Water, reeds and vast expanses of heathland give Overijssel its varied character. Water-rich areas, extensive forests and floodplains are part of the landscape, along with small meadows, raised bogs, lakes and rivers. If you want to combine nature and culture, you’ll find a range of themes for your trip: wetland and lake landscapes, routes through forests and heathland, and places to discover regional history and art.
Water landscapes and routes through nature
Weerribben-Wieden is an expansive wetland and lake area where water, reeds and history come together. In Weerribben-Wieden National Park, the Weerribben Information Centre is a starting point for trips on a covered excursion boat, an electric whisper boat or a canoe. If you’d rather spend your time on foot or by bike, hiking trails lead through the historic centre of Steenwijk, while cycling routes run around the large lakes of De Wieden. For trips and routes, it’s worth checking the latest local information.
The Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park offers a different landscape: it is one of Europe’s largest contiguous heathland areas. Routes in the Sallandse Heuvelrug and Twents Reggedal area lead through forests, across heathland and along the River Regge; they are suitable for hiking, cycling and mountain biking. Cycling routes on the Sallandse Heuvelrug are signposted using a junction network. The Twente mountain bike network covers more than 700 kilometres across 17 routes through a wooded landscape of gentle hills; access and seasonal restrictions may change.
Visitor centres on the Sallandse Heuvelrug offer maps, routes and places to eat, and make good starting points for a visit. The visitor centres run by Landschap Overijssel also serve as starting points for walks and cycle rides and provide information about local nature and history. Check the latest information about facilities and routes before planning your visit.
An estate, a castle and a circular walk
A castle stands at the centre of a landscaped park on the 675-year-old Twickel Estate. The 4.5-kilometre Kasteelwandeling trail loops around the castle, passing through forests and by farms, the Noordmolen and the kitchen garden. The estate’s natural areas and forests are freely accessible every day from sunrise to sunset; check the latest local information for route details. This is a way to connect the estate’s history with a specific walk through its landscape.
Hanseatic history, museums and special collections
In the eastern Netherlands, Hanseatic cities grew into powerful trading centres during the Middle Ages. The Hanseatic cities along the IJssel and the border lakes offer a historic Hanseatic atmosphere for day trips and longer visits. Parts of the city walls and historic gates have been preserved in Kampen. The city has around 500 listed monuments, museums and other attractions. In Deventer, a guided tour of the Bergkwartier takes you back to the city’s Hanseatic past; check in advance when the tour takes place.
Museums also offer very different ways to discover the region. Museum Natura Docet in Denekamp is a family museum where visitors can encounter unusual animals and explore nature. A mammoth skeleton is also on display. The Wonderkamers are home to a special collection to discover. Museum Buurtspoorweg in the Twente region presents a working narrow-gauge railway operation from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A return journey by steam train between Haaksbergen and Boekelo is available; visitors can also see a workshop and a goods shed in and around the station. Operating days and timetables vary by season.
In Hattem, the Nederlands Bakkerijmuseum tells the story of bread and fine pastries. It is housed in four listed buildings connected by a tunnel beneath the street. At regular “Broodshows”, the baker explains the history of bread and demonstrates how to work with dough; exact dates may vary. The Poffertjessalon serves golden-brown treats made from an old family recipe.
For art lovers, Rijksmuseum Twenthe presents more than 9,000 state-owned objects in exhibitions and activities; it is housed in a listed building. The works span the Middle Ages to the present day and include paintings, sculptures, drawings, everyday objects and a doll’s house with silver objects. The De Fundatie collection comprises more than 16,000 objects, some of which can be seen in Zwolle and Heino. On the roof of Museum de Fundatie in Zwolle stands Marte Röling’s “Dikke vette gouden vredesduif”; together with the Wolk, it shapes the cityscape. A large oval window in the new part of the museum also offers a view of the historic city centre. Language is part of the region’s cultural diversity too: Nedersaksisch is recognised as a regional language in Overijssel and is also a cultural phenomenon.
Discover more destinations: Nutter, Enschede, Dinkelland, Kampen, Zwartewaterland, Olst-Wijhe, Tubbergen, Hellendoorn, Hof Van Twente, Ommen, Raalte, Almelo, Borne, Dalfsen, Deventer, Haaksbergen, Hardenberg, Hengelo, Losser, Oldenzaal, Rijssen-Holten, Staphorst, Steenwijkerland, Twenterand, Wierden, Zwolle.
See the overview of destinations: Netherlands.
