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IJsselstein
IJsselstein
I have 14 stories about IJsselstein to share. Most are about hiking. The others are about IJsselstein's sights, and one is dear to me. Fresh from Curaçao, in my first month as a student, I was sent to a pig farm for an internship.
Part Of My Network Grew Up In IJsselstein
Part Of My Network Grew Up In IJsselstein
When I became an entrepreneur in 2012, I started going to Coffee Networks on Friday mornings. At one of these networking Fridays, a jewelry maker introduced herself. She's of Filipino descent and grew up in IJsselstein. Her father still lives there. She always talked about the bike ride from IJsselstein to Utrecht in her youth. Although she still cycles a few times a month to visit her father, that boring bike ride seems longer in her mind than it actually is. I can't imagine cycling from Utrecht to IJsselstein; I hike it. She made the bracelet for Databeet's 5th anniversary.
When My Former Colleague Passed Away, I Discovered She'd Grown Up In IJsselstein
When My Former Colleague Passed Away, I Discovered She'd Grown Up In IJsselstein
My first major job was at E-Quality*, now Atria. Late Agnes Jansen was my communications colleague and she was responsible for editing all of E-Quality's reports, speeches, and other publications before publication. I shared an office with her for a while, but I didn't learn she'd grown up in IJsselstein until she passed away in 2021. When late Agnes and I shared an office, I knew we both enjoyed drinking lots of cola, which was available in the kitchen downstairs, and that she had a child who didn't like oatmeal with peanut butter like I did, but with blueberries. At the time, in addition to my work at E-Quality, I was also pursuing my master's degree in Urban Geography. Later, late Agnes decided to complete her master degree in a similar way to how I did it at E-Quality.
Internship At A Pig Farm In IJsselstein During The Swine Fever Epidemic
Internship At A Pig Farm In IJsselstein During The Swine Fever Epidemic
In 1997, I came to The Netherlands to become a veterinarian. In the first month of my studies, I had to do an internship at a pig farm in IJsselstein. Fresh from Curaçao, where most of the animals treated by the veterinarian are dogs, I was sent to a pig farm during the swine fever epidemic. I was sent to IJsselstein in the province of Utrecht, which meant I was interning in an area where swine fever was not present. In the other IJsselstein in The Netherlands, there was a swine fever epidemic at that time and another intern. Although there was no swine fever on the pig farm, hygiene was always of paramount importance. If I forgot something outside the stable, I had to repeat the entire hygiene procedure as soon as I re-entered the pigsty. Even when switching between pigstyes, I had to change my outer clothing and wash my hands thoroughly.
The IJsselstein Christmas Tree As A Beacon
The IJsselstein Christmas Tree As A Beacon
Every year around Christmas, the IJsselstein transmission tower (Gerbrandy Tower) is lit up like a Christmas tree. It stands out in the region and serves as a beacon. It's an IJsselstein tradition to light the tower. An IJsselstein resident came up with the idea to light the tower around Christmas in the 1990s. It remains the largest illuminated Christmas tree in the world. And it's lit with just 120 LED lights, giving it the appearance of a Christmas tree (De Wit, 2024).
Training With The Via Vierdaagse Schedule
Training With The Via Vierdaagse Schedule
My former tennis doubles partner and I had just successfully registered for the Via Vierdaagse in early 2009 when we decided to go on our first hike. It was February and freezing, but we had to train. We got lost and didn't have enough food with us. The only thing we knew for sure was that we were near IJsselstein, because IJsselstein's landmark, the Christmas tree, was visible for almost the entire walk. We found the car back and both successfully completed the Vierdaagse van Nijmegen in the summer of 2009!
The Hike Nieuwegein - IJsselstein
The Hike Nieuwegein - IJsselstein
After moving to Nieuwegein I found a hike from Nieuwegein to IJsseltein. It was about 12 km and I would get to see the surrounding between Nieuwegein and IJsselstein. On a sunny day I decided to hike this hike. While there are beautiful parts, most of the hike is on paved roads and on a biking lane. Not a good idea on a sunny day, when all bikers are touring.
