Discover Coevorden through its star-shaped fortress and the traces it has left in today’s city centre. Museums, a walking tour past historic buildings and a green city park add a range of different themes to this focus. The city’s history can serve as a guiding thread when choosing accommodation; the 61-kilometre cycling route offers a separate option. From Coevorden railway station, you can reach the Stedelijk Museum Coevorden in about seven minutes on foot.

Fortress and street layout

Coevorden’s fortress was built as a seven-pointed star. Its defences included bastions and double moats. Together, these features make its distinctive shape understandable as part of a specific fortress structure. The circular street plan laid out within the fortress is also still clearly visible in the city centre. The historic complex can therefore be traced not only as a single structure, but also in the layout of today’s centre. Anyone interested in urban planning will find a connection here between the fortress and the urban landscape. Kasteel van Coevorden adds a castle to this perspective; it is the only castle in Drenthe.

Buildings, waterways and local history

The Historische Gebouwenwandeling, also known as the Bouwstijlenwandeling, is a city walking tour that takes you past 36 notable buildings in Coevorden. It draws attention to several buildings rather than a single historic landmark. A brochure for the tour is available from the Tourist Info at Het Arsenaal. You can make a walk past the buildings a focus of your visit, exploring urban planning and architecture.

The waterways also connect the history of the fortress with the region: the preserved section of the inner moat links the Coevorden-Almelo Canal and the Stieltjes Canal. Both are very important waterways in southeastern Drenthe. Coevorden’s traditional Ganzenmarkt was revived as a folkloric market in 1962. This historical connection adds the story of a local custom to the architectural themes.

Museums with different focuses

Since 2017, Synagoge museum Coevorden has been housed in the former synagogue at Kerkstraat 36. It tells the story of Jewish life in Drenthe and the surrounding area. The building and its subject go hand in hand: the former synagogue is where the region’s Jewish history is explored.

Museum Thijnhof offers a different focus. Its permanent collection comprises the complete works of Kees Thijn; regular Meet&greets with artists are also held there. The collection gives the museum a clearly defined artistic focus, while the gatherings provide a recurring opportunity to engage with artists. Together with the Stedelijk Museum and Synagoge museum, it offers different perspectives on the cultural history of Coevorden and the surrounding area.

Park and cycling route

Weeshuisweide adds a green city park with walking paths and a wildflower meadow to the built and historical sights. A berceau—a leafy arcade that surrounds the park like a green tunnel—is a distinctive design feature of the grounds.

For a cycling option, Drenthe Periphery Route 5 starts and ends at the Monierweg/Edisonstraat roundabout in Coevorden. The route is 61 km long. Its shared start and finish make it easy to plan as a circular route; the stated distance gives you a concrete guide for planning your day. This gives you a choice between the cultural sights in the city and a cycling route with clearly specified details.

Discover more destinations: Wezup, Oosterhesselen, Wachtum, Zwinderen, Dalen, Wezuperbrug, Meppen, Dalerveen.

For the overview of destinations: Coevorden.