The Most Dutch City... in America? Pella, Iowa?
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2024
- Pella, Iowa is possibly the most Dutch city you can find in the world outside of the Netherlands. With windmills, bitterballen, tulip festivals, and incredible bakeries you can feel a bit of Holland in the heart of the USA. From Jaarsma Bakery and their Dutch letters to the Dutch architecture you would swear that the stairs would need to be ladders.
Filmed in Pella, Iowa
Copyright Mark Wolters 2021
#travel #pella #iowa
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Vander Ploeg bakery is also a town favorite.
I'd love to visit Pella someday! My 5th great-grandparents Huibert Muilenburg and Klazina Versteeg landed in New Orleans from Vuren in 1848 and came to Pella in 1850
My family immigrated to Pella from the Netherlands in 1855. Since then, I am the first person born outside of Iowa. Pella has a special place in my heart!
My ancestors were on that boat too! Henrick Van Maren and family were some of the founders of the town.
So sweet! This totally makes sense for Iowa. My mom’s family was sponsored by a Dutch family when they came to Oskaloosa, Iowa, US. There was a huge community there too. ❤️
Awesome! I'm from The Netherlands and it's nice to see such a Dutch town. I think "Klokkenspel" is best pronounced as "Clock 'n Spell". When you pronounce it as "peele" (instead of "spell") it sounds German 😋 Nevertheless, great video as usual 👌
speeI / speIen means game or "pIaying" doesn't it? as in "stop een keer met deze hoofdspeIen!!"
Dutch / German Iook simiIar on paper but I find sound so much different - Not mutuaIIy inteIIigibe IMO - Iike comparing Mandarin with Cantonese or Hokkien
@@user-bf8bt2wf7d Yes, but he made sound a bit German. That's all I'm saying :)
@@kallisto_ofzo I think he might be right on this one though, the old dutch probably sounded like spiel as well (im not an expert so dont take my word for it)
En ja ik ben ook Nederlands ;)
The animated figures are not Dutch, Klokkenspel means the symphony of the 'Church' Bells, a carillon of Bells causes its sounds harmoniously together, able to play tunes through a Keyboard or a automatic system.
I guess u should use the German word for it, schauspiel, glockenspiel, a play. i can't find any dutch word for it, poppenkast met bellen?
These dutch people here?
As a native Dutch i thought the same!
I’m from Iowa City and my family has gone to the tulip festival every year for as long as I can remember. The letters are to die for!
Thank you so much! I would probably have never heard of this town if it wasn't for your video. Now I have to visit one day... Thanks again! 😁
My brother went to College in Pella. Nice small town!
Go Panthers
So funny to see those Dutch names everywhere (Jaarsma, van der Ploeg). You'd fit right in there with your name, Mark Wolters! Do you have Dutch (or Northern German) heritage?
I absolutely love seeing videos like these!!! I live in Pella and seeing and hearing that people love Pella and are amazed by everything is awesome!! Just want to you know even living in pella we can’t get over how GOOD Dutch letters are when I get one I want another!!! Tourist may annoy us sometimes but I absolutely love living in pella!! Hope you come back soon would love to meet you!!
I know you, you are kamryn’s sister
I grew up here. It’s a cool place overall
@2:01 To be even more correct, it's not a "KlokkenSPIEL" but "KlokkenSPEL".
The city seems to have many names from the two northern provinces of the Netherlands, Friesland and Groningen.
You are so enthusiastic just watching you made my day!
It's funny, because I'm Dutch and I can tell it's imitated and not real in The Netherlands. You can tell it's in the states. But it's nice to see that there's some Dutch inspired buildings! Would love to visit
It has the look of a themepark.
I think it's not necessarily imitated, but just stuck in time. As the earliest Dutch immigrants that came to Pella were probably at least a hundred years back, that architecture was applied and remained isolated from the change that happened in the Netherlands over the years.
@@jinjunliu2401 The architecture it mimics is like 17th century but the dead giveaway is cars everywhere, and parking spots all over, and of course the rest of the infrastructure. Dutch cities are walkable, they rarely allow cars in the center (or at least heavily restrict them). You park your car in a big parking garage and walk the rest of the way. That’s illegal in America (building code by GM).