Historic IJsselstein Walk
Historic IJsselstein Walk
The historic walk around the landmarks of IJsselstein is one everybody can do. A walk I can recommend, when visiting IJsselstein. It takes about 1,5 hours and it goes mostly through the center of IJsselstein. It takes the tourist out of the shopping area to lesser-known areas of the center of IJsselstein. The walk is marked and a map can be found online or at a tourist information center.
The IJsselstein Library
The IJsselstein Library
The library is a great place for entrepreneurs to work and read newspapers and magazines. The restroom is free or available for a small fee. Sometimes there's even free or for a small fee coffee and tea. There are workstations for students and other interested parties. The library is a public facility, meaning everyone is welcome to use it. Please keep this in mind when using the library. It's also a great place to work. I get more work done in the Leidscherijn and IJsselstein libraries because my Wi-Fi doesn't work there. This means I can only work offline in these two libraries and check my email on my phone.
MIJ
MIJ
Mij is the museum of IJsselstein. It will reopen in September 2025. It had a collection about the history of IJsselstein and a temporary collection. I went there to see the temporary collection about the history of cities. The entire museum, even the permanent collection, is being renovated (July 2025).
The IJsselstein Friday Market
The IJsselstein Friday Market
IJsselstein has a good market for a small village. It's definitely worth a visit on Fridays. It's not very crowded, and everything I buy at the market I can find at the IJsselstein market. At certain times, the market is cheaper than the supermarket, and at other times, it's more expensive. During both times, it's interesting to just stroll around the market, to see what's for sale, and soak up the atmosphere of the IJsselstein market.
Castle Tower
Castle Tower
The historic IJsselstein Castle has mostly been demolished. The Loyer Tower is still used by the museum. Even now, as the museum is being renovated (summer 2025), the Loyer Tower can be visited. It's worth climbing the steep stairs to see the area surrounding the tower. It's the only part of the castle that has been preserved and is open to visitors.
The Busses From IJsselstein Take Me Through The 'Ribbon Villages'
The Busses From IJsselstein Take Me Through The 'Ribbon Villages'
The area around IJsselstein is worth a visit. Most of the small villages around IJsselstein are ribbon villages, meaning that even large buses travel along narrow roads to their destinations, or they don't fit on them. Sit at the front of the bus and watch how the driver navigates the narrow roads, avoiding parked cars, cyclists, pedestrians, and water. The most interesting time to do this is in rush hour during the winter with fog. Sometimes they all don't fit on the road, so the water is an option, or wait until one of them moves out of the way.
The Utrechtse Waarden Report Is About The Ribbon Villages Around IJsselstein
The Utrechtse Waarden Report Is About The Ribbon Villages Around IJsselstein
I also visited the ribbon villages around IJsselstein as a car driver. In Dutch the ribbon villages are called "lintdorpen", meaning that they are all located one after the other along a long narrow road. The area around IJsselstein is called Utrechtse Waarden. For safety reasons, some villages have built two roads: one for traffic destined for the smaller villages and one for through traffic. Both roads are still narrow and surrounded by water and houses. Some parts of the ribbon villages around IJsselstein used to be industrial estates. I visited these villages and roads to view the area (schouwen). Would all the businesses still be able to exist if the roads were used more frequently, and which businesses could establish themselves in the area? The advice can be read in the report in the blog 'Utrechtse Waarden Welke dynamiek vindt er plaats' (Utrechtse Waarden: What dynamics are taking place)?
IJsselstein Is One Of The Three Municipalities In The Province Of Utrecht Accessible By Tram
IJsselstein Is One Of The Three Municipalities In The Province Of Utrecht Accessible By Tram
Utrecht, the fourth-largest city in The Netherlands has a tram to prove this. Not one like Rotterdam, The Hague, or Amsterdam have, but one that runs to IJsselstein and Nieuwegein. There used to be one to Zeist as well, but that was discontinued long ago. The tram isn't always the fastest option, but it does run more punctually during peak hours than the bus, as the latter can get stuck in traffic jams during rush hour. A few years ago, Utrecht decided to take the students off the bus and take them to the University District by tram because the buses were overcrowded. Now there's even a discussion about a metro system in the Utrecht region; the underground medieval corridor system seems suitable for this, according to a recommendation to the municipality of Utrecht and the province of Utrecht.
* I worked at E-Quality from 2005 - 2007. E-Quality merged and became Atria in 2012.
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