Schuinesloot: Gardens, Nature and History

Schuinesloot brings together garden art, a small-scale landscape and local history. If you’re looking for a hotel in Schuinesloot, these themes can help you tailor your stay to your interests: Priona Tuinen showcases a variety of cultivated plants, Kavelbos offers woodland, ponds and wildlife, while the chapel and memorial sites bring the village’s history to life.

The Village’s Name and History

The ribbon village was given the name Schuinesloot in the 1970s. The name derives from the waterway Schuine Sloot to the south, which has since been filled in. The historic Schuinsche Sloot is also part of the area’s history: it was created as a branch of the Hoofdvaart door Lutten to open up the Lutterveld from Slagharen.

The Dutch Reformed Chapel was built in 1916 on the site of Schuinesloot’s last sod hut, which still stood around 1900. Its prominent location in the village centre makes it a distinctive landmark. During the Second World War, Pastor Frederik Slomp, known as Frits de Zwerver, hid in Schuinesloot.

The war memorial commemorates nine crew members of two bombers that crashed in the village in 1941 and 1942, respectively. It stands on a grassy strip beside the car park near the Dutch Reformed Chapel on Schuineslootweg. At Kikkertsveldweg, a memorial site with an information board commemorates the crash of a British Lancaster bomber. The two sites offer different points of connection with local wartime history.

Gardens and Nature in Schuinesloot

Priona Tuinen was designed in the late 1970s by Henk Gerritsen and Anton Schlepers, who had trained as artists. Today, more than 5,000 different plant species grow there. The gardens are managed organically, without pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. This brings together a history of artistic design and a rich diversity of plant life in one place.

The gardens also inspire the kitchen: every week, chef Alwin Leemhuis prepares a special menu at Restaurant De Tuinkamer featuring flowers and plants from Priona Tuinen. Schuinesloot is also listed as one of the sub-areas of the Vechtdal nature area. Kavelbos in Schuinesloot is one of several narrow strips of woodland created during land consolidation in the 1970s.

Deer, hares and numerous bird species find shelter in Kavelbos. Frogs and toads live in the ponds, while wildflowers and young trees grow along the edges. The two nature spots therefore offer different experiences: Priona Tuinen focuses on the great diversity of cultivated plants, while Kavelbos is about the interplay of woodland strips, ponds, and the animals and plants found there.

Seasonal Activities and Planning

During periods of frost, volunteers from the Nooit Gedacht association open the Schuinesloot ice rink. In summer, you can play on its four beach volleyball courts; check local availability before your visit. The change from ice skating when temperatures are below freezing to summer beach volleyball shows how activities at the same facility vary with the season.

Sloot'n Run is a fun obstacle course with a children’s route and an adults’ route. If you’d like to plan your trip around it, check the participation details in advance. For cyclists, the 41 km route “Verrassingen in verkaveld land” is listed for Slagharen, Nieuwlande and Schuinesloot. Check the route details before setting off if you plan to include it in your itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Bergentheim, Loozen, Diffelen, Dedemsvaart, Rheeze, Lutten, Hardenberg, Slagharen

Go to the broader travel overview: Hardenberg.