Bocholtz

Bocholtz () is a town in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is a part of the municipality of Simpelveld, and lies about 7 km southwest of Kerkrade. Until 1982, it was a separate municipality.
In January 2007, Bocholtz had 5,573 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.76 km², and contained 1,810 residences.
History.
Bocholtz dates back to the Roman era. A Roman villa was found in the Vlengendaal, a street of Bocholtz, in 1911. A farmer plowing his land found a Roman sarcophagus in October 2003.
Architecture and buildings.
Castle De Bongard.
The Castle De Bongard dates from the 16th century. The current building only represents 1/4 of the original building. The rest was destroyed during the invasion by the French during the Napoleonic Wars.
Hoeve Overhuizen.
Hoeve Overhuizen is a fortified farm with roots dating back as far as the 13th century.
From 2015 Rabobank moves in after redecorating the interior of the building to make it their regional headquarters.
Church.
The James the Greater Church was built between 1869 and 1873 by architect Pierre Cuypers. While expanding the church in 1953, they found the remains of a building from the late medieval period. The patron saint is St. James, son of Zebedee.
Regional language.
Bocholtz is part of the Netherlands and therefore the official language is Dutch. A lot of people also speak Bocholtzer, a regional language that depending of the definition belongs to Ripuarian or Limburgish. It is also referred to as Southeast Limburgish.