Get to know Rouveen through its landscape, local history and craftsmanship. De Olde Maten is known for an unusual field pattern, the church for a history spanning several locations, and Staphorster Stipwerk for a traditional textile technique. The routes also offer different highlights: a 12.0-kilometre walking route and a cycling route with a short detour to the church and cemetery. These themes offer different starting points for shaping your stay around your own interests.
Landscape and Routes
De Olde Maten is one of the few areas where the characteristic long, narrow plots have largely been preserved. This field pattern is itself a defining feature of the landscape: the plots are elongated yet narrow. Those interested in rural landscapes will find a tangible way to explore the area’s structure here.
In 2014, De Olde Maten was completely redeveloped as a new nature area, so that plants and animals that had disappeared could quietly recolonise the former agricultural land. The redevelopment links the area’s development to a clear ecological aim.
The Olde Maten walking route starts at the car park by Veldschuur Bid en Werk, Wijkweg 2, 7954 HP Rouveen. This provides a specific starting point and address for the route.
Rondje De Streek – Rouveen is a 12.0-kilometre walking route. The cycling route “Kleurrijk Staphorst & omgeving” offers a different kind of route information: at junction 10, it takes a short detour to Rouveen’s church and cemetery. The walking route has a stated total distance, while the cycling route focuses on a particular detour and its junction. This makes it easy to distinguish between the two options based on the tour details provided.
Church and Craftsmanship
Today’s Hervormde Kerk in Rouveen was built in 1641 in Monnikenslag. Earlier church sites were near the present-day Scholenweg and at Olde Pad. The church is a rectangular hall church with a fairly tall tower. This offers two complementary ways to view the building: its design and the history of its locations.
Staphorster Stipwerk is part of the cultural heritage of Staphorst and Rouveen. This traditional craft uses stamps to apply multicoloured patterns to fabric; the stamps are dipped in colour beforehand. The technique itself explains what Stipwerk is all about: colour, stamps and textiles combine to create the pattern. This tradition offers a tangible way to engage with regional culture, alongside the architectural traces of the church’s history.
De Veldschuur and the Water Playground
De Veldschuur in Rouveen was rebuilt in 2005 and serves as an educational information centre for the region’s nature, culture, history and archaeology. The centre brings several subject areas together in one place. Its focus complements insights into the landscape and local history with a broad regional perspective on culture and archaeology.
De Veldschuur also has a natural water playground for families, set amid greenery. It is a family-oriented attraction in its own right, alongside the information centre.
Discover more destinations: Ijhorst, Staphorst.
Go to the main travel overview: Staphorst.
