History of Ermelo

Ermelo has a rich but not so visible history. The Old Church, Weitje and Milling of the Cow, mark the history in the centre of the village, while the burial mounds, Staverden Castle and the Roman Marskamp highlight very different sides of Ermelo's history. With the construction of the Zuiderzeestraatweg around 1830, this part of the Veluwe became more accessible. From 1882 onwards, more and more changed. Ermelo got a stop: Ermelo-Veldwijk. However, it was 1 kilometre away from the village. Mr Chevallier, who lived on the Veldwijk estate, donated almost all the necessary money for the station, but made it conditional on the municipality providing a good road to it. That happened and so the Stationsstraat was born. At that time it was still a road between maize fields and potato fields. A few years later, the Veldwijk estate turned into a so-called psychiatric hospital. Five years later, a home for the mentally handicapped was founded on the remote estate 's Heeren Loo'. These institutions brought a lot of activity and occupation. Roads were built near the station and houses were constructed. A new village was created, aptly named 'Nieuw-Ermelo'. Gradually the buildings moved eastwards. Old Ermelo also grew and expanded in a westerly direction. Around 1920, Oud- and Nieuw-Ermelo grew together. The post office was the link.

The new edition of the Ermelo Village Tour is now available from VVV Ermelo. This brochure is intensively dedicated to the nature, culture and history of Ermelo. You walk past various historical buildings and churches.