35 stained-glass windows, created by artists from five generations of the Nicolas family, are a distinctive feature of the Sint-Pancratius Basilica. Tubbergen can be explored through cultural landmarks like these, as well as through walking routes and the surrounding landscape. You can plan your stay around whether you are most interested in architectural history, local remembrance, glass art or walking routes.
Churches and architectural history
The neo-Gothic St Pancratius Church was built in 1896–1897 to a design by Alfred Tepe, beside a west tower dating from the 16th century. The Sint-Pancratius Basilica has 35 stained-glass windows by the Nicolas family; in 2000, Pancratius Church was elevated to the status of a Basilica Minor. Its architecture, glasswork and later ecclesiastical status offer different points of reference when exploring the history of the town.
The Hervormde Kerk offers a different perspective: this simple hall church dates from 1810 and has a small tower above the façade. Its features include a late-Gothic sandstone pulpit from 1519. The dates 1519 and 1810 point to different phases of building and art; they help you view the two churches as distinct historical landmarks rather than grouping them into a single period.
Memorials and local history
On the Tubbergse Esch stands the monument to Mgr. Dr Schaepman, designed by August Falise. It was unveiled on 11 August 1927. Herman Schaepman was born at the Eeshof in 1844. The comparison between these two dates places his birth and the later commemoration in chronological context without conflating their different locations and events.
The motorcycle monument is also part of local remembrance: it stands on a roundabout and refers to the Tubbergen TT. Its inscription bears the names of five people who died in Tubbergen’s road races: three riders and two spectators. The monument thus commemorates not only motorsport but also names the people who died in the races.
The lower part of the Enschede House, also known as the Eeshof, partly dates back to the 18th century. The still-visible ditches at the Eeshof link the Heinemansbeek and the Markgraven. The buildings, waterways and ditches reveal different aspects of the town’s history, giving the Eeshof more than just an architectural point of interest.
Choose walking routes by distance
The Tubberger Esch is an 8-kilometre circular village walk. It starts in the centre of Tubbergen at Raadhuisplein. The Dorpsommetje Tubbergen: Schultenwolde is a 10.5-kilometre walking route. Comparing the two routes by length, there is a difference of 2.5 kilometres between them.
The Dr Schaepman monument also stands on the Tubbergse Esch.
The landscape around Tubbergen
Nearby lies the Hondenven, a geological monument and remnant of an Ice Age pingo. The surrounding cultural landscape offers a different perspective from the buildings in the town: meadows, raised fields and heathland form a mosaic. Hedges, rows of trees and old paths naturally mark the boundaries of the plots. If you would like to include landscape features alongside churches and monuments in your plans, these offer distinct points of interest for exploring the area.
GLASRIJK and its annual edition
GLASRIJK Tubbergen is an international glass art festival in Overijssel, held annually. The event combines glass art exhibitions with workshops, music, guided tours, cycling routes and walking routes. Alongside the town’s enduring architectural and local history, it offers a recurring cultural event with a programme that provides different ways to engage with glass art. For specific travel planning, it is worth checking the dates of the relevant edition.
Discover more destinations: Harbrinkhoek, Vasse, Reutum, Albergen, Geesteren, Mander.
Return to the main travel overview: Tubbergen.