@@RustOnWheels Yes, the ubiquitous cars are unfortunate. One does not necessarily find the "gezelligheid" in Pella that one would find in the Netherlands. (The streets are too wide, and the buildings are generally American.) Nevertheless, Pella is different from most other American towns, and a visit is well worthwhile. (Ik ben Nederlander en ik vond 't best leuk.)
@@FreedomOfSport Exactly, everything looks brand new. I’m from Nijmegen the oldest city in The Netherlands,over 2000 years old. We have the old buildings and stuff.
This is so weird hahah, looks so Dutch, but at the same time very American as well.
Exactly!!! :)
@@woltersworld Well Manhattan NY ( The former Nieuw Amsterdam ) does 'nt look Dutch..😅
I think it's the typical wide roads and of course the many pickups
@@f.jgouda810 It's a shame they demolished it all for their skyscrapers and didn't just build aruond the old town. Could have looked like a typical European old town
@@r.v.b.4153 Sure is a shame...
the S shaped pastry (baket staaf) is supposed to be the S for Sinterklaas (where Santa Claus is derived from)
usually only available for purchase in november/december
its supposed to have an eggwash on it and is golden brown and shiny looking
if a dutch bakery has it during other months it is just a regular stick shape
My grandparents honeymooned here in the 50s! They loved their Dutch heritage.
Hey Mark! Ryan here from Patreon. Wanted to say thanks for the postcard and koozie! I am actually staying in Dubuque, Iowa on my way to Wisconsin next month! Hope all is well and look forward to your next adventures!
Never knew about Dutch letters! Great!! 👍😎 thanks!!
Man I’ve been in Des Moines since 1981 and never once step foot in Pella, but after seeing your videos, it will be on my things to do. Thanks for sharing.
Didn't know this before ! Really nice !
Greetings from the city of Gouda, The Netherlands.
Would love to visit you all next trip to the Netherlands
@@woltersworld I dare you, I double dare you, to visit and stay at any place in the Netherlands BUT the Hollands! I feel that 99,9% of alle the tourist videos off our country take place in the Hollands, a bit of Utrecht, and maybe Giethoorn. Yet there are so many more beautiful cities, towns, and places to go and see!
@@woltersworld Goodmorning ! More than welcome overhere in The Netherlands !
@@melle4390 Completely right !
Love your cheese!
Never knew about this, on the bucket list now and looking forward to try out and compare the Dutch food over there :P
It's actually "klokkenspel" instead of "klokkenspiel"
Thanks Boris!
I've visited a few times and it's always a good experience. Pella also has a nice meat selection.
Try Holland, Michigan. Tulip Time Festival every year also. Very similar.
grew up in Pella and have been watching a lot of your videos lately so this was totally trippy mane
I love Pella, i deliver to the Central Market in Pella twice a week.
I went to Upward Bound & Central College in Pella. Been to Tulip Time several times, and usually make a trip once a year because…Jaarsma!!
Jaarsma was the bomb!!!
I'm from the Netherlands, but Moved to SC. It's cool to see this clash of Dutch American, I'll have to visit sometime, as well as Holland, MI
Wauw… would love to visit the town….
As a Dutch person I can tell that the "Dutch Letters" can be found in the Netherlands, but:
1. It is associated with a children's holiday called "Sinterklaas" on December 5 (ps "Sinterklaas" translates as "Santa Claus" and December 5 is not a typo).
2. The S is clearly a connection with "Sinterklaas".
3. A "Dutch letter" is called an "Amandelstaaf" or "Banketletter" in the Netherlands
4. They are mainly available a few weeks before "Sinterklaas"
Could also refer to our founder who’s last name started with an s
@@deleteddeleted8542 that is indeed a possibility. I do like the heritage idea with a Dutch Christian holiday for children. But that's a personal opinion 😉.
Orange city iowa is very Dutch aswell
Holland, Michigan is worth a visit. Windmoelen Island and Dutch villiage
Thank you for taking the extra time to cover this wonderful town! And giving Iowa props in general ☺️ For all the trips you’ve taken around the world, it’s refreshing that you covered lil ole Pella. Love the videos!!
Thank you Andyman's FT. I appreciate it. I am glad we can showcase some nice towns around the world and around where we live.
First of all Walter! I Love your videos! Thanks for the advice, knowledge and tour, Second of all this is Beautiful, I’ve been to the Netherlands several times and I’ve never been to America! Pella, Iowa here I come!! I’m always here to support you and your videos big love Matty here from Scotland🏴
In Japan there is also a town that looks Dutch
My extended family used to go to Pella every 2 years for the week of thanksgiving. It was my grandmother’s hometown where back during WW2 she was run over by the milk man on a horse drawn buggy! Still love that town tho
You are awesome.
