The Solse Gat

In the middle of the Veluwe - in the forest between Putten, Garderen and Drie - lies the Solse gat: a large pit between the hills.

The Solse hole owes its name to the Germanic sun god Sol, who was worshipped by the Germanic population who lived in the vicinity of the hole at that time. In the Solse Gat they offered fruit

According to popular legend, a mighty monastery with many towers once stood on this site. The legend goes that monks in the nearby monastery were in league with the devil. They led a life of excess and opulence. In the middle of the night, the black mass was read in which all the witches and ghosts from the area participated. Wine was drunk from buckets, and abundant meals were served throughout the night. The devil made sure that the supply never ran out and he mixed the wine himself. There was dancing, singing and cursing until the early morning.

During a thunderstorm, the earth would have opened up and the monastery would have disappeared into the ground. A footnote states the following.

Until the 19th century, the Solsche fair was held on this spot, which was banned by the government after years of drunken man scenes and knife pulling. From Germanic times it was a place of meeting. It is known that churches or monasteries were often built in places where pagan religious ceremonies were previously held.

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