Huissen Travel Guide

If possible, be present in Huissen at one of the traditional festivals.

The sacramental procession "Umdracht" is always on a Saturday in June draws already many visitors as it is one of the few that is kept alive in The Netherlands.

The "Fleischkoere" is in late autumn and is the traditional festivity around the butchering of cattle and the examening of the fresh meat.

Carnaval is - especially in contrast to the direct surroundings - wildly and colourfully partied in Huissen and takes the full period of four days (Saturdays until Tuesday). Parade (Sundays and Mondays) included and many dressed up parading from one bar to the other.

In the third weekend of September Huissen has it's yearly fair. I must admit that it is the cosiest in Arnhem neighborhood. Not too massive, but with many friendly and happy people making fun in and around the attractions.

Furthermore Huissen has still two "Archors guildes". Descending directly from the medieval times they stil have there shooting-festivals (now-a-days also with rifles). A tradition that is connected with the guildes is the "Vaandelzwaaien" (swing with flags), which is done in groups or individual and in a contest.

The riverlands are just an invitation to bike. The flat countryside and many bikingpaths are the ideal way to get around and see the landscape in slowmotion. The nicest thing is the fact that many dikeroads have a spectacular view on one side: the river. These riverlands are in spring and autumn also feedinggrounds of millions of gooses and thousands of swans.
And other side: the often agricultural inland. Huissen is thereby famous for it's flower-greenhousing and many millions of roses (as well as many other flowers) are coming from this district.

The contrast between Arnhem (bigger town, busy) and Huissen (small town, relaxed) is enormous. Here people take the time to greet any person that passes them and if you need help, one will help you out not just 1-2-3, but sometimes even ringing you there where you want to be. The atmosphere is like it is in a village, but ... as soon as you say that the "Huissener" will immediately emphasis the fact that "It is a city!" (-:

Cycling through the riverlands, Huissen holds a nice break in which you do not stop moving. Just outside the town and going into the direction of the river one comes in the settlement "Looveer" (translated "Loo-ferry"). By the way, this settlement lies in the riverlands, so realise that it is completely flooded by the Rhine each year at high-water.

The ferry is one of the few that is still working with the pendelum-principle. An anchor is dropped in the middel of the Rhine and connected with a long cable the boat floots a hundred meters downstream. When the boat is on one bank, it gets pulled to the middle of the river by the current and swings (partly) to the other side by the force. Only the last few meters the help of a motor is necessary. No wonder the tariffs are so low!

Favorite thing: Though Huissen is situated just opposit of the river of Arnhem, the history has been completely influenced by Germany. Still, it's looks are quiet Dutch and now-a-days I do not think the people would like to belong to Germany again.
Huissen however was also many times in frontlines. Not only in the medieval times between the Earl of Kleef and the Duke of Gelre, also in the second WorldWar, when the Betuwe was flooded throughout the autumn, winter and spring of 1944/1945. While Arnhem was deserted, Huissen was a kind of guardian over the destroyed provincial capitol. There were quiet a few citizens that fled to Huissen.
The pride in Huissen is often seekd in the fact that the town has five years longer cityrights then it's larger opponent Arnhem. If Arnhem did not relay the bed of the river Rhine in the medieval times, Huissen would have kept on florishing. With the new harbours, Arnhem took over the importance of transporting goods.
On the attached map one can see the borderline right between the towns.

Fondest memory: I spend my childhood in a house that laid against the old "Huissense" dike (Roman) and spend many times in the fields behind it (so actually on Huissen-territory). I saw the new living neighborhoods (Zilverkamp) of this neighbor-town being build out of empty achres and had many friends here.