Holiday Apartment in Kampen – Culture, Reevediep and Kampereiland

Kampen showcases its history in museums, historic buildings and traditional crafts – as well as in the open landscapes of Reevediep and Kampereiland. This brings together cultural discoveries, a maritime past and distinctive natural areas.

Culture

The Stedelijk Museum Kampen is housed in Kampen’s former town hall. Its collection comprises more than 8,300 objects and covers, among other things, life along the IJssel. One of the museum’s highlights is the Schepenzaal, dating from 1545. The Ikonenmuseum Kampen also combines exhibitions with architectural history: it presents the permanent collection of the Alexander Stichting, while the museum itself is housed in a historic monastery that was once part of the Friars Minor convent. The Ikonenmuseum is a five-minute walk from Kampen railway station.

The Bovenkerk is known for its beautiful acoustics and regularly hosts concerts. Group tours of the Bovenkerk are available throughout the year. Kampen also offers guided city walks with an experienced guide. The Inspiratieroute Kampen runs year-round past studios, galleries and other creative venues in Kampen’s historic city centre.

History and Crafts

The Kamper Kogge stands at the freely accessible Koggewerf: it is a reconstruction of a medieval cargo ship based on a wreck dating from around 1334. A guided tour of the Koggewerf and the Kamper Kogge can be arranged by appointment. The Ambachtelijke Route introduces visitors to active traditional crafts and historic monuments that recall the history of trade and shipping.

The agricultural past is visible in various ways. At Erf-1, its own milk is processed by hand into dairy products such as yoghurt and butter. The Erf 29 Museum Farm shows how farms on Kampereiland were run 100 years ago. It is housed in a 19th-century Saxon-style hall farmhouse standing on a dwelling mound.

The Kampen Beer Museum is housed in a restored building dating from 1440. In the garden hall, visitors can enjoy medieval beer. D'Olde Zwarver is the only working grain mill in the municipality of Kampen. Here, visitors can follow the entire process from grain to flour; volunteer millers show them how the mill’s components work together.

De Nieuwe Toren is a listed monument approximately three and a half centuries old and a bell tower with a carillon. The tower can be climbed by appointment. There are 163 steps leading up to a height of approximately 65 metres.

Nature

Kampereiland is a continuous meadow landscape made up of outer polders. It is characterised by its natural assets, cultural-historical significance and geological history. In the Reevediep, large groups of black-tailed godwits and other wading birds use the landscape for roosting and foraging.

The southern part of the Reevediep is accessible only via a walking and cycling path. Between Lake Drontermeer and the IJssel, the Reevediep has a navigation channel for recreational boating. Here, the landscape, wildlife and waterways are clearly interconnected, without the individual areas losing their own function.

Getting Around

The routes through Kampen lead to different sides of the town: city walks explore the historic city centre with a guide, the Inspiratieroute connects studios, galleries and other creative venues, while the Ambachtelijke Route links traditional crafts and historic monuments with the history of trade and shipping. On Kampereiland, by contrast, the meadow landscape of the outer polders takes centre stage; at the Reevediep, walking and cycling paths and the navigation channel for recreational boating are also part of the experience.

For further exploration, direct links to local destinations lead to Kampen, Kamperveen, Zalk, Grafhorst and IJsselmuiden. Additional links are available to Dinkelland, Wierden and Enschede.

For the overarching travel overview: Overijssel.