Hi Mark, great video as always.
I think Holland, MI is the most Dutch city in United States, but I may be wrong. I haven't been to Pella, but Holland definitely worth visiting.
Lived in Iowa my whole life and I have yet to go there
G'day from Adelaide Australia nice city. Hup Ajax
You should do one on Iowa State Fair and Field of Dreams
I am from Pella! I am so proud of our Dutch heritage! Our Tulip festival is always the first Thursday, Friday, Saturday of May. Thank you for making this video! It gives great exposure to our small town!
And so you should i am proud of my dutch background as well.Gday from Adelaide Australia
Your last name is so Dutch!!
@@simianto9957 My ancestors were fishermen who sold their fish in the markets of Gelderland. Uitermarkt means out of the market.
@@ashleyuitermarkt9443 That's very interesting, I wish I knew some more about my ancestors aswell.
@@ashleyuitermarkt9443 do you speak Dutch? seeing your last name I would assume you do. As a Dutch person I find it strange when I see people of Dutch descent who don’t speak Dutch.
I live here. Its a beutiful city.
funny to see the blades of the windmill turning without any sails on the blades.
Albany NY settled in the 1600's by the Dutch has a heritage and architecture from its Dutch heritage. also a tulip festival with 70,000 varieties of tulips.
Wow this looks so Dutch 🙂groeten uit Dordrecht, Nederland. 🌷
Greeting from Adelaide Australia
I’m from Pella!
I live here! Lol
Great video!Shout out to Lynden Washington , lots of people from the Netherlands settled here in the early 20th century.The Lynden Dutch bakery is incredible,!
have you ever been to holland michigan? I'd say its pretty dutch. :D
hoping to get there later this year
Maine has towns called China, Mexico, Poland, Peru, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Paris etc... I kid you not! Would be cool to do a montage video of all of those, but probably wouldn’t be too exciting! 😊
If I'm ever neer Pella, I pay a visit! I don't know what it is with us Dutch people. But we just love to look at out siders implementatie Dutch things. Those cookie letters... ow god nightmare. We alway get them around 5 december at work (Sinterklaas - Santa Claus). It's filo dow with a semi soft filling 'amandelspijs' that's almonds and sugar. It's to much for me, so I alway make my 'opa en oma' grandfather and mother happy by bringing it to them 🤭. I recommend instead 'pepernoten' if they sell them. They are small crunchy cinnamon like cookie's. There the best!
I live here in pella. I'm sorry but we ain't dutch
Huh? I never heard of this. I must visit this place😄. I love learning about towns like this. Your channel is awesome!
Thanks Bubba
Pella is also home to Vermeer Corporation, the heavy equipment/agricultural manufacturer. Just outside of town on Vermeer road. A lot of good jobs to be had in Pella so the town is very well off. There's also the college which has a nice little campus. Very unique little town. Very much rooted in religion as well. If you go in the post office, there is a mural inside of Dutch people being persecuted for their religion and then taking a boat to America. This carried over into a law against mowing your grass on Sunday. In the apartment I lived in there for a time, the landlord said I couldn't vacuum on Sunday 😂
Sounds a lot like the fundamentalist ‘black stockings church’ - a fundamentalist Protestant group - in The Netherlands. The Netherlands until halfway last century was a very devout Christian nation. You had the Protestants in the north and Catholics in the south. There were clashes between those two but that was ages ago and mostly led by foreign countries (Catholic church being supported by Spain and France and Rome of course).
Hey Wolter! I love your video. I have to add though, from a Dutch person's perspective this city looks unmistakably American. ;-)
I can see dutch influence and how someone who hasnt been to the Netherlands would think that. It doesnt look like an american city or at least compared to the places Ive lived but because it was built in the modern times it has wode streets and more cars etc
Great video! But I wanted to see even one bike :-)
You should visit Hermanm MO. Nice small town with lots of German heritage. Good wine too.
No Dutch, not German...
I thought it whould be New York. But that's maybe to old because the Dutch made their settlements there. A very good history book that reads like a novel is Russel shorto's revolution song, a story of American freedom. Or in Dutch lied der revolutie. For the cover they used the painting of Washington crossing the dalaware. What you can find in the metropolitan museum of art in New York.
