The spire of Sambeek

The 50-meter-high Sint Janstoren, in the middle of Sambeek, catches the eye.

Construction of the tower began in 1486. It took until 1532 before construction was completed. In a lightning strike in 1702, the spire and church roof went up in flames. The tower was restored in 1738 and the church in 1804. In 1944, the German occupiers tried twice -fruitlessly- to blow up the tower. The church, however, was so badly damaged that it had to be demolished. The contours of the lost church can be seen in the square in front of the tower. In 1953, a new church arose next to the site of the old one.