Delden: History and Gardens of Twickel

Delden combines a historic town centre with cultural and natural attractions in the surrounding area. Old façades and distinctive buildings shape the centre; its history as a town dates back to 1333, when Delden was granted town privileges. The churches, the history of salt and the gardens of Landgoed Twickel offer other points of interest. If you are looking for a hotel in Delden, you can plan your stay around whether you would most like to discover the town’s history, its gardens and landscape, or both.

Historic Town Centre and Walking Tour

The Stadswandeling takes you through the historic centre and explores Delden’s connection with Twickel. A self-guided version is available as a booklet with explanations from Tourist Info Delden. The route described in it is 3.75 km long. As the booklet’s availability may change, it is best to check in advance whether it is currently offered. This lets you factor the information into your plans without assuming that a guided tour or a specific meeting point is required.

The town centre can also be explored through its architectural history. The Nieuwe St. Blasiuskerk was built between 1872 and 1873 as a Neo-Gothic pseudo-basilica; its tower was built in 1887. The church has a two-manual organ with a free pedal, made by M. Maarschalkerweerd in 1913. These construction and furnishing dates mark different periods: the tower followed the construction of the church, and the organ was added later.

Churches with Different Historical Traces

The Grote of Oude Blasiuskerk offers another perspective. It has a Naber organ dating from 1847. A Romanesque window shows that the building was originally Romanesque. Together with the Neo-Gothic forms of the Nieuwe St. Blasiuskerk, this provides two distinct architectural points of reference for exploring Delden’s churches. The names, architectural styles and dates of the furnishings help distinguish the historical traces of each church, rather than treating them as a single building.

Gardens, Nature and Paths around Twickel

Landgoed Twickel is located near Delden and offers numerous opportunities for walking and cycling. Access to the estate is free from sunrise to sunset; the woods and nature areas are also open daily during these hours. Observe the local rules before setting out. Near Twickel Castle is a park with several gardens, including an orangery garden, a rock garden and the rose walk.

A 2.1 km circular walk passes through the Kasteeltuinen and by the gardens’ attractions. For planning purposes, you can compare it with the 3.75 km Stadswandeling: one listed route goes through the castle gardens, while the other goes through the historic town centre. These two distances give you a concrete basis for choosing between a garden walk and a town walk, although the routes are not connected.

The History of Salt and Rural Life

The Zoutmuseum presents the broad history of salt in an educational and entertaining way. Its focus extends beyond the Twickel, Boekelo and Hengelo regions. One specific historical connection to Twickel is the discovery of salt in the soil of the castle gardens in 1886. A visit to the museum can therefore be linked both to the wider history of salt and to an event at a specific location.

Museumboerderij Wendezoele is located near Delden, close to Twickel Castle, at the heritage-listed Erve Brinkcate. It is surrounded by well-kept fields, gardens and an orchard. Farming there is still carried out as it was half a century ago. The annual Wendezoeledagen take place from Wednesday to Sunday; the specific dates vary from year to year. So check the dates for the year you are planning your stay.

Resources for Planning Your Own Trip

Tourist Info Delden offers walking and cycling routes, maps, information about attractions and guidebooks. If you would like to include a route or booklet in your plans, check what is currently available; local packages may change. This allows you to combine information about Delden and Twickel with the route lengths and topics that matter for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Goor, Bentelo, Hengevelde, Ambt Delden, Diepenheim, Markelo

Return to the main travel overview: Hof Van Twente.