St Walfridus Church — Attraction in Het Hogeland

Not just a leaning tower! In the 10th or 11th century in the Bedum the missionary Walfridus (or Wolfryt) is murdered by the Normans. His tomb becomes such a popular pilgrimage site that a wooden chapel is built first and soon a church for the visiting pilgrims. The oldest parts of the Sint Walfriduskerk date back to the 11th century, making it one of the oldest churches in Groningen. In the 15th century, the church was expanded into a two-aisled Gothic hall church, and in the early 16th century, after the church was heavily damaged during fighting, the church was even expanded with a Gothic ambulatory. After the Reformation, when the pilgrimage ceased to exist, this ambulatory was demolished again. Although the church is still in use by the Reformed Church, it is best known outside Bedum for its leaning tower. For centuries the tower sagged, a problem that was not finally resolved until the 1950's. As a result, Bedum has the second leaning tower in the Netherlands: with an angle of inclination of 4.18 °, this tower is even more leaning than the famous Tower of Pisa (which is 3.97 ° out...

The Walfridus church is mostly famous because of its tower. The tower is leaning a whopping 4,19 degrees, which is more than the 3,97 degrees of the tower of Pisa. The church is already from the 11th century ac and is still standing, but changed a bit during the years. At the other side of the church the place where the old part of the church was standing is still visible and there is a nice monument where in the earlier days the...

Misschien is het maar goed dat de 'Schaive van Bedum' (zelfs in Nederland) behoorlijk onbekend is, terwijl hij toch meer dan 4 graden (2,61 meter) uit het lood hangt. Hier geen drommen toeristen die ingewikkelde selfies doen, geen prullaria, ansichtkaarten of BedumTower-Experience. En nu ook maar hopen dat de vermaledijde Citymarketing in Groningen Bedum laat voor wat het is: een rustig dorp aan het Boterdiep, met een station(netje) met uitzicht over het wijde Grunnengerland, waar ooit een van de beste voetballers van Nederland werd geboren en in VV Bedum speelde tot hij op zijn twaalfde verkaste naar FC Groningen. En ja: het is een bizar scheve maar mooie kerk,...