Winterswijk Kotten combines an old farm landscape with traces of its border history. Small fields, wooded areas and gently rolling terrain shape the landscape; farmsteads, boundary stones and local traditions point to different historical layers. For a stay focused on culture and landscapes, Kotten offers several specific points of interest.

A cultural landscape of fields and wooded areas

In landscape terms, Kotten is part of the old hoevenlandschap, the traditional cultural landscape of historic farmsteads. The fields are small and their patchwork character is further accentuated by vegetation. Extensive wooded features also add to the landscape, including farmstead plantings, forests and small woodlots. The natural microrelief is further accentuated by human use; rolling esch fields and steep slopes are part of it. The contrast between small fields and extensive wooded features helps put Kotten’s landscape into perspective: it is neither just open farmland nor defined solely by forest. The varied landscape is ideal for walking and cycling.

Farmsteads from different periods

Two protected farmsteads provide specific examples of the area’s architectural history. Oossink, at Burloseweg 44, is an old farmstead protected as a Rijksmonument and dated to 1792. De Snieder is also protected as a Rijksmonument and is a Saxon-style farmstead; its present cross-wing form dates from the late 19th century. The dates refer to different things: Oossink’s farmstead is dated, while the date for De Snieder refers to the present form of its cross wing. This distinguishes the dating of an entire farmstead from that of a particular building section.

Border history and early settlement

The year 1766 is central to Kotten’s border history: that was when the present-day border was definitively established. Boundary stones made of Bentheim sandstone have been preserved as evidence. The date refers to the establishment of the border; the sandstone identifies the material of the surviving boundary markers. A different kind of division is symbolised by Kotten’s liberty tree: it represents the four traditional corners of the buurtschap, known in Dutch as “heuke.” While the boundary stones mark the border, the tree points to this traditional division.

Settlement in the area dates back further. A settlement existed along the Slingebeek in Kotten as early as around 300 BC; urn finds are among the evidence of this early settlement. Kotten’s past also includes a history of smuggling: it was once an important link in the smuggling route between Winterswijk and Oeding in Germany. These two details offer different historical perspectives—a settlement along the stream and a cross-border connection between the two places.

Cider made from local fruit

Cider-making is another local feature. CiderAtelier in Kotten produces artisanal cider from natural ingredients. The fruit comes from its own orchard and from orchards in the immediate vicinity. The fruit therefore comes not only from its own orchard but also from the surrounding area.

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