Staphorst: Culture, Nature and Hotels

Staphorst can be explored through two distinct themes: Staphorster Stipwerk and architectural heritage on the one hand, and forests, heathland and waterside recreation on the other. This distinction can help you plan your stay: culture and townscape are complemented by nature and leisure activities. You can then decide which themes you would like to focus on.

Stipwerk and Museum Staphorst

Staphorster Stipwerk is a traditional craft that is part of Staphorst culture. Workshops on Staphorster Stipwerk are regularly held at the local museum. For planning purposes, it is a good idea to check the dates before your trip. Museum Staphorst is housed in two farmhouses. The older, typically Staphorst farmhouse behind the museum still has its living quarters in their original condition. The museum also displays regional costumes, jewellery and folk art. Here, craft traditions, historic domestic culture and regional collection pieces come together. This combination is especially interesting if you want to explore not just one craft, but different forms of cultural heritage.

De Streek and its architectural heritage

De Streek has been a protected village landscape since 1988. It has 577 national and municipal monuments, as well as 695 buildings that define the townscape. These figures represent two distinct categories: monuments on the one hand, and buildings that shape the townscape on the other. This helps you appreciate the extent of the architectural heritage without reducing it to a single attraction. De Streek is lined with long, narrow Staphorst farmhouses in distinctive green and blue colours, set along long strips of land beside the road. When taking in the townscape, you can look out for the elongated shape of the farmhouses and their colours; both are defining features of this architecture. This makes exploring the village landscape different from simply looking at individual exhibits.

Forest, heathland and wildlife watching

Boswachterij Staphorst covers approximately 940 hectares. Visitors can spot foxes, roe deer, badgers and birds of prey in its forests and heathlands. Forest and heathland offer a different focus from the museum and historic architecture: here, the emphasis is on the landscape and the possibility of spotting wildlife. The Boswachterij is accessible year-round between sunrise and sunset. Check the local rules before you arrive so that you can take this access condition into account when planning your visit.

Leisure at Zwarte Dennen and cycling

At the swimming pond in the Zwarte Dennen day recreation area, you can swim, paddle, play or have a picnic. There are sandy beaches as well as play areas and sunbathing lawns around the pond. The focus here is on waterside activities and open spaces, while the Boswachterij is primarily associated with forests, heathland and wildlife watching. If you plan to swim, check the local information beforehand.

Cycling can also be planned as a theme in its own right: the cycling node network in Staphorst leads to some of the most beautiful places in the surrounding area. It complements the individual cultural and nature themes by offering a way to reach nearby destinations by bicycle.

Discover more destinations: IJhorst, Rouveen.

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