Westerheide sunrise by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About "Westerheide sunrise"

by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About the artwork

The Westerheide is a heathland area of ​​344 ha on the territory of Hilversum and Laren. The area borders the Bussumerheide, the A1, the built-up area of ​​Hilversum and the Amsterdam-Amersfoort railway line. The heather forms a whole with the Bussummerheide. On the border between the two areas there is a dead straight, unpaved road, of about 3 km long, the Nieuwe Crailoseweg, also called Prayer without end.

The slightly sloping terrain, which rises to a height of 27 meters at Sint Janskerkhof, is very popular with hikers.

The area was formed during the Ice Age. Much boulder clay, sand and gravel has been excavated in the past. There are many relics from prehistoric times such as camps, a divorce court, dead roads, an urn field and burial mounds. There is also a restored Bronze Age pile-crown burial mound.

The cattle that walk here prevent the area from growing over with trees and grasses getting the upper hand. Better than humans can do with machines, the grazers ensure diversity in the vegetation, so that characteristic heather species such as tormentil, gorse and creeping gorse are also preserved.

It is ultimately also due to the many centuries of grazing that there are heathlands. The small and large pits were created because the Gooiers used to get sand, gravel and loam here. The different areas of color on the heath are due to the difference in age of the heather. Short, young heather alternates with older heather.