's no longer in active use
for milling.
Prattenburg estate encompasses a sprawling 400-hectare
property of diverse forests and a 3.5-hectare heathland area within the
Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park, offering scenic walking paths and
private venues like the Koetshuis for events, all managed to promote
ecological variety.
The Grebbeberg military cemetery serves as the
solemn final resting place for over 800 soldiers and one civilian who
lost their lives during World War II, with more than 400 burials from
the intense Battle of the Grebbeberg in May 1940; it's the Netherlands'
first dedicated war cemetery, featuring monuments to specific infantry
regiments and located atop the hill for a poignant overlook.
Situated
on the Grebbeberg in Rhenen, Ouwehands Zoo is a popular attraction
renowned for being the only place in the Netherlands to house giant
pandas Xing Ya and Wu Wen, housed in the immersive Pandasia exhibit that
evokes a Chinese atmosphere, alongside a wide array of other animals and
conservation efforts.
Rhenen was granted city rights in 1258 after the place
was first mentioned in 855 as 'villa Hreni' (neighborhood Rhenen).
In the Middle Ages, Rhenen was the most advanced point of support
for the bishop of Utrecht in his constant struggle against the
counts, later dukes, of Gelre. The bishop owned the Ter Horst castle
here, which was eventually demolished in 1543. After the
centralization of the government by Emperor Charles V, Rhenen
remained a quiet garrison town for centuries, which as one of the
five cities of the Sticht played a modest role in the administration
of the region.
In the seventeenth century, the expelled King
Frederick V of the Palatinate had a summer residence in Rhenen. He
had the palace built in 1630-1631 to a design by the Hague architect
Bartholomeus van Bassen. This Royal Palace, as it was called, was
demolished in 1812. Currently only a memorial stone and the street
name Frederik van de Paltshof in Rhenen remind of the residence of
the monarch.
In May 1940 there was fierce fighting at Rhenen
between Germans and Dutch during the Battle of Grebbeberg. The
population was evacuated to the west and did not return until May
18. The town turned out to be badly damaged. In Rhenen, 162 homes
were completely destroyed, while about a thousand houses were badly
damaged. The Cunera church and tower were still standing and could
be restored. Shortly after the return, the clearing of debris began.
Unemployed people were used for this. Architect ir. C. Pouderoyen
made a design for the reconstruction of the town in a short time. It
was deliberately chosen not to rebuild the destroyed houses, but for
a new design based on the ideas of the Delft School. Pouderoyen also
chose to run the provincial road through the center, instead of
around it. In the course of 1942 the reconstruction plan was largely
carried out. During the fighting of 1944 and 1945, during the
liberation of the Netherlands, Rhenen was hit again.
In 1950,
during works on the road from Rhenen to Elst, graves were found in
the slope of the Donderberg. It turned out to be a Frankish burial
field with about 1100 graves dating from 350 to about 750 AD. It is
the richest Merovingian burial ground found in Europe. The jewelry
found can be seen in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden.
The largest fortified castle in the Netherlands is located on the
Grebbeberg. Its construction started in the period 650-710. Other
early medieval finds are a gold treasure (Achterberg) and a coin
treasure of approx. 100 gold coins and 170 silver coins near
Remmerden and on the Koerheuvel near the old water tower a bronze
situla (ritual bucket), probably from the early Dutch Iron Age ca
750 BC Chr.
In 2008 the city celebrated its 750th
anniversary.
On Queen's Day 2012, then Queen Beatrix and her
family visited Rhenen and Veenendaal.
Rhenen is located on the north bank of the Lower
Rhine; on the other side is the village of Kesteren. The city is
connected to the Neder-Betuwe via a bridge. This road bridge was
built on the foundations of the railway bridge in the
Amersfoort-Kesteren railway line, which was destroyed in 1944. The
road bridge, which was officially opened in November 1957, now forms
a link in Provincialeweg 233.
Rhenen is located on the
southeastern point of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. The place is
therefore surrounded by several nature reserves. The eastern
Grebbeberg, which is part of the municipality, is the last hill of
this moraine, before it changes into the Gelderse Vallei. Other
hills in the municipality of Rhenen are the Elsterberg,
Prattenburgse Berg, Sparreboomsche Berg, Buurtsche Berg, Paasheuvel,
Thymse Berg, Koerheuvel, Donderberg and Lorseleberg.
Via
Opheusdense Veer, located on the territory of the municipality of
Wageningen, there is a boat connection across the Lower Rhine with
the village of Opheusden.
In Elst there is a boat connection
over the Lower Rhine with the village of Ingen with the Ingense
Veer.
Rhenen station has been a terminus at the end of the
Veenendaallijn since 1981, via Veenendaal to Utrecht.
Achterberg, Elst, Laareind and (business park) Remmerden.
Since the reorganization of the municipalities of Amerongen,
Doorn, Driebergen-Rijsenburg, Leersum and Maarn as of 1 January 2006
into the municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the formerly Amerongse
part of Elst has belonged to the municipality of Rhenen.