More than 5,000 different plant species grow in the Priona Gardens, while the chapel and war memorials tell the story of Schuinesloot’s past. Garden art, landscape and memorial sites offer different starting points for planning a trip—from organically managed gardens to the local history of the Second World War.

Priona Gardens: Garden Art and Cuisine

The Priona Gardens were designed in the late 1970s by Henk Gerritsen and Anton Schlepers, who trained as artists. More than 5,000 different plant species grow in the gardens. They are managed organically, without pesticides or artificial fertilisers. Both the artistic background to the design and the way the gardens are maintained are among the site’s distinctive features.

The connection between gardens and cuisine can be seen at Restaurant De Tuinkamer, where head chef Alwin Leemhuis prepares a special weekly menu featuring flowers and plants from the Priona Gardens. If you plan to include this culinary experience in your stay, check the current menu in advance.

Kavelbos and Nature in the Vechtdal

Kavelbos is one of several narrow strips of woodland established during land consolidation in the 1970s. Deer, hares and numerous bird species find shelter there. Frogs and toads live in the ponds, while wildflowers and young trees grow along the edges. This landscape reveals a different side of nature from the designed plant diversity of the Priona Gardens: here, woodland strips, ponds and habitats for animals shape the scene.

Schuinesloot is one of the sub-areas of the Vechtdal nature area. Together with Kavelbos, it also helps place the landscape within the context of the area’s identity. Those interested in nature can consider it as a focus alongside garden art, without treating the two sites as if they were the same.

From the Name of a Waterway to Village History

The historic Schuinsche Sloot was created as a branch of the Hoofdvaart door Lutten to open up the Lutterveld from Slagharen. Another strand of the area’s history lies in the village’s name: the ribbon village was given the name Schuinesloot in the 1970s. The name comes from the Schuine Sloot waterway to the south, which has since been filled in. These two historical connections show how waterways and landscapes can live on in place and field names.

The Dutch Reformed chapel also connects different periods in time. It was built in 1916 on the site of what was still Schuinesloot’s last sod hut around 1900. Its prominent location in the village centre makes it a notable landmark. During the Second World War, Pastor Frederik Slomp, known as Frits de Zwerver, hid in Schuinesloot. The chapel, traces of the earlier settlement and wartime history thus complement one another as different aspects of the local past.

Memorial Sites and Seasonal Activities

The Schuinesloot war memorial commemorates nine crew members of two bombers that crashed in the village in 1941 and 1942, respectively. It stands on a grassy strip beside the car park near the Dutch Reformed chapel on Schuineslootweg. Another memorial site on Kikkertsveldweg has an information board about the crash of a British Lancaster bomber. Those interested in the history of the air war will find two specific points of historical interest here, each with its own location.

Seasonal activities are also part of village life. During frosty periods, volunteers from the Nooit Gedacht association make sure the Schuinesloot ice rink is accessible. The Sloot'n Run is an obstacle course with a children’s route and an adults’ route; check the dates if you are planning to take part. In the summer months, you can play on four beach volleyball courts by the ice rink. Check local availability in advance if you plan to use them.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Hardenberg.