Fascinating to see cute Dutch houses next to big fat American roads that look more like runways than pleasant European streets.
Think about it this way though, we have way more space to work with compared to you guys. So we have no need to go small.
@@deleteddeleted8542 Yeah, you do. All of that car dominated space makes the pedestrian experience unpleasant and distances too long to walk. Density is more about the width of the street than the height of the buildings.
Hey its my town! Lol
The architecture intrigues me as it feels so familiar, yet has such obvious differences (compared to authentic architecture of those styles in the Netherlands).
I had the same feeling. It looks somewhat Dutch, but not Dutch at the same time.
I live right near Holland, MI. We have Tulip Time and all sorts of Dutch stuff and soooo many people from the Netherlands!
Don't worry, we will get up to you guys soon!
Every year for Christmas my Oma gives me and the rest of her grandkids chocolate letters. It's a tradition for the Dutch, the pastry letters look delicious!
We do this on the holiday of Sinterklaas every 5th of december. You get the letter which your name starts with.
Those Dutch Letters look pretty tasty. Too bad I have never seen those here.....in the Netherlands ;-)
But looks like a fun place to visit, even if to me as a Dutchman this is just plain weird. As for the most Dutch place outside of the Netherlands, when travel is possible again you might want to visit Huis ten Bosch, a huge Dutch theme park in Japan. With lots of replicas of famous Dutch buildings most of which I have never seen back home....
They're supposed to be banketletters i think. They just look weird in this video.
@@XedossX Doh! You're probably right but I hadn't recognized 'em at all....
Don't worry, i've never seen American sauce in the US, but I see it all over Europe :)
I'm just amazed that they sell those letters year round instead of only in November/December, before Saint Nicholas! Very lucky. I'd definitely buy one if I was ever in the area
@@woltersworld I have seen that sauce here indeed, never actually tried it....
Whenever you're in the Netherlands again, you might want to visit America, Limburg. Doesn't look very American though...
That does look very classic Dutch! I bet there have been some Dutch settlers there. The only thing modern Netherlands has a lot that I don't really see there are lots of bicycles.
I mean that is quite literally the origin of the town chief
As a Pella Resident, I was happy to see this video. I’m glad you like the Dutch letters but Vander Ploegs are better. Lol
The Tulip Festival is AWESOME! And I love seeing all the Dutch costumes and eating the Dutch food!
Do a video of “The Donts of Visiting Puerto Vallarta, Mexico”
So excited to catch this video … luv finding hidden “little” int’l gem countries wi the U.S.
As an Dutchman I can confirm, this is Dutcher then Dutch. It makes me really proud to see this!❤🇳🇱🇺🇲
Holland, MI has tulip time every spring. They have an "amusement park" called Nelis' Dutch Village abd there's also an attraction called windmill Island that has the only fully operating windmill from the Netherlands in America.
Hmm you must have missed the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Japan , it could be mistaken for Utrecht haarlem , den Haag or amsterdam . A theme park that is actualy a dutch city
I'm heading there this year for their tulip festival but I would argue that Holland in Michigan is a bit bigger and has even more dutch stuff! You should check that one out!
I am from Pella. Which days will you be going? Saturday is a mess of people fair warning.
@@lazardprodz oh really?!😅 i was hoping saturday/sunday but it wouldnt really be fun with big crowds hmm
@@LukeGeeTravels Thursday/Friday is the community’s favorite because of the smaller crowds. Also if possible check out the marching Dutch in a parade. Just went to the rose parade!
@@lazardprodz thank you so much for the tips! Unfortunately with work, the soonest I can get there is saturday.. unless i go this weekend but i’d miss out on all the festivities😅
@@LukeGeeTravelsThe tulips did come early this year… they’re pretty good rn actually.
Thats's amazing!
THanks Marcel!
I never have eaten a Dutch letter like you are showing in your video in my life, and I’m from The Netherlands. We have chocolate letters for Sinterklaas and they are yummie. Thank you for this nice video.
Nooit een banketstaaf/letter gegeten?
this is the funniest thing I have seen in a while
Don't be lame bro
Looks like The Open Air museum we have. It is a tad but too Dutch.
what about Holland, Michigan?
