"Oldehove" Leeuwarden

The construction of the "Oldehove" started in 1529. The plan was to build a new church next to the "Oldehove", which would replace the old Saint Vitus Church. However, this never came to fruition. It was unfortunate for architect Jacob van Aaken, as the tower began to lean during construction. Attempts were made to continue building on the tilted foundation, but unfortunately, these efforts did not yield the desired result. Construction was halted in 1533 and was never resumed. The tower was meant to be at least twice as high. The "Oldehove" never served any significant functions, yet it has become one of the city's most important symbols. The people of Leeuwarden are proud of their "Oldehove". A famous saying in the local dialect goes, "A'k de Oldehove niet siën ken, dan foël ik my onwennich," which means, "If I can't see the Oldehove, I feel uncomfortable."

Here are some interesting facts about the "Oldehove":

• two architects: the first 30 meters were designed by Jacob van Aaken, while the last 10 meters were built by Cornelis Frederiks;
• height: The tower reaches a height of just over 39 meters, and with its spire, it would have been 48 meters tall;
• tilt: the tower leans 1.99 meters out of vertical, and overall, it is tilted by 1.68 meters ;
• stairs: there are a total of 183 steps to climb to the top;
• construction period: the construction of the tower began on May 28, 1529, and was halted in mid-1533;
• accessgates: until 1599, the tower had two access gates—one on the east side and one on the west side;
• elevatorhistory: between 1916 and 1954, the tower had an electric lift. Since 2011, a new lift has been installed, taking visitors up to the first floor;
• doorheight: the tower has a front door that is 72.5 cm higher than its current back door;
• visitorrecord: in 2017, the tower welcomed over 28,200 visitors, setting a new record;
• visitorexplosion: in 2018, during Leeuwarden's tenure as the European Capital of Culture, the tower saw an explosive rise in visitors, reaching over 65,000;
• towerkeepers: around 25 tower keepers have managed the Oldehove over the years;
• popularweddingvenue: the "Oldehove" is also a popular location for weddings;
• openingtimes: the tower is open daily from April to the end of October;