“The greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.” ― Roald Dahl

Though few foreign visitors to the Netherlands have heard of Zwolle, a historic town on the Iijssel River, it is a surprising mix of ancient sites, architectural gems, and a lively urban atmosphere. Situated on an island surrounded by a star-shaped moat, Zwolle gets its name, meaning hill, from the swell of higher ground that protects it from four frequently flooding rivers. It’s worth stopping here to wind down and uncover the secrets the medieval city center and green spaces have to offer.

Though the Romans were here, the current town was founded around 800 by Frisian merchants and troops of Charlemagne. Chartered by the Bishop of Utrecht in 1230, Zwolle joined the medieval Hanseatic League alliance 60 years later to protect its trade links. Destroyed almost completely by fire in 1324 set by regional noblemen, the town was rebuilt and experienced a golden age of prosperity when trade boomed. Of the once dominating fortifications, only a short length of the wall remains, along with the enormous Sassenpoort gate, as beautiful as it is impressive with eight-sided towers, crenulations, and decorative windows.

Zwolle’s main church, the Romanesque St. Michael’s, located in the Grote Markt central square was rebuilt in the early 1500s only to see its Gothic tower collapse in 1682. Short of funds to replace it, the city council sold the church bells to a neighboring town for a hefty price even though they were damaged and unplayable. Still, the town of Kampen paid, but with such an enormous amount of copper coins that Zwolle’s citizens’ fingers turned blue during the counting. The name they earned, “Blue fingers” (Blauwvingers), sticks to this day.

For a view over the city, including the huge Dominican Cloister just outside the moat as well as the countryside beyond, climb 70 meters up the Pepperbox (De Peperbus). So-called because of its’ shape, this is the reconstructed tower of Our Lady’s Basilica, whose beautiful pink and white interior was constructed during Zwolle’s Golden Age. The city’s second architectural hallmark, and a cultural hotspot, is the fine art Museum De Fundatie. A neoclassical former Hall of Justice was topped with a cupola made of 55,000 blue Makkum tiles, making it look like a spaceship, which locals call “the egg” or “the UFO”.

Hanseatic merchants used to run the city, and Zwolle still has a large fish market, an important cattle market, boat building, and cotton weaving. Yet, it’s students, entrepreneurs, and creative types who dominate modern Zwolle, evidenced by the abundance of independent concept stores in the city center. For example, Waanders in de Broeren is the Netherlands’ most impressive bookshop. From the outside, it looks like a massive ancient church because it started life as a Dominican monastery. Now, underneath the stunning organ, there are rows of books stretching much of the length and reaching several stories upward, and under mosaic windows at the other end, there’s a very good café.

On the water, Zwolle buzzes with activity, as private boats sail in, electric rental boats sightsee, and a tour company offers dugout boat rides. A walk along the moat reveals more of Zwolle’s secrets: cafés between the ancient town wall remains and the moat, lovely parks, shaded walkways, and narrow streets of ancient Dutch gabled homes.

Don’t Miss:

Sitting at a café on the moat enjoying an afternoon glass of wine and watching the boats go by. (Of course, going up the tower is also a wonderful experience- as usual!)

Serendipity:

Finding the unexpected- Running into beautiful murals, depicting medieval motifs with a modern twist, on house walls in various spots around town.

Lunch Tip:

Waanders In De Broeren, a cool café next to the beautiful bookstore in an ancient church.

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*All photographs are mine, taken with my Nikon D3100 or iPhone 12 Pro.*