Fun things to do in Provincie Overijssel

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Every year end June or beginning July you can hear the African rythms in the countryside of the province Overijssel during two days. In 2005 was allready the 17th Africa Festival in the open air theatre of Hertme.

I don't know how many times I allready visited this festival, but at least the last ten years I was a regular visitor..

The program has all elements the African continent has to offer ...from traditional music with dance, masks, acrobatism to modern music.

The musicians and dancers come form all corners of the continent. In 2005 there were groups from Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia, Niger, Senegal and Kongo.

Except music and dance there are many stalls with African products and delicous Affrican food.

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In the Kop of Overijssel you will find a wonderful landscape of lakes as result of the digging of peat. For the transport of peat waterways and canals were dugged out.

In this area along one of the canals the village Giethoorn was founded in 1230. The houses in the village, built on little islands, can only be reached by narrow bridges. These characteristic wooden bridges make Giethoorn, the green Venice of the north, so unique.

in former days transport of peat in Giethoorn has taken place on the water with traditional boats, the so-called 'punters'. Nowadays you can make a boattrip in these traditional boats.

Since my childhood I visited Giethoorn several times for a boattrip in a punter or for sailing at one of the lakes. There are several small museums and restaurants in the village. You can hire bikes, boats and canoes. In summer it can be rather crowdy.

When I visited Giethoorn for the first time in winter in 2005, there were no other visitors around. The village looked lovely in the fresh snow, but it was very dangerous to walk at the slippery narrow bridges.

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Het Paradijs, meaning the Paradise is a living museum of culture and nature. You can walk around, climb the stairs and look at the fairytale world created by the nature artist Adriaan Schalken.

From outside you can hardly imagine which ambiance you enter. It is a world of creative constructions with colourfull mosaic floors, wooden structures, small waterfalls, statues and abundant plants and flowers in a relaxed atmosphere.

In Het Paradijs you can have a drink or small snack. Het Paradijs serves also delicious vegetarian lunches and dinners, but only at reservation.

What I never saw before....there is also an asylum for indoor plants. You can bring your roomplants which grew too big for your livingroom..... or find yourself a nice 'second hand' plant.

http://www.overijsseltoerisme.nl

http://www.twentehotels.nl

http://www.vvvnederland.nl/overijssel

http://www.natuurlijk.nl = good walking trails, bicycle routes and other information.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g188602-Overijssel-Vacations.html = popular hotels

The capital of the province is one of the three medieval cities that once ruled the province. It isn't as spectacular as Kampen and perhaps not as nice as Deventer either but it is a beautiful place anyway, with many medieval remains, including a fabulous town gate, several churches and bits of wall as shown in the picture. See my page about Zwolle for a quick impression.

Ootmarsum is a town about 10 km north of Oldenzaal.
It received city rights in 1325.

Ootmarsum is a tiny town where you can have nice walk in the centre.
There are often art expositions in the several galleries.

Or..just drink a fresh Dutch cup of coffee, like we did with my parents. :-)

Den Aalhorst
Den Alerdinck
Almelo
Archem
Arnichem
Averwolde
Backenhagen
De Bannink
Beekhof
Beerze
Het Bellinckhof
Den Berg
Bergentheim
Bikkenrade
De Bildt
Blanckenborgh
Borg Beuningen
Boschwijk
Boxbergen
Brecklenkamp
De Colckhof
Diepenheim
Den Doorn
Duivendal
Eelerberg
Eerde
De Eese
De Eeshof
Egheria
Frisia State
De Gelder
De Gerner
Groot Hoenlo
De Groote Schuur
Grote Hof ten Velde
De Gunne
De Haere
Hagensdorp
Hakenberg
De Hare
Heeckeren
Herinckhave
Hessum
Hofwijk
Hooge Boekel
Hoonhorst
De Horte
De Italiaanse Villa
Ittersum
Jachtrust
De Kranenkamp
Het Laer
Landwijk
De Leemcule
Lindenhorst
Marxveld
Mataram (Dieze)
De Meerburg
Den Menop
Moerheim
Molenenk
Nieuw Rande
Het Nijenhuis (Diepenheim)
Het Nijenhuis (Heino)
Nijenstede
Noord-Deurningen
Olde Vechte
Oldenhof (Vollenhove)
Oldruitenborgh
Olsterhof
De Oosterhof
Oud Rande
Het Overvelde
Peckedam
Plattenburg
Rechteren
't Reelaer
De Roos
't Rozendael
De Ruitenborch
Rutenberg
De Scheere
Schellerberg
Scherpenzeel (Goor)
Scherpenzeel (Wijhe)
Schoonheten
Schuttersveld
Singraven
Soeslo
Spijkerbosch
Sprengenberg
Het Stroot
Ter Spille
De Tol
Twickel
Veenebrugge
De Vieker
Vilsteren
De Voordam
Vredehoef
Warmelo
De Weele
Het Wegdam
Het Weldam
Het Westerflier
Westervoorde
Wigwam
Wijhezicht
Het Wijnbergen
De Wilmersberg
Het Witte Huis
Zandhove
Zonnebeek
Zorgvliet

The city of Deventer is an absolute must if you are in Overijssel. The small center of town has some nice monuments, all in walking distance.

And to get a special feeling do visit Deventer while there is a festival on like the Dickens festival each year just before christmas. Or the a street festival in mediaevil style on Ascensionday.