Overijssel: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

Overijssel is characterised by a landscape where water, forests and open spaces lie closely alongside one another. The province has water-rich areas, extensive woodland and expansive floodplains. The landscape also includes forests, heathland, small-scale meadows, extensive raised bogs, lakes and rivers. Weerribben-Wieden is an extensive bog and lake area where water, reeds and history come together.

Nature and water

A distinctive landscape area is De Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park, which is one of the largest contiguous heathland areas in Europe. The routes in the Sallandse Heuvelrug and Twents Reggedal areas lead through forests, across heathland and along the Regge River. They are suitable for hiking, cycling and mountain biking. In the Weerribben-Wieden area, hiking trails lead through the historic centre of Steenwijk, while cycle paths run around the large lakes of De Wieden.

The Informatiecentrum Weerribben is a starting point for trips on a covered excursion boat, a silent boat or a canoe in Weerribben-Wieden National Park. Overijssel also offers outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, horse riding and boating. The various landscapes reveal different sides of the province: expanses of water and reeds lie alongside heathland, forests, meadows and river landscapes.

Enjoy the outdoors

The cycle routes on the Sallandse Heuvelrug are signposted using the cycling junction network. For mountain bike tours, the Mountainbikenetwerk Twente offers more than 700 kilometres of trails on 17 routes through a wooded environment with gentle hills. The visitor centres on the Sallandse Heuvelrug offer maps, routes and dining options and are suitable starting points for a visit. The visitor centres of Landschap Overijssel are also starting points for hikes and cycling tours and provide information about the local nature and history.

Culture, gardens and museums

The cultural heritage includes the 675-year-old Twickel estate, with a castle at the centre of a landscaped park. The Kasteelwandeling around Twickel is a hike of around 4.5 kilometres that passes Schloss Twickel, forests, farmhouses, the Noordmolen and the kitchen garden. The natural areas and forests of the Twickel estate are freely accessible every day from sunrise to sunset.

Museum Natura Docet is located in Denekamp. This family museum allows visitors to encounter unusual animals and explore nature. The Museum Buurtspoorweg in the Twente region of the province of Overijssel showcases an operational light railway from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Visitors can also view a workshop and a goods shed in and around the station. The museum offers a return journey by steam train between Haaksbergen and Boekelo.

Another way to discover history and craftsmanship awaits you at the Nederlands Bakkerijmuseum in Hattem. The museum is housed in four listed buildings connected by a tunnel beneath the road and presents the history of bread and fine pastries. “Broodshows” take place regularly in the museum theatre, where the baker explains the history of bread and demonstrates their skills in working with dough. The Poffertjessalon serves golden-yellow treats prepared according to an old family recipe.

The Rijksmuseum Twenthe presents more than 9,000 state-owned objects in exhibitions and activities and is housed in a listed monument. The Fundatie collection comprises more than 16,000 objects; part of the collection can be seen in Zwolle and Heino. On the roof of Museum de Fundatie in Zwolle stands Marte Röling’s “Dikke vette gouden vredesduif”, which, together with the Wolk, forms a striking feature of the cityscape. Language is also part of the regional culture: Low Saxon is recognised as a regional language in Overijssel and is also a cultural phenomenon.

Hanseatic cities and historic townscapes

The Hanseatic cities in the east of the Netherlands developed into powerful trading centres during the Middle Ages. In Kampen, parts of the city wall and historic city gates have been preserved. The guided tour through the Bergkwartier in Deventer takes visitors back to the old Hanseatic era. The Hanseatic cities along the IJssel and the border lakes offer a historic Hanseatic atmosphere for day trips and longer stays.

More places in Overijssel

Other places in Overijssel include Nutter, Enschede, Dinkelland, Kampen, Zwartewaterland, Olst-Wijhe, Tubbergen, Hellendoorn, Hof Van Twente, Ommen, Raalte, Almelo, Borne, Dalfsen, Deventer, Haaksbergen, Hardenberg, Hengelo, Losser, Oldenzaal, Rijssen-Holten, Staphorst, Steenwijkerland, Twenterand, Wierden and Zwolle.

To the overarching travel overview: Netherlands.