Steenwijk offers two main areas to explore when planning a trip: the city’s history, seen in its buildings and museums, and the surrounding landscape and trails. In the city, you’ll find a three-aisled Gothic hall church, the Art Nouveau Villa Rams Woerthe, two museums and ramparts that are still visible. Around Steenwijk, there are cycling and hiking routes, as well as a changing landscape of hills, lakes and marshes. You can weigh up the city’s cultural attractions and the wider area’s landscapes as separate elements of your trip.

Church, Organ and Tower

Steenwijk’s Grote or Sint-Clemenskerk is a three-aisled Gothic hall church. Three aisles divide the church interior; the term “hall church” adds further context about its architectural form. The organ in the Grote Kerk in Steenwijk dates from 1860 and is the largest instrument built by Petrus van Oeckelen. The church and organ thus combine an architectural perspective on the interior’s layout with a cultural-historical artefact that has a precise date. The Steenwiekertoorn church tower is 86 metres high, adding a specific measurement to the town’s architectural landmarks.

Villa Rams Woerthe and Museums

Villa Rams Woerthe dates from 1899 and is an architectural example of Art Nouveau heritage associated with Jan Hendrik Trompmeesters. Since 2007, the Hildo Krop Museum has been housed in the villa; it displays a special collection of works by Hildo Krop. The Steenwijk City Museum is located in a distinctive 19th-century building at Markt 64. The two museums also differ in their architectural settings: a collection of Hildo Krop’s works in an Art Nouveau villa and a city museum in a 19th-century building.

City History on Foot and as an Audio Tour

The still-visible ramparts of the historic city centre date from the 15th century and offer a glimpse of an older chapter in the city’s history. The “Verhalen uit de Kop” audio tour leads through Steenwijk and accompanies visitors with the historical figure Johan van den Kornput, the hero of Steenwijk. Alongside the buildings and ramparts, it offers a storytelling approach centred on a specific historical figure. The Vestingroute Steenwijk is a 2.2-kilometre walking route. If you want to distinguish between the options by format, you can think of the audio tour as a storytelling experience and the Vestingroute as a walking route with a specified length.

Landscape, Cycling and Hiking Routes

Around the fortified town of Steenwijk, the landscape ranges from rolling hills reminiscent of Limburg to the lakes and marshes of Weerribben and Wieden. In Steenwijkerland, higher-lying areas of woodland, heath and sand are within cycling and walking distance of the lower-lying areas of Weerribben and Wieden. These details combine a contrast between landscapes with a practical way to explore them by bike or on foot. Cycling and hiking routes around Steenwijk also include trails along the De Eese estate. Alongside the city’s cultural attractions, routes and landscapes are another focus to consider when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Blokzijl, Sint Jansklooster, Belt-Schutsloot, Paasloo, Kalenberg, Ossenzijl, Kallenkote, Giethoorn

For the wider travel overview: Steenwijkerland.