Discover Rijssen: City History and Industrial Heritage

Rijssen’s history can be explored through several specific aspects: city and fire service collections, the textile and jute industries, a historic windmill, and a trip aboard an electrically powered replica of a Zomp boat. For planning your trip, these topics differ primarily in content and format. This will help you decide whether a museum visit, a route, a guided city walk or a look at a working mill would give your stay the focus you want.

City History and Fire Service Collection

At the Rijssen Museum, the city’s remarkable history is the common thread running through the collection. If you are interested in Rijssen itself, this focus offers a direct introduction to the history of the place.

The Brandweermuseum offers a different focus: it houses around 15,000 firefighting items from around the world. Its interactive exhibition shows what life is like for a firefighter. The museum also offers a scavenger hunt that takes visitors past various firefighting items. The collection, exhibition and activity all explore the same subject in different ways: you can focus on the objects, choose the interactive approach or follow the scavenger hunt.

Textile History and Mill Construction

The Textiel- en Juteroute passes characteristic sites associated with Rijssen’s textile and jute industries. Its focus therefore differs from that of the museum collections: these two industries and their notable sites in the city take centre stage. This thematic comparison is useful when planning, if you are choosing between city history, the fire service theme and industrial history.

The Pelmolen Ter Horst combines a distinctive architectural form with its industrial history. It is an octagonal windmill with a gallery on a shed, situated on the outskirts of Rijssen beside the Regge. It was built in 1752 by Jan ter Horst of Rijssen; it soon became one of Twente’s three most important industrial mills. When the wind is favourable, visitors can see the mill’s oil-pressing operation in full working order. This opportunity to see it in operation therefore depends on the wind conditions.

City Walk and Trip aboard the Regt door Zee II

The Centrumroute is a guided city walk through the centre of the Hanseatic town of Rijssen. It is about 3 kilometres long and takes more than 1.5 hours. Both details are useful for planning your time: the distance is approximate, while the duration is more than an hour and a half.

A trip aboard the Regt door Zee II combines an outing with a connection to a historic type of vessel. The Regt door Zee II is an electrically powered replica of the last Enterse Zomp to be built, which was launched in 1876. Visitors can board and take a trip in Rijssen. It offers peace and beautiful natural surroundings, providing a different focus from the museums and walks.

Monday Market in the Centre

The large Monday market takes place in the centre of Rijssen on Monday mornings. The stalls selling food and non-food items include some offering clothing and fabrics. This adds a practical option for a market morning to the cultural and historical themes. If you would like to include it in your trip plans, check the date in advance.

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