Pilgrimage Sites in Netherlands
Discover 3 sacred destinations in Netherlands
In 1409 a peasant fleeing across a frozen pool at Heiloo reported an appearance of the Virgin. The Sanctuary of Our Lady in Distress grew on the spot, and it is the principal Marian destination of the Dutch. At Brielle, nineteen priests and religious were put to death in 1572; canonised in 1867 as the Martyrs of Gorcum, they are honoured at a national shrine on the site.
Far to the north, Warfhuizen holds the northernmost Marian shrine on the European continent — a hermitage dedicated to Our Lady of the Enclosed Garden, where pilgrims come to a statue of the Sorrowful Mother.
Brielle
Brielle is a national Catholic pilgrimage site commemorating the 1572 martyrdom of 19 priests and monks, now venerated as the Martyrs of Gorcum who were canonized in 1867.
Heiloo
The Sanctuary of Our Lady in Distress at Heiloo has drawn Dutch pilgrims since 1409, when Mary appeared to a fleeing peasant on a frozen pool.
Warfhuizen
Warfhuizen hosts the northernmost Marian shrine in continental Europe, featuring the Sorrowful Mother statue at Our Lady of the Enclosed Garden hermitage.