Holiday apartment in Sint Jansklooster – Nature, Water and Living Tradition

A holiday apartment in Sint Jansklooster is a good base if you would like to combine nature experiences, regional history and special events. De Wieden is a wetland area covering more than 6,000 hectares in the Kop van Overijssel region.

De Wieden by Boat, Trail and Water

The De Wieden visitor centre is located in the first farm on the Beulakerpad in Sint Jansklooster. There you can obtain information about routes and boat trips. Boat trips accompanied by foresters or nature guides travel through De Wieden in open electric whisper boats. This allows you to experience the wetland landscape from a perspective that is clearly different from a walk or cycle ride.

There are also specific points of interest for a shorter stay. OERRR Speelnatuur De Wieden offers hut building, mud, water and a barefoot trail. The Vlonderpad at the De Wieden visitor centre is a short 1 km loop trail over floating land. The De Wieden visitor centre and one of its walking trails are accessible to wheelchair users.

Water Tower and Cultural-Historical Routes

The Sint Jansklooster water tower was built in 1931–1932 and officially opened as a viewing tower in 2014. A wooden staircase leads upwards; from a height of 45 metres, it offers views across De Wieden.

For cyclists, the cultural-historical cycle route through De Wieden begins at the De Wieden visitor centre in Sint Jansklooster. In addition, the Waterbus connects Sint Jansklooster with Giethoorn and Blokzijl twice a day during the May holidays through to and including September. These documented connections may play a role in planning your individual outings if you would like to combine different places and landscape experiences during your stay.

Monastery History, Windmill and Festivals

The Muur van Sint Jansklooster is the last tangible remnant of the Sint Janskamp monastery, founded in 1399 by the blind monk Johannes van Ommen. Another landmark building is the Monnikenmolen, a fully restored octagonal Dutch smock windmill in Sint Jansklooster. The mill continues to grind grain into flour. Pancakes made with flour from the mill are served at the Monnikenmolen visitor centre.

The events calendar adds its own traditions. The Bloemencorso Sint Jansklooster takes place every year on the third Friday in August. Thirteen or fourteen floats travel through Sint Jansklooster; since 2000, the Bloemencorso has been presented as a theatre parade. The Kloostermarkt has taken place every year on King's Day in Sint Jansklooster since 1978. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, these fixed dates may be just as important when choosing your travel period as nature or cycling experiences.

The Right Holiday Apartment for Your Holiday Plans

The verified sights highlight several possible focal points for your stay: De Wieden with boat trips and the Vlonderpad, the water tower with its views across the wetland, the cultural-historical cycle route, as well as the windmill, pancakes and traditional festivals. Families can combine different interests, such as active trails, playful nature experiences and cultural discoveries. When searching for a holiday apartment in Sint Jansklooster, it is therefore worth deciding first whether nature, water, local history, seasonal events or a combination of these should shape your holiday.

More Destinations for Planning Your Trip

If you would like to consider other destinations in addition to Sint Jansklooster, here is a compact selection: Blokzijl, Wanneperveen, Kalenberg, De Bult, Ossenzijl, Kallenkote, Paasloo and Vollenhove.

For the overarching travel overview: Steenwijkerland.