Lichtenvoorde is a town in the east of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, in the municipality of

Oost Gelre Oost, Dutch for "east", may refer to: * Jason Oost, Dutch football player * Oost-Maarland, a village in the Dutch province of Limburg ** Oost, Limburg, a hamlet in Oost-Maarland * Oost, North Holland, a hamlet in the Dutch municipality of Texel * ...

. Lichtenvoorde holds a flower parade (''bloemencorso'') every September at the start of its annual festival. The parade features floats covered in flowers (usually

dahlia Dahlia (, ) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. A member of the Asteraceae (former name: Compositae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives thus include the sunflower, ...

s) in imaginative designs depicting a variety of themes. Lichtenvoorde has a

motorcross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competiti ...

circuit on which international grands prix are held.

History

Lichtenvoorde was the name of a municipality that included the town and the villages of

Lievelde Lievelde () is a small village in the province of Gelderland, in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is located in between the two towns of Groenlo and Lichtenvoorde. Lievelde is the place where the regional train station is situated, called ...

Zieuwent Zieuwent is a village in the east of the Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Oost Gelre, Gelderland. Zieuwent has the tallest church tower in the Achterhoek region. History Zieuwent was first mentioned in 1294 or 1295 as "silva S ...

, Vragender and Harreveld, until 1 January 2005, when all were merged into the municipality of Oost Gelre. Its inhabitants are known colloquially as ''keienslöppers'' (boulder draggers) due to a historic event. On 15 March 1874, 99 of the town's shoemakers dragged a 20 ton boulder a distance of around four kilometres to the marketplace to serve as a centerpiece for commemoration of

King William III William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from the ...

's silver jubilee, after 25 years on the country's throne. The boulder remains there to this day, topped by a stone lion holding the town's coat of arms.

Gallery

File:Lichtenvoorde 441.JPG, alt=Lichtenvoorde lion, The boulder in the marketplace File:Lichtenvoorde kerk.jpg, Catholic church in Lichtenvoorde File:Erve Kots - Los Hoes 2007-07.jpg, Farm at the open-air museum Erve Kots in Lievelde File:Kerk Zieuwent.jpg, Catholic church in Zieuwent File:Vragender dorp.JPG, Vragender Village File:Harreveld hermien.jpg, Windmill Hermien in Harreveld

References

External links

Website of Oost Gelre
{{Authority control Oost Gelre Populated places in Gelderland Former municipalities of Gelderland Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2005