Route 12: The Twelve Apostles

Starting point is at Hof van Sellingen. This location previously housed the village hotel Plat, which burned down in 1927 and was then known as Hotel Homan after its rebuilding in 1928. In the early years, the building consisted of a large café where the notary and dentist also held office and the Boerenleenbank had its office. Upstairs were eight rooms that were rented out to boarders.

After daughter Jeannette Homan took over in 1961, the café was expanded to include a restaurant. The premises also housed 3 wooden barracks used by the municipal police. Flats replaced these in 1979. The hotel served as such until mid-2004. Since 2008, the building has had its current use.

At the start of the walking route, you will pass the Dutch Reformed church.
Sellingen's Reformed Church is an early Gothic church and is believed to have been built in the 14th century. The church features paintings of Saints Christopher and Margaret on the triumphal arch. A 15th-century floral work with tendrils and the symbols of the four evangelists is painted on the choir vault. Remarkably, the paintings are signed by 'Brother Jan van Aken' and 'John'. The baptismal font also dates from the fifteenth century; the seventeenth-century pulpit comes from the church of Scharmer, demolished in 1824.

At the turning point of this route, you will walk through the gardens (with rest area) of Rineke Dijkinga, also called Heerlijk Westerwolds Land, where you will find a descendant of the Twelve Apostles Tree right at the entrance. The Twelve Apostles Tree is the nickname of a more than 500-year-old lime tree next to the Monastery in Ter Apel. On the night of 28 to 29 December 2007, the tree blew down. Ash wood from the old tree was used to grow new lime trees. These have been planted where the old lime tree first stood and also here at Heerlijk Westerwolds Land. The name is probably derived from the fact that at one point the tree had twelve branches. This was considered symbolic of the twelve apostles.

On the way back, walk over a platform and steep edge from where you have a nice view of the village of Sellingen.

The route ends at the town hall of the former municipality of Vlagtwedde, now Westerwolde.

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This is a route of the Stichting Wandelen in Westerwolde, sponsored by Hof van Sellingen. Dorpsstraat 8, Sellingen, tel. 0599-312368, info@hofvansellingen.com