Winterswijk between countryside, culture and cycling routes

When planning a hotel stay in Winterswijk, your interests can help you decide what to do: the destination combines a varied cultural landscape with opportunities for walking and cycling, regional history, art and a market. Before you go, consider whether you would rather spend your time outdoors or include a range of cultural themes. The different highlights can help you shape your stay around what interests you most about Winterswijk.

Cultural landscape and geological history

Nationaal Landschap Winterswijk covers 22,000 hectares. Its varied cultural landscape includes wooded banks, streams, arable fields, mills, forests and agricultural land. It was shaped by the historical farming practices of the Scholtenhöfe. These diverse landscape features and the history of how the land was used sit alongside one another, offering a distinct focus in addition to the museums and activities on foot or by bike.

A geological feature can be found in Ratum, which belongs to the municipality of Winterswijk: the Steengroeve. The quarry’s Muschelkalk limestone is more than 240 million years old; remarkable fossils have also been found there. This shifts the focus from the historical use of the landscape to the great age of the rock and the fossil finds.

Walking and cycling

There are numerous signposted walking routes in and around Winterswijk. Visitors can put together their own route using the extensive network of walking paths. This lets you plan your walk around a route of your own choosing, rather than being limited to a single designated trail.

Signposted cycling routes also run through Winterswijk and the surrounding area, passing scenic spots and attractions. Many use the Achterhoek cycling network, where you can follow numbered junctions. A specific alternative for mountain bikers is the 38-kilometre route in Winterswijk. It includes more than 12 kilometres of challenging singletrack as well as a wall ride. These offer different points of comparison: the cycling routes are defined by signposting and numbered junctions, while the mountain-bike route has a specified length and named features.

Museums and regional history

Museum Transit Oost explores the history of the textile industry, coal transport and public transport in the eastern Netherlands, particularly in the Achterhoek and Winterswijk. One exhibit linked to local history is the model railway: it is 15 metres long and 4 metres wide, and depicts Winterswijk station and its railway yard around 1928. The approximate date and dimensions describe a model focusing on the station and railway yard as they were at the time.

Museum Villa Mondriaan offers a different cultural focus. It displays works by the young Mondriaan alongside works by established and contemporary artists. The museums therefore have different emphases: Transit Oost is devoted, among other things, to regional transport and industrial history, while Villa Mondriaan displays artworks by various artists. You can shape the cultural part of your stay around whichever of these subjects interests you more.

Market and brewery

The market in Winterswijk takes place around the Jacobskerk on the central market square and features more than 50 different stalls. The number of stalls may change. Its location on the market square gives you a specific point of reference for this part of local life.

At Bierbrouwerij Wentersch, the focus is on craft-brewed specialty beers. Visitor facilities include a shop, a tasting room and brewery tours. As these offerings may change, check before your visit whether your preferred tour or tasting is currently available. The market and brewery have different emphases: one centers on market activity in the heart of town, while the other focuses on brewing specialty beers and the brewery’s visitor offerings.

Discover more destinations: Winterswijk Henxel, Winterswijk Woold, Winterswijk Brinkheurne, Winterswijk Kotten, Winterswijk Miste

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