Keijenborg combines a rural cultural landscape with a layered village history. Paths through the surrounding area, crafts, architecture and historical landmarks give the place its varied character. There are also two hikes with specified distances, a cycling route through the villages, and an annual fair with a procession. This lets you discover Keijenborg according to your interests in landscape, outdoor activities or cultural heritage.
Landscape and routes around Keijenborg
The Klompenpad between Keijenborg and Bekveld passes through centuries-old open-field complexes, enclosed single-farmstead plots and straight parcels in the Broek area. These parcels drain into the Grote Beek. The landscape along the route is therefore shaped by different field patterns.
The 12-kilometre Keijenborgroute runs through Keijenborg and across ’t Hengelse Gooi. The Gooijschepad is 15 kilometres long and passes the home café of Normaal halfway along the route. The Klompenmakershuus has an exhibition about the craft of clog-making. The stated lengths of the two hikes differ by three kilometres.
If you prefer to explore by bike, the Monumentenroute Hengelo-Keijenborg offers an informative route through the villages and rural areas of Hengelo and Keijenborg. It has a different focus from the hikes: the two villages and their rural surroundings take centre stage.
Village history, church and mill remains
Keijenborg developed around Bethlehem Monastery, founded in 1457. The H. Johannes de Doperkerk is the Catholic village church. It was built from 1930 to 1932 to a design by architect Jan Stuyt. Together, the monastery’s foundation and the church’s construction point to different periods in the village’s history.
Molen van Sloot / De Hoop was built in 1851 as a gallery windmill for grinding grain. The remains of the mill are a Rijksmonument and can be viewed from the public road; the address is Hengelosestraat 17. Its later use is also part of the building’s history: during the Cold War, the remains served as an observation post for the Korps Luchtwachtdienst from 1952 to 1964. The Booltinkcomplex is Keijenborg’s oldest historical heritage.
Crafts and collections
The Klompenmakershuus is a museum dedicated to clog-making in Keijenborg, showing how wooden shoes were made by hand. On display are old machines, tools and other objects from the clog-making trade. Visitors can watch woodworking demonstrations. This offers a look beyond the finished wooden shoes, revealing the tools and steps involved in the craft.
The Opel-GT-Museum in the Opel GT Factory offers a different kind of collection, with collector’s items and an impressive Opel GT collection. While the Klompenmakershuus focuses on a craft, this museum is all about the Opel GT.
Annual fair and planning your visit
Keijenborg holds an annual fair with a procession around 24 June. It is organised by the Schuttersgilde Sint Jan, founded in 1853. If you would like to plan your visit around this date, check the dates for the year in question. This keeps the traditional occasion in your plans without assuming that every edition takes place on a fixed date.
Discover more destinations: Wichmond, Baak, Vorden, Steenderen, Toldijk, Halle, Olburgen, Hengelo
For the overview of the wider area: Bronckhorst.
