Discover Dalfsen: cycling routes, river landscapes and history

Dalfsen combines local history with trails through a varied landscape. When cycling and hiking, the scenery ranges from river dunes and *esch* landscapes to woodland and estate landscapes. You can choose what to focus on during your stay: the townscape, its history, or a hike or bike ride. If you are looking for a hotel in Dalfsen, these concrete themes can help you plan your excursions.

Townscape and history

Dalfsen’s centre is characterised by listed buildings and narrow streets. You can stroll around and admire the historic buildings. A landmark in the town’s history is the Grote Kerk Dalfsen: it was built in 1178 in the Gothic style, on higher ground and aligned east to west. The church is still used by the Protestant congregation in Dalfsen. Its building history and continued use by the congregation offer two different insights into the significance of this building.

Landgoed De Horte: estate history and walking trails

Landgoed De Horte was laid out mainly in the French style in the early 17th century. The estate and its surroundings provide a habitat for otters, barn owls, badgers, stoats and kingfishers. There are also several options for walks: two waymarked trails pass, among other places, a viewing point. The yellow trail is 3.5 km long and the red one is 5.5 km. You can distinguish between the two routes by their colour and length, even though they share a named destination.

On foot: from a town walk to a hiking stage

The Dorpswandeling Oud Dalfsen leads to historically significant sites in Old Dalfsen. It is 2 or 3.4 km long and both routes start and finish at the Westermolen. If you would prefer a trail along the river landscape to a town walk, the Uiterwaardenpad hiking trail starts at Dalfsen NS railway station and follows the floodplains of the Overijsselse Vecht.

Kunstwegen also offers hiking stages between NS railway stations along the Zwolle–Dalfsen–Ommen–Marienberg–Hardenberg–Gramsbergen route. The trail is marked white and blue. Another connection runs along the Vechtdalpad from Dalfsen station to Uitkijktoren De Stokte: this walking route is less than 5 km long. The 20 m-high tower is a junction on the Vechtdalpad hiking trail. From the top, you can see across the forests and the Vecht, as well as over open landscapes.

By bike: compare length and surface

The Landgoederenroute starts at Dalfsen NS railway station and can be used on foot or by bike. It is 8.5 or 15 km long; more than 80 percent of it runs on unpaved paths and sandy tracks. If you want to consider the surface as well as the distance when planning your route, this proportion is an important difference. The first stage of the Vechtdalroute runs from Zwolle via Dalfsen to Vilsteren and is about 37 km long.

Another cycling route in Dalfsen crosses the De Stokte–Hessum ferry. It is about 25 km long and starts and finishes at the Westermolen. Unlike the Vechtdalroute stage, this route therefore returns to its starting point. Check the latest route description before setting out; for the cycling route via De Stokte–Hessum, you should also check the ferry service.

Discover more destinations: Lemelerveld, Nieuwleusen.

Back to the main travel overview: Dalfsen.