Art and Cultural weekend

The recent Art and Cultural weekend here in Oegstgeest gave the general public a exciting peek into the heritage and creativity of this amazing town.

The first day was sunny and perfect weather for riding a bike around Oegstgeest to take in the sights. For me, my only complaint was there was no way I could see all that was offered in one weekend and sadly, due to prior commitments, I only had one afternoon free. So I had to prioritize and use this special opportunity to get inside the places I have been curious about. But first, I thought I should eat some mussels at the mussel fest at the Lange Voort shopping center and map out my plan for the day. So I sat, enjoying tasty mussels under a rare sunny day and mapped out my cultural and arts journey in Oegstgeest.

Kasteel Endegeest was to be my first stop. Being that "Actor Castle" is currently in use as a psychiatric center and not open to the public, my interest was peaked when I heard tours were being offered. I was not disappointed, the castle has a long history and had changed hands many times. I was especially intrigued that the Leiden government called for its destruction during at the beginning of the 80 year war mainly to keep the Spaniards from gaining a foothold. Later during the war it was rebuilt and the french philosopher Rene Descartes lived there ("I think, therefore I am"). I never knew the father of modern philosophy lived in Oegstgeest! How exciting.

Then I made my way over to the Gemeentehuis, a building, ironically, that used to be "Sanatorium Rhijngeest." Restored and remolded within the last decade, the Geementehuis worked hard to keep its original splendor and details alive. I decided to have a look inside, when I was surprised by a hall full of dancing brides and grooms! I thought I had walked in on some sort of group wedding but soon found out it was the local dance school showing off for their wedding dance classes. It also reminded me that the Gemeente house's classic architecture, with marble floors, intricate banisters and bold skylights, is a beautiful place to get married and how lucky we are that this building has been preserved.

Oegstgeest's deep heritage and continued commitment to arts and cultural education is part of what makes living in Oegstgeest so special.