In Overdinkel, you’ll encounter textile history, religious art and smuggling stories passed down from generation to generation. During your stay, you can choose between themed routes, art walks and a guided tour. The activities also differ in format: there are cycling and walking routes, as well as a smuggling tour by electric kart, bringing together historical sites and stories.
Textile history along the route
Near the German border, Overdinkel began to take shape around 1900, when textile manufacturers built homes for textile workers. This local history gives the Losser–Overdinkel–Lonnekerberg Textile Route a concrete connection to the textile industry in Twente. Working life and the development of the town are among the themes you can discover along this landscape and cultural heritage route. Most of the route follows paved cycle paths. If you’re interested in the history of the textile industry, this is a themed way to explore it while cycling.
Church, park and Marian chapel
The religious art in Gerardus Majella Church refers to Gerardus Majella: a stained-glass window depicts him, and paintings portray scenes from his life. Behind the church is Gerardus Majella Park, which invites visitors to stroll and reflect. The 38-kilometre cross-border Overdinkel–Drielandsee cycling route offers another perspective on the park and passes through it.
Every year, on the first Sunday on or after 16 October, the Gerardus Procession takes place in Gerardus Majella Park. This tradition has existed for more than 100 years. The Marian Chapel was built on Hoofdstraat in 2019 to mark the sisters’ 100th anniversary. A statue of Mary had been donated to the Overdinkel community in late 2018. After being restored, it was placed in the purpose-built chapel on 7 April 2019. The church, park and chapel offer different ways to explore the town’s art and religious traditions.
Art walks and specific routes
The WAK walking collection comprises five art walks in Losser, De Lutte and Overdinkel, which can be enjoyed year-round. In Overdinkel, the trails pass by works of art. This means you’ll encounter art not only in the paintings at Gerardus Majella Church, but also along the trails. Tiekenvenneke Overdinkel offers another point of reference for planning a walk: the route is listed in the official walking route list as 7.4 kilometres long, with a stated duration of 1 hour and 51 minutes. The distance and stated duration give you two concrete points of reference for estimating how much time to allow. You can also explore a smugglers’ walking route in Overdinkel.
Smuggling history along the way
Overdinkel is known as a smugglers’ town; stories about its eventful smuggling history have been passed down from generation to generation. One way to explore this theme is the three-hour smuggling tour. It is a guided tour by electric kart through the rural surroundings of Overdinkel and Losser. The route runs close to the border and makes regular stops at historical sites, where the guide shares stories and anecdotes. Unlike a walking or cycling route, the guided experience is part of the activity: it combines the ride with stories at each stop. In Overdinkel, you can therefore choose between routes for independent exploration and a guided introduction to the history of smuggling.
Discover more destinations: De Lutte, Beuningen, Losser
Go to the main travel overview: Losser.
