Bredevoort: Discover the Book Town, Windmill and Culture

Bredevoort is a fortified small town and former lordship (Heerlijkheid), where history, books, art and landscape each offer a different focus. Since 27 August 1993, the town has been the National Book Town, the Nationale Boekenstad. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Bredevoort, you can combine cultural discoveries with walks, active routes and a summer stay by the water.

Historical Sites and Cultural Discoveries

One of the town’s defining historic structures is the Prins van Oranje windmill. It is a Waldkorn windmill and was built in 1870 after the original windmill burned down two years earlier. The windmill stands on the former Welgemoed bastion. This makes Bredevoort’s historical character visible in a specific building.

The Koppelkerk is a central venue for art and culture in Bredevoort. The former church building hosts changing exhibitions, concerts and readings, as well as an atmospheric book café; its programme brings together art, books and in-depth engagement. Numerous works by sculptor Thorvald Dudok van Heel can be seen at various locations in Bredevoort. In the historic atmosphere of the Sint Joriskerk in the heart of Bredevoort, a variety of classical concerts take place each year during the autumn and winter season.

Bredevoort for Your Holiday Apartment: Landscape and Routes

Bredevoort is located in the 22,000-hectare Nationaal Landschap Winterswijk. In the town, Vestingpark St. Bernardus features a changing park on Bredevoort’s former demolished defensive ramparts. You can take a walk around the Grote Gracht. In the De Ambtshof herb garden, a seat among fragrant herbs offers a place to pause after a walk through the town.

East of Bredevoort lies Slingeplas, a recreational lake with a sandy beach and sunbathing lawns where you can enjoy spending time in summer. The main entrance to the recreational area is also a Toeristisch Overstappunt (TOP), a Tourist Transfer Point; various tourist cycling, walking and skating routes start there. A new access path created in 2023 connects ’t Zand with Vestingpark Sint Bernardus. So if you are looking for a holiday apartment in Bredevoort, you can weigh up cultural moments in town, a summer day at Slingeplas and routes for cycling, walking or skating as your preferred focus.

Events and Guided Discoveries

Bredevoort Schittert is celebrated every year at the end of September and lasts three days. Thousands of lanterns illuminate the medieval streets, with light, music, theatre and art taking centre stage. From April to October, various guided tours of Bredevoort take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2 p.m.

When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home in Bredevoort, these different focuses can help structure your decision: books and exhibitions, historic buildings, walks, water, or cycling, walking and skating routes. This creates room for different daily rhythms for groups with varied interests, without requiring you to commit to just one type of excursion.

Other places to include in your travel planning are Ijzerlo, Dinxperlo and Aalten.

Return to the higher-level travel overview: Aalten.