Om even te reageren op alle negatieve antwoorden van Nederlanders die nog nooit in Pella zijn geweest.... Van een filmpje kan en mag je geen conclusies trekken. Ik persoonlijk heb het geluk gehad om meerdere malen Pella te mogen bezoeken. Ik vind Pella een mooie weerspiegeling van de historie van Nederland. Zo moet je het gewoon bekijken, niet als het huidige Nederland. De Vermeer molen komt daadwerkelijk uit Nederland. Vanuit Groningen afgebroken en in Pella opnieuw gebouwd. De "Dutch letters" van Jaarsma bakkerij? Die zijn daar het hele jaar door te verkrijgen. Niet zoals hier alleen rond eind Oktober tot ergens in December. Ik moet wel zeggen dat de pudding broodjes die ze daar hadden toch wel iets anders qua smaak waren dan dat ik hier in Friesland gewent was. Dat heb ik hun toen ook gemeld :) .
Feit is, voordat je via een filmpje gaan oordelen..... Ga er eerst zelf een keer naar toe en oordeel dan!!
Really fascinating, do some people still speak Dutch there?
There's only a handful of people who still speak fluent Dutch in Pella. The language will probably be lost soon. More than 60 or 70 years ago you probably would have heard a lot of people speaking Dutch on the town square on a Saturday morning. My great-grandfather immigrated from Haarlem, Holland, in 1915 and settled in Pella. There are few old timers like him left, and the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of these immigrants never learned to speak Dutch fluently.
We don't have those giant roads in the middle of small villages in The Netherlands. As someone from The Netherlands I have got to say that a lot of things look like (old) Dutch architecture but those giant asphalt roads with the giant cars and parking lots really ruin the Dutch vibe. If they would have made the streets a lot smaller and used bricks instead of asphalt and remove most of the parking lots it would look way more like a historic Dutch village centre.
edit: 5:19 For example in The Netherlands his kind of street would be a one way road with a seperated bike lane and wide sidewalks on both sides. Probably also with a lot of traffic calming in place for cars and no parking spaces.
if i ever decide to move to the US, that'll probably where you'll find me
Have you been to New Glarus, WI? It’s Swiss!
I'm from the Netherlands and I've never seen those letters over here nor tasted them. Chocolate letters are very common at the end of the year for celebrating Sinterklaas (the feast of St. Nicolas).
BTW Pella isn't a Dutch name. Pella was the capital city of ancient Macedonia where Alexander the Great was born.
Banketstaven ken je niet?
Banketletters en banketstaven
You can literally buy those everywhere with Sinterklaas 5th of December.
Do they have herring?
Pella identifies as Dutch more than any town I know.
Your Iowa videos have been killing it! You should be on the state payroll
hahaha. would be nice
This video is very interesting and intriguing
I live in Pella! We keep everything vintage.
Holland, MI “hold my beer”
don't worry LG. i will get there ;)
Dint forget Zealand MI, and Grand Rapids. My grandmother was a Versluis. You're not much if you ain't dutch"
This is great 👍 can you find the most Greek town in the USA? This is great this kind of information! Different 👍 Thank You 🙏🏼
Mark references Tarpon Springs quite a bit in his Florida videos. He has in-laws there. Would be cool if he did a full video on the Greek influence there. 👍
@@tosht2515 Great ! But I’m wondering if Tarpon Springs is the place with the most Greeks ? I have been there and ate at the best restaurants and saw them gather the sponges ! Real cool
@@kouklakee i believe it's got the highest population of greeks outside of athens or something like that. i've been there and there's definitely a lot of greek places to eat, far beyond just a gyro or something.
Yes. Tarpon Springs, FL. People come from all over for the Epiphany celebration.
Tarpon Springs (like said below) is sometimes called the most greek town in the US
Pella was actually founded by 800 catholics from the Netherlands
You ever heard of Holland Michigan…
I know of Pella because I am an architect and they brought a group of us from their West Chicago plant to tour the mothership, cute town! Was there 2010.
It's lacking the bycicles to be truly dutch. But still quite impressive.
No Albert Heijn though
You haven’t been to Holland, Michigan
💖😳😳😳😳Thank you!
you're welcome
Those Dutch letters look lovely! 😋
OW wow!, never knew about this!.
Do the folks there also speak proper Dutch?.
Some of the elders speak a Dutch dialect of south Guelderish (as that's where a lot of the folks were from), and they may also speak standard Dutch