My village

Sint Jansklooster (′t Klooster’) is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel that started as a Franciscan monastery founded in 1399. After the monastery was destroyed during the siege of Steenwijk in 1581, it became an agricultural community and its economy was partly based on the excavation of peat from the surrounding marshes. In 1840, it was home to 250 people and now holds about 1500 inhabitants. Places of interest include the Monnikenmolen, a grist mill built in 1857 and restored in 1996, and a 46-meter water tower built in 1932, which became obsolete in the late 20th century and now serves as a watchtower for the national park. Since 1986, Sint Jansklooster organises an annual “bloemencorso” (flower parade) on the third Friday of August. The floats in the parade are made of dahlias.The nearby large swamp called De Wieden was declared a national park in 2009 and added to the Weerribben, forming the 105 square kilometers (41 sq mi) Weerribben-Wieden National Park.
With the rise of supermarkets, chain stores and e-shops, most of the small shops in the village have disappeared. What remains is one small supermarket, a cafeteria and a village hall for the elderly. The annual Corso and the festive week have a positive influence on the village community, but otherwise it is quiet in Sint Jansklooster.