Discover Coevorden

Coevorden offers several ways to explore its history: the star-shaped fortress, the street pattern still visible in the centre, museums and a city walk past notable buildings. There is also a green city park and a 61-kilometre cycle route that starts and ends in Coevorden. This mix of themes can be a useful starting point when choosing a hotel: consider whether you would like to include architectural history, art and memorial culture, or a longer cycle ride in your stay.

Fortress and cityscape

Coevorden’s fortress was built as a seven-pointed star; bastions and double moats served its defence. The historic street layout offers another trace: the circular plan created within the fortress is still clearly visible in the city centre. The star shape and street layout show two different sides of this fortified city—the defensive structure and the layout of the centre. Kasteel van Coevorden is the only castle in Drenthe and adds another historic building to the story of the area’s architectural history.

Museums and their themes

From Coevorden railway station, the Stedelijk Museum Coevorden is about a seven-minute walk away. Since 2017, the Synagoge museum Coevorden has been housed in the former synagogue at Kerkstraat 36. It tells the story of Jewish life in Drenthe and the surrounding area. At Museum Thijnhof, the permanent collection comprises the complete body of work by Kees Thijn; Meet&greets with artists are also held regularly. The Synagoge museum and Museum Thijnhof therefore focus on different subjects: Jewish life in the region at one, and the work of a single artist and opportunities to meet artists at the other. If you would like to plan a Meet&greet, check the specific event dates.

City walk and cycle route

The Historische Gebouwenwandeling, also called the Bouwstijlenwandeling, leads through Coevorden past 36 notable buildings. A brochure for this walk is available from the Tourist Info at Het Arsenaal. This gives the city walk an architectural thread: rather than focusing on just one building, it draws attention to a succession of notable structures. The Drenthe Periphery Route 5 covers a different scale. It is 61 kilometres long and starts and ends at the roundabout at Monierweg/Edisonstraat in Coevorden. A city walk focused on architecture and a longer cycle ride with a set start and end point are thus two different options.

Green spaces, waterways and tradition

Weeshuisweide is a green city park with walking paths, a flower meadow and a berceau. This tree-lined walkway surrounds the park like a green tunnel. The park thus combines open spaces with an enclosed green feature. Waterways are also part of the cityscape: the preserved section of the inner moat connects the Coevorden-Almelo Canal with the Stieltjes Canal. Both are among the very important waterways in southeastern Drenthe. The picture therefore extends beyond fortifications and museums to include other urban and regional features. Coevorden’s traditional Ganzenmarkt was revived as a folkloric market in 1962.

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Go to the main travel overview: Coevorden.