Holiday apartment in Olst-Wijhe: IJssel, country estates and nature

Olst-Wijhe begins with an unusual testimony to more recent history: the IJssellinie is a tangible monumental defensive work from the Cold War that has been opened to the public for educational and recreational purposes. Between the IJssel, country estates, villages and natural areas, different aspects of a Dutch river landscape come together here.

Culture

Kasteel het Nijenhuis is one of the best-preserved noble residences in Overijssel. Visitors can explore the castle, café, sculpture garden and terrace. The sculpture garden contains 100 works from the collections of Museum de Fundatie, Museum Beelden aan Zee and the province of Overijssel. Another literary trail leads to the Groot Hoenlo house: Harry Mulisch wrote the novel “The Discovery of Heaven” there.

Kasteel De Haere also combines historical depth with paths through the landscape. The castle was first mentioned in 1329, while the present-day havezate was built in 1559. In Olst stands the Dorpskerk, a single-nave Gothic building from the second half of the 13th century. The vaults of its choir still feature Late Gothic wall paintings. The Dorpskerk Olst and its tower were listed in 1971 as Rijksmonumenten, meaning national monuments of the Netherlands. In Wijhe, the Nicolaaskerk dates from the 14th century; wall paintings were uncovered there during restoration work in 1983.

Bökkers Mölle offers a combination of craftsmanship, baking tradition and gastronomy, with a mill, bakery and brasserie. The present windmill structure dates from 1895.

Country estates and nature

Landgoed Hoenlo covers 145 hectares. The land is used for agriculture, woodland and nature. The estate is open to visitors, but the park and house are not accessible. Landgoed De Haere is located on the IJsseldijk between Olst and Deventer, thereby forming a clear geographical connection with the river landscape.

Around the Fortmond brickworks lies freely accessible Struinnatuur, meaning nature where visitors can roam freely. In the Duursche Waarden, visitors can follow a boot trail between the birdwatching hut and the observation tower. The Duursche Waarden is a nature reserve where nature can largely develop independently. During a walk there, visitors can see Scottish Highland cattle and Shetland ponies at close range.

The Infocentrum IJssel Den Nul has a permanent exhibition about water management, cultural history, and the flora and fauna along the IJssel. The area near the brickworks also includes the Kozakkenveer, a pedestrian and bicycle ferry on the Fortmonderweg in the nature area. It can only be used on foot or by bicycle.

Hiking and cycling

The IJssellinie can be explored on a self-guided hike along various objects, beginning at the Hospitaalbunker in Olst. Another self-guided hike along various IJssellinie objects also leads to a concreted-in Firefly Sherman tank. Those who want to connect country estates by bike can use the Landgoederen cycling route; it begins and ends at Kasteel De Haere.

The Hazepad hiking routes from De Haere and Nieuw Rande have been digitized and can be downloaded to a phone or printed. The Hazepad story cycling route runs through forests and natural areas, past meadows, farms and country estates, and along the IJssel.

The Olst-Wijhe hiking route is 24.8 kilometers long. Olst railway station is listed as the starting point; the route can be joined at any desired hiking junction. The shorter variant from Olst to Wijhe is approximately 11 kilometers long. From Wijhe, you can take the train back to Olst. The municipality of Olst-Wijhe offers diverse cycling landscapes along the IJssel, with ferry crossings, floodplains and the 12 village centers of Olst-Wijhe.

If you are considering a holiday apartment in Olst-Wijhe or another type of accommodation, you can compare the individual listing pages. Before booking, pay attention to the exact location, type of accommodation, occupancy, included services, price components, and booking and cancellation conditions.

Places in Olst-Wijhe

The linked places include Olst, Wijhe, Welsum and Wesepe.

For the higher-level travel overview: Overijssel.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Wierden, Rijssen-Holten, Staphorst, Hellendoorn.