Discover Ommen: Vecht, Culture and Trails

Ommen combines the history of a town on the Vecht with a wide range of opportunities for active and culturally minded days out. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home can easily tailor their priorities to the experiences available locally: local history and museums, paths through the countryside, a bike ride through several eras or a child-friendly themed trail.

Town History and Museum Experiences

Ommen was granted town rights in 1248. In 1492, Hessel Mulert received permission to build a bridge over the Vecht. The former bridge house is also part of the town’s history: it was built in 1532 on the site where the old town hall now stands. These historical connections give a walk through Ommen a distinctive thematic framework, without requiring you to limit yourself to a single attraction.

The Ommen Historical Museum is located in the Den Oordt mill and a former customs house. The collection includes traditional clothing, jewellery and everyday objects from the 19th and 20th centuries. A permanent exhibition on Kamp Erika also displays a model of the camp, as well as a site plan showing the original and present-day situation. For your holiday, this means that even with a cultural focus, there are different ways to engage with history – from everyday objects to confronting the history of a former camp site.

The Vecht, Nature and Trails

Ommen lies on the banks of the Vecht. The riverbank is recommended as a place for picnics by the water and can therefore provide a more peaceful contrast to longer excursions. Ommen and the surrounding area also have an extensive network of hiking trails with numerous walking routes. The Krishnamurti walking route officially begins at Ommen railway station. Anyone wishing to plan a tour specifically from a known starting point can include this starting point in their daily itinerary.

The Lemelerberg is located nearby, a protected Natura 2000 area with dry heathland and woodland. It also has a fully paved wheelchair-accessible path. This specific path is a useful consideration if you want to take the condition of the route into account when choosing your excursions.

Bike Tours and Experiences for Children

Cyclists can use the cycle network in the Vechtdal to explore the area. A particularly distinctive option is the “Tijdreis van het Oerrund” cycle route. It is more than 60 km long, runs between Hardenberg and Varsen (Ommen) and passes through three historical eras. The route length should be taken into account when planning your day. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a designated adventure trail for children, you will find the Piratenpad in the Laarbos in Ommen, a children’s trail with a pirate theme.

The variety of activities makes accommodation in Ommen appealing if you do not want to plan culture and nature separately. You can combine a museum day with time spent by the Vecht, choose a hiking route or make a cycling or children’s trail the focus of your day. When looking for a holiday apartment in Ommen, consider above all which experiences should define your trip; this does not imply specific distances or amenities for individual accommodations.

Other Places in the Surrounding Area

If you would like to consider other places alongside Ommen when planning your trip, you can find Stegeren, Dalmsholte, Giethmen, Arrien, Beerzerveld, Vilsteren, Beerze and Lemele here.

To the higher-level travel overview: Ommen.