Visit to Stadswandelpark: A lovely City walking park in Eindhoven full of lush greenery,ponds,jogging tracks,amazing Sculptures & numerous Art pieces

On 07/6/24, We had a very pleasant walk down the Stadswandelpark , Eindhoven, Netherlands enjoying its serenity & beautiful natural setting !Here I am giving some information & history(source :Wikipedia) of the walking park for my lovely readers alongwith the virtual tour of the place through nice photos ! Happy reading friends !

The Stadswandelpark is a city walking park in Eindhoven, Netherlands ! Several walking routes run through the park, along which you can cross the entire city via the Dommeldal. There is also a continuous cycle path that serves the park. There is lots of art in the city walking park! It is a park south of the  Eindhoven Centre which was a separate muncipality till 1920 & now a part of Eindhoven. To the west of this are the Dommelplantsoenn ,Anne Frankplantsoenen, the Lex and Edo Hornemannplantsoen and the  , the last two named after Jewish citizens who died in Nazi terror. This is an area along the Dommel  and Tongelreep . The Dommelplantsoen and the actual Stadswandelpark are separated from each other by the Den Elzent district , which was built in the 1930s and consists of villas. This district has some remarkable buildings in the style of the Amsterdam school , including the Parkhotel. In this neighborhood there used to be a windmill, the Molen Van Gortel, which was demolished in 1953. The park area connects in the south with the Genepper parks and in the north with the Dommeltuin near the Van Abbe Museum .

There is a pond surrounded by beautiful flower beds and an aviary. The sculptures that are exhibited in the park are also special. It concerns about thirty pieces, which are of very different style. These were placed in 1982 , on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Eindhoven.In the north of the park is the Parktheater Eindhoven , called Stadsschouwburg until 2007 from 1964. Next to it is the Wim Van Doorne  Music Kiosk , from 1990. There are three establishments: The City Pavilion, the Parkhotel and Park & ​​Plush. The Dommelplantsoen is the most natural part of the green belt. Here lies the confluence of the Dommel and Tongelreep, in the middle of a swamp forest. Some trails are club bridges, as it can be humid. The Lex and Edo Hornemannplantsoen and the Anne Frankplantsoen are separated from each other and from the Dommelplantsoen by wide roads. These parts of the park are more artificial in design. There are also a number of exotic trees. In the Lex and Edo Hornemannplantsoen there is a monument to commemorate the Jewish children of Eindhoven who were killed by the Nazis.

History of the Park :

The Stadswandelpark originates from the Den Elzent estate . Tobacco manufacturer HFC Coolen had a country estate here and sold it to the Amsterdam merchant BHA Sinkel in 1876 . He bought another piece of land and had Leonard Springer design a garden in landscape style. Sinkel died not long after and the area was sold in four parts. The part in which the coach house was located (the later Stadspaviljoen ) was bought by the Eindhovensch Mannenkoor, which also had a music kiosk built. In 1916 the site was purchased by the municipality of Eindhoven to build houses. GC Kools (director of the Public Works Department) in particular argued in favor of the construction of a park. The outdoor garden of the men’s choir was set up as a public park and was put into use in 1921. The other parts were also purchased one by one by the municipality and it was Dirk Tersteeg who made a design, taking into account Springer’s work. In 1929 the last part, owned by the Ursleen sisters , was purchased. Tersteeg’s plan was implemented in the early 1930s. In 1931 the new park was given the name Stadswandelpark . This was enriched with the Radio monument(1936) and the Dr AF Philips Observatory (1937). To the south, the park was extended to the Ringweg, designed by Frans Fontaine (1958). The Parktheater  was built on the site of the Ursuline Monastery Sancta Ursula , which was opened in 1964. In 1982 the park was set up as a sculpture garden and many of the statues that were erected at that time are still there. In 1990 the WimVan Doorne Music kiosk was put into use and it replaced an older kiosk.

At present the actual Stadswandelpark is a popular walking area with a number of special monuments, such as the Radio monument from 1936 , which commemorates the first radiographic connection with the then Dutch East Indies, established in 1927 . It depicts a woman calling. and was created by Albert Termot . Also found here is the Dr AF Philips Observatory from 1937 , designed by Lois Kaalf . The building contains a gable stone, laid by His Serene Highness Prince Bernhard in the presence of HRH Princess Juliana, laid on November 20, 1936, at the time of his engagement.Nearby is the Sint Jorisgilde Stratum (near the Ton Smits Park & Prehistoric Dorp) is a shooting guild that is over 500 years old, which focuses on rifle shooting, crossbow and archery.

The Ton Smits Huis(Museum):

Its a museum in the former residence of cartoonist Ton Smits on Jacob Reviuslaan.The Ton Smits Huis is a museum in the former home of cartoonist Ton Smits in the North Brabant city of Eindhoven . Smits lived and worked here from 1957 until his death in 1981. Smits was a cartoonist and painter who worked in the United States. Smits wanted his cartoons (humorous drawings) and paintings to remain accessible to the public after his death. At the end of 1983, this wish was fulfilled with the opening of the Ton Smits Huis museum. This museum is entirely dedicated to this artist. Smits’ artistic legacy forms the core of the museum collection. The museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions devoted to the work of other artists. The house on Jacob Reviuslaan was built in 1956. The design has been deliberately kept sober. The layout of the building was established through consultation between the architect and the client. The pastel colors on the outside walls were an initiative of client Ton Smits himself. The Municipality of Eindhoven designated the Ton Smits Huis as a municipal monument in March 2016.Just adjacent to the museum is the Ton Smits park & the walkways.

I am truly indebted to Wikipaedia for the invaluable information on the above subject