The preserved buildings at the DRU site bear witness to 250 years of ironworking history; they are industrial monuments. This industrial heritage is a distinctive gateway to Oude Ijsselstreek. Further discoveries lead to museums, works of art, river landscapes and routes—topics you can explore according to your own interests.
Iron and Industrial History
The Nederlands IJzermuseum is spread across two addresses in the DRU Industrial Park: Hutteweg 26 and Hutteweg 32. You can reach it from Doetinchem railway station on Arriva bus route 28 to the Industriepark stop, or from Terborg railway station on the Huntenbus 195B community bus to Ulft. As routes and timetables may change, check the connection before you travel.
The DRU Heritage Media Tour offers a different perspective on the DRU complex. It includes 15 storytelling stations spread throughout the park and takes you past the monumental buildings. You can choose the order in which to visit the stations yourself or follow the suggested order. This lets you explore the stations at your own pace, without being tied to a fixed sequence. Tour details may change, so check the current description before your visit.
Farm History and Hands-On Activities
At the Het Hofshuus farm museum, historical objects tell the story of how people worked and lived on farms in the first half of the 20th century. The Hofshuus itself is a well-preserved farmhouse of the Westphalian hall-house type. Its grounds include gardens and old cultivated plants. The name also reaches far back in time: it derives from the “Den Hoff tho Versevelt” estate complex, which belonged to the Counts of Lohn in Varsseveld and existed in the 13th century.
At the Min40Celsius visitor centre, visitors can dig for bones themselves and try to make fire with flint. Here, doing things with your own hands and trying them out take centre stage; this makes the visit different from exploring historical objects at the Hofshuus.
Routes Through the Landscape and Art
The hiking trail network in Oude Ijsselstreek has nine starting points. Red information boards with a map and route information mark them. From the starting points, you can follow established routes or combine routes of your own. This means you can choose not only from existing trails, but also put together several routes to suit your own preferences.
Engbergen is a river dune on the Oude IJssel and has long been known as a recreational area. It has a dense network of hiking, cycling and horse-riding trails. The Molenroute offers another way to explore the area by bike: it connects five mills via a cycling route based on the numbered junction system. Along the route, Slaege is used as the basis for pure bread and beer. The Oude-IJsselstreekroute passes characteristic castles, centuries-old farmhouses and a tea garden. Rather than offering just one kind of landscape or cultural experience, these routes provide a choice of varied features.
The Ulft–Bocholt cycling route follows quiet roads alongside the water and leads from the DRU Industrial Park industrial monument to Bocholt in Germany. The Silo Art Tour Achterhoek also combines art and activity: you can get up close to its artworks on cycling or walking routes.
By the Water and at Special Places
The Oude IJssel in Oude Ijsselstreek is suitable for rowing or canoeing. Art enthusiasts will find a hyperrealistic artwork on the walls of animal-feed manufacturer Voerwaarts B.V. at the ’t Vriezelerdiekske site in Sinderen; the site is part of the Silo Art Tour Achterhoek. Access conditions at the artwork may vary.
When Huis Landfort is open, visitors can walk on the house’s island or around the Kleine Erve. The kitchen garden, with its 90-metre-long fruit-training wall, and the orchard are also accessible at those times. Check before your visit to see whether the site is open.
Discover more destinations: Varsseveld, Westendorp, Sinderen, Terborg, Breedenbroek, Silvolde, Varsselder, Ulft.
For an overview of the wider region: Gelderland.
