Sightseeing in Zwolle - what to see. Complete travel guide

The largest city of Overijssel province, Zwolle is located on the bank of the River Ijssel. The province is widely known as a large farming region, so here you will find spacious fields, lakes and forests. However, Zwolle is a modern city with numerous beautiful buildings, monuments and hotels. Tourists, who visit Zwolle for the first time, are usually amazed by the contrast between the hangar suburbs of the city and its modern prosperous look.

The city’s embankment is located in the center of Zwolle. It is named to honor a famous Dutch politician – prime-minister Thorbeke. He played an important role in the development of yet young and small town. Unfortunately, only few historical monuments managed to survive in Zwolle. The others were destroyed. The tower of Virgin Mary Basilica remains the most famous sight of the city. The building of this church took place in the middle of the 15th century. The top of the tower is decorated with a small green cupola that has given the nickname to the tower – among local people it is known as “pepper pot”.

One more place of interest is the Saxon Gates located not far away from the ruins of city’s walls. This architectural complex was built in 1406 and the gates performed the role of the main entrance to the territory of the city. Among the religious sights the most notable one is St Michael Church that stores an ancient organ. The instrument is frequently used in large concerts and performances. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The city’s suburbs are interesting from the point of view of visiting two old windmills. A small museum under the sky is organized around them. The museum will tell its visitors the history of Zwolle in 17-19 centuries. Most curious tourists should visit Ecodrom Park that has pavilions devoted to biology, geography, ecology and where they will find several terrariums and an aquarium.

In the heart of the historical district of Zwolle is the beautiful church Grote Kerkplein. Next to it, there are many interesting old buildings. The main decoration of the square is the sculpture “Adam”. Another interesting place for walking is the “Grote market”. Its main decoration is the building Hoofdwacht, which was built in the 17th century. Initially, it housed a guard service, and now the spectacular historic building is the location of a police station. Near the Market Square, there are many interesting shops, including souvenir shops popular among tourists. There are also several attractive national restaurants located here.

The main cultural institution of Zwolle is the Historical Museum. Its collection of exhibits is very diverse and interesting. The most unusual exhibit is the reconstructed kitchen of the 18th century. It is equipped in this museum with a real printing workshop. The museum has several rooms. One of them decorated in the Renaissance style and used to store unique artifacts.

The neighborhood of the old town is also noteworthy for historical sites. Here you can see several ancient mills that were built in the 17th century. Two mills are preserved within the city and today, they are available for tourists to visit.

A very interesting symbol of the city is the restaurant De Librije - one of the most famous and original restaurants of the country. Its name can literally be translated as “Library”. It is located on the territory of the Dominican monastery, in a room that was formerly used as a library. This restaurant is one of only two in the country, awarded a Michelin star.

Zwolle is famous not only for its amazing medieval sights, but also for its rich cultural life. Every year, an interesting gastronomic festival is held here, and in winter, the traditional Ice Sculpture Festival. The city is joined by craftsmen from all countries to cut out shapeless pieces of ice unique sculptures and submit them to the court of a strict jury. In addition to luxurious sculptures, a real ice hotel is built in the city, where you can spend a few days and fully experience the unique winter atmosphere of this town.