Paasloo combines church and literary history with a cultural landscape of rolling terrain and wooded banks. For planning your trip, there are two distinct perspectives: the historic traces at the church and cemetery, and the Landwehr and paths through the landscape. There are also signposted walking routes and two cycle routes with different points of reference. This lets you decide in advance whether Paasloo interests you primarily for its cultural history, its landscape, or a combination of the two.
Cultural history at the church and cemetery
Paasloo’s church began as a 13th-century chapel and was elevated to a church in 1336. It was designated a national monument in 1965. The organ is also part of its history: the single-manual organ was built in 1920 by the P. van Dam company. Together, these dates form a timeline from medieval origins to the 20th century. Its designation as a national monument marks a later milestone in the history of the building.
Paasloo also has a specific connection to literary history. The village cemetery is the final resting place of the poet J.C. Bloem. Clara Eggink was buried in the same cemetery in 1991. Those interested in literary traces will find a shared connection to both names here; the church and cemetery offer different points of connection to the cultural heritage.
Landwehr and shaped landscape
Landweer Paasloo is a point of interest on the “Van Landweer tot pingoruïne, fietsen over de stuwwal” cycle route. The old Landwehr also has a more recent history: in 2017, residents who had joined together in the Grensvisie Blesdijke Paasloo foundation planted new thorny vegetation along it. The landscape’s history therefore includes both the historic structure and a specific renewal project.
Paasloo lies about 7 metres above sea level on a push moraine formed during the Ice Age. The village landscape includes rolling terrain and farmland divided by wooded banks rather than ditches. Residents created these wooded banks as earth embankments with dense shrub cover to keep grazing livestock within the fields. The landscape was shaped by the Ice Age and then further shaped by the wooded banks created by residents.
Planning walking and cycling routes
The Paasloo walking trail starting point at Binnenweg 121 offers two signposted routes. They range in length from 5.8 to 10.4 kilometres. This gives you a specific choice of distance; plan your route around the time you have set aside for your walking day. As route details can change, check the latest information before setting off.
Another cycling option is the “Fietsroute met liefde voor tuinen” (Cycling route with a love of gardens). It starts at the car park by Paasloo church on Binnenweg, between junctions 03 and 20. This gives you a second clearly specified starting point for route planning, in addition to the route that features the Landwehr. Check the latest access information before taking this tour. The walking routes can be compared by distance; for the two cycling routes, the Landwehr and the starting point by the church are the specific reference points instead.
You can consider these highlights separately during your stay: the church and cemetery represent the cultural heritage, while the wooded banks and Landwehr are part of the shaped landscape. The walking routes have set distances, while the cycling routes are identified by their respective points of reference. This makes it easy to choose Paasloo based on the themes you want to prioritise when planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Ossenzijl, Giethoorn, Sint Jansklooster, Steenwijkerwold, Blokzijl, Wanneperveen, Steenwijk, De Bult
For the general travel overview: Steenwijkerland.
