Observatory Hellendoorn: Contagious journey through the universe

A typical eye-catcher: the dome on the Outdoor Center Sallandse Heuvelrug building in Nijverdal. But did you know that this dome also has a function? It is home of Observatory Hellendoorn. From this dome you will, aided by telescopes, have breathtaking views of the starry sky and planets. Cloudy weather? The planetarium will take you on an impressive journey through space using projections.

Passion in the sky

The team at Observatory Hellendoorn consists of enthousiastic volunteers, with a shared passion for astronomy. Cor Kolthof, as chairman of the observatory, is just as passionate as his team. "A starry sky is beautiful to see. By expanding your knowledge about it, it gets an extra layer. Something beautiful gets so much more meaning if you know the context." Cor's passion for stars was sparked when he saw the overwhelming Milky Way at night as a seafarer, sailing along the Galapos Islands in the South Pacific. "The sky I saw there made a big impression. An intuitive sensation, that triggered me later in life to expand my knowledge on the subject and to join the Observatory in Hellendoorn."

Strong together

The current location of the observatory has been in use since 2013. Cor: "At the time we started searching for a new location, working together with local partners was becoming popular. We joined forces with the municipality, province, department of Forestry, IVN, and CNMI. An inventive collboration that resulted in the European LEADER-subsidy and thus this beautiful building." Today the focus is still on collaboration and innovation. "We have collaborative concepts such as 'Walk to the moon', a walk in the dark with a look at the moon through the telescope at the end. The Space music concert, for example, was an out-of-the-box experiment. Fun things that we will keep inventing and organizing."

For the public

Astronomy can be complex, but Observatory Hellendoorn makes the information accessible and easy to understand. "There are no endless theoretical abstractions or mathematical formulas, but it is also not a story for toddlers. We just want to explain something beautiful to our visitors: the fragile planet that we live on, and the beautiful universe that we see."

Would you like to learn more about the world of stars and planets? Observatory Hellendoorn is open to the public on friday nights and saturday afternoons. You can find more information on the website: www.sterrenwachthellendoorn.nl

Observatory Hellendoorn / Outdoor Center Sallandse Heuvelrug
Grotestraat 281, 7441 GS Nijverdal

Would you like to combine your visit to Observatory Hellendoorn with a holiday at Hof van Salland? You can book your stay at Hof van Salland here >

Would you like to combine a visit to Observatory Hellendoorn with your stay at Hof van Salland?