Holiday apartment in Keijenborg: paths, craftsmanship and village history

Keijenborg combines rural paths with an unusually tangible village history. The village developed around Bethlehem Monastery, which was founded in 1457.

Walking routes through fields and village history

On the Klompenpad between Keijenborg and Bekveld, the route passes through centuries-old ash complexes, enclosed one-man kampen, and straight plots in the Broek area that drain into the Grote Beek. The Keijenborgroute is 12 kilometres long and leads through Keijenborg and across ’t Hengelse Gooi. The Gooijschepad is 15 kilometres long and passes the home café of Normaal halfway along the route. For cyclists, the Hengelo-Keijenborg Monument Route connects the villages and rural areas of Hengelo and Keijenborg in an informative way. The different route lengths provide two clearly distinct time frames for planning your day. The informative cycling route complements the walking routes with its own mode of transport and a different perspective on the villages and rural areas of Hengelo and Keijenborg.

Historical traces in Keijenborg

The local architecture includes the Catholic H. Johannes de Doperkerk. The village church was built from 1930 to 1932 to a design by architect Jan Stuyt. Molen van Sloot / De Hoop was built in 1851 as a gallery windmill for grinding grain. From 1952 to 1964, during the Cold War, the remaining part of the mill served as an observation post for the Korps Luchtwachtdienst. Today, this remnant is a Rijksmonument and can be viewed from the public road; it is located at Hengelosestraat 17. The Booltinkcomplex is considered Keijenborg’s oldest historical heritage.

Craftsmanship, festivals and special collections

The Klompenmakershuus is a museum about clog-making craftsmanship in Keijenborg and shows how wooden shoes were made by hand. Old machines, tools and other items from the clog-making trade can be seen there; during demonstrations, you can watch the woodworking. At the starting point of the Gooijschepad, the Klompenmakershuus, there is also an exhibition about this craft. The fair around 24 June and the demonstrations at the Klompenmakershuus have different focuses: one is a village event, while the other shows practical woodworking as a specific local craft. Every year, a fair with a procession takes place in Keijenborg around 24 June, organised by the Schuttersgilde Sint Jan, founded in 1853. The Opel GT Factory houses an Opel GT museum with collectables and an impressive Opel GT collection.

Choose a holiday apartment in Keijenborg to suit your interests

The different route lengths make it easier to plan different days of your holiday: 12 kilometres on the Keijenborgroute, 15 kilometres on the Gooijschepad, or a cycling tour through the villages and rural areas. Complement these routes with the village church, mill remains, museum, fair or Opel GT collection. This allows you to consider whether your stay should focus more on hiking, cycling, regional craftsmanship or historical discoveries when choosing your accommodation.

Other places you can discover: Wichmond, Steenderen, Baak, Toldijk, Zelhem, Halle, Olburgen and Hummelo.

To the overarching travel overview: Bronckhorst.