Schüttorf: Town History and the Vechte Floodplains

Schüttorf combines historic landmarks with art and nature activities. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay here, you can plan around the themes that interest you most: town history, creative activities, cycling routes or the Vechte floodplain landscape. The sights and activities offer a range of starting points.

Town History and Buildings

The textile industry of the late 19th century continues to shape Schüttorf today: numerous grand villas built by former factory owners still define the townscape. The historic town hall and town wall are also reminders of the town’s history. The wall is considered the oldest surviving remnant of the fortifications associated with the town’s charter, and thus also points to the historic context of its defence.

The Catholic Church of the Annunciation was completed in 1868 in the Neo-Gothic style. The “Schüttorf Goat Woman” leads historic guided tours of the town. At the school museum, you can learn about the historic Sütterlin script during an interactive lesson. If you are planning a guided tour or a museum session, check the dates and programme availability in advance.

Art and Creative Activities

The SchAu-Haus open studio near the town centre offers workshops in painting, sculpture and upcycling. This gives it a different focus from the historic sites: here, the emphasis is on artistic techniques and materials you can try yourself. Check in advance which workshops are available on your visit date.

Kunstwegen also brings art and landscape together. The kunstwegen-Vechtetal route passes through Schüttorf; several raumsichten installations along the sculpture route are located in the collective municipality of Schüttorf. Kunstwegen stretches over 180 kilometres and is considered one of Europe’s largest open-air museums. You can make the route a focus in its own right or combine it with other interests in art and local history.

The Vechte Floodplains, Routes and Water

The Vechte floodplain landscape includes meadows, pastures, hedgerows, reed beds and moorland, ponds, and floodplain forest in the Vechte Valley. You can explore it on foot or by bicycle. Different markers are used for walks: the Grafschafter Spurensuche network is marked with a magnifying glass symbol, while the main Podagristen route is marked with yellow and red arrows. As signs may change or be temporarily difficult to see, check the current route markers before setting out.

For cycling tours, you can start the Grafschafter Fietsentour in Schüttorf; options include regional circuits or individual day trips. Quendorfer See has a sandy beach, beach volleyball and stand-up paddleboarding. There is a restaurant directly by the water. Another option for water-based recreation is the VECHTE BAD, with children’s, sports and leisure pools, as well as an Aqua-Bistro with an outdoor terrace. Before visiting, check the current facilities and operating conditions.

In the wider Grafschaft Bentheim destination

Looking at Grafschaft Bentheim as a whole also offers another perspective for planning your trip. The region’s landscapes alternate between heathland, raised and low-lying moors, wooded ridges and the Vechte River valley. Itterbecker Heide is a nature reserve covering around 85 hectares.

The main route of the Grafschafter Fietsentour is about 220 kilometres long and passes through every municipality in the district. For tourists staying overnight in Grafschaft Bentheim, the Grafschafter guest card offers a practical transport option: it provides free use of buses and trains throughout the district. Check the current conditions for the guest card before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Hoogstede, Wietmarschen, Engden, Bad Bentheim, Uelsen, Nordhorn, Getelo, Itterbeck

Back to the main travel overview: Grafschaft Bentheim.