Dedemsvaart

Dedemsvaart combines garden culture and local history with a route to distinctive buildings and experiences in nature by the water. If you’re looking for hotels in Dedemsvaart, you can plan your trip around these different highlights: visit gardens and exhibitions, follow audio stories along a route, or plan activities to suit the season.

Gardens and history in Dedemsvaart

Tuinen Mien Ruys is a municipal monument and comprises more than thirty different gardens. This variety makes the garden itself the focus of a visit; at the Theehuis, visitors can enjoy local treats, coffee, light lunches and drinks. Garden culture and a break on site can therefore be combined at the same destination.

The town’s history is also closely linked to its origins: Dedemsvaart developed through the construction of the De Vaart canal and peat extraction in the surrounding areas. Both took place in the first half of the 19th century. Those interested in architectural history will find another distinctive place at Gashouder Podium. The theatre and pop venue are housed in an authentic Rijksmonument on the historic Kalkoventerrein; rotating exhibitions are held there.

Landbouwmuseum Avereest offers another perspective on the area’s past. It is housed in a restored industrial building on Langewijk in Dedemsvaart. This means Dedemsvaart offers several different points of interest for culture lovers: the gardens, a historic venue and an agricultural museum.

A route featuring buildings and audio stories

The Interactieve Meerpalenroute Dedemsvaart is eight kilometres long and can be explored on foot or by bicycle. It passes eleven houses and buildings. At each location, a post with a QR code links to an app featuring audio stories. The route thus combines exercise with stories that can be accessed at each stop.

The locations named along the route include 't Olde Postkantoor, De Tuinen van Mien Ruys and Huize Moerheim. It also loops around Kotermeer. The route therefore offers a practical way to connect several places in a single walk or bike ride; at the same time, it differs from a visit focused on a single garden or building.

Nature and activities at Kotermeer

The Kotermeerstal nature area lies on the south side of Dedemsvaart. It is a body of water covering around 13 hectares. A cycling and walking path runs around De Koter, alongside water, reed beds and a beach, as well as spacious play and sunbathing lawns. Those who would rather follow a route through a landscape will find a different kind of outing here than on the Meerpalenroute, which passes houses and buildings.

Activities on the water vary with the season: on summer days, visitors can swim, sail, play football and beach volleyball at Kotermeerstal; in winter, they can go ice skating. This clear seasonal distinction can help with planning, since the activities mentioned for a summer day differ from those available in winter.

Kinderboerderij Dedemsvaart, known as DeKibo, also offers opportunities to encounter animals. These include ponies, goats, pot-bellied pigs, ostriches, rabbits, guinea pigs and squirrels. Birds can be seen in aviaries, while various waterfowl live by the pond. DeKibo thus adds another distinct attraction to the nature and water experiences.

Local refreshments and getting there

At Brouwerij Avereest, a VrijMiBo is held in the tasting room on the first Friday afternoon of every month from 5:00 p.m. Everyone aged 18 and over is welcome to sample the beers and enjoy some time together. As this is a recurring event held at a specific time, check the brewery’s latest information before setting out.

Dedemsvaart has no railway station. Buses connect the town with Hoogeveen, Zwolle and Hardenberg. The shortest bus journey from Hoogeveen railway station to Dedemsvaart bus station takes about 40 minutes. Check the latest route information before travelling. This lets you take the journey into account alongside your planned visits and activities when looking for a suitable hotel in Dedemsvaart.

Discover more destinations: Loozen, Rheezerveen, Sibculo, Diffelen, Schuinesloot, Ane, Slagharen, Bruchterveld

See the wider travel overview: Hardenberg.