Location: Steenwijk
Top Things to do in Steenwijk
Top 10 Things to do in Steenwijk, The Netherlands
Steenwijk is a city in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Steenwijkerland. It is the largest town of the municipality.
Restaurants in Steenwijk
1. Dierenpark Taman Indonesia
Overall Ratings
4 based on 64 reviews
Reviewed By RHAHJ - Nijmegen, The Netherlands
This zoo is specialized in Indonesian animals, mainly birds and a few mammals. But I also saw crickets and a snake (in a bathroom setting), apparently to indicate Indonesian living conditions. It is quite small, but I found the animals lovely. Especially the Goffins cockatoo was adorable. It is a bit far away from the inhabited world, but a visit can easily be combined with a bike trip to the papilorama and hunebeds in Havelte. And Steenwijk and Giethoorn are nearby.
2. Smit Giethoorn
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 229 reviews
Reviewed By WineTraveller - Wilmington, Delaware
Giethoorn has gotten some listings in travel sites about being one of the most beautiful spots in the world, so on a recent trip to the Netherlands, we had to make a stop to see for ourselves. Definitely glad we did, right down to renting the little motorized punt boat. There are small barges that you can take you out into the canals through town, but you'll have a LOT more fun if you do it yourself. Truth be known, there are LOTS of companies renting boats - we enjoyed Smit Giethoorn but don't feel that they are the only option. Regardless of whom you go with, GO TO Giethoorn!
3. Horse Central Holland
Overall Ratings
1.5 based on 2 reviews
At Horse Central Holland you can make horseback riding tours in the forest, get private lessons or make a tour with a covered wagon or an old Dutch cheese wagon from 1850.
4. IKEAIR
Overall Ratings
5 based on 19 reviews
IkeAir Ballooning is located up north in one of the most beautiful parts of Holland and still at a driving distance of a little more than an hour from Amsterdam. Ballooning over this area is almost a serene experience. That’s why we use relatively small balloons in order to be able to give maximum attention to their quest.
Reviewed By mrcbx - Veenhuizen, The Netherlands
De tocht mocht van mij wel langer duren, je raakt niet uitgekeken onderweg.Het is als je eenmaal in de lucht hangt, zo ontzettend rustig en je kunt de mensen op de grond soms horen praten.
5. Hunebed D54 bij Havelte
Overall Ratings
4 based on 36 reviews
Reviewed By Theo1965 - Oegstgeest, The Netherlands
Nice to visit the graves of the farmer people in the Netherlands, 3.500 years ago. In a beautiful scenery.
6. Klimbos Avontuurlijk Paasloo
Overall Ratings
5 based on 6 reviews
Experience an amazing adventure at Climbing Forest Adventure Paasloo! This brand new climbing forest has opened in March 2016 and is located in the centre of the Paasloerforest, just a few steps away from nature reserve Weerribben. The 4 tracks and challenging obstacles make this brand new climbing forest a special location for a daytrip in Holland! The climbing forest has 4 different tracks with a total amount of 51 obstacles, 697 meters of tracks and is up to 9 meters high! Are you up to the challenge? The 4 tracks are suitable for the incipient and advanced climbers. Among other things; Climbing ladders, nets, barrels, rope bridgjes, beams and a zip line that’s 130 meters long. We tried our best to push you to the limit to really get to know your sporty side! Please note that participants must have a minimum length of 130 cm and may not exceed a maximum weight of 130 kg.
Reviewed By Stefan R - Mariehamn, Finland
It was very rewarding to see the enthusiasm of the kids in this 2,5 hour activity that is not a walk-in-the-park but literally a climb high above the ground. They took on the challenge and succeeded. The day after my arm muscles was hurting
Safety is top notch and you cannot fall. Maybe get stuck but personnel is present and can help.
7. Bonbon Atelier A3
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By Hermes_NL - The Hague, The Netherlands
Bonbon Atelier A3 offers Bonbon (Chocolate) making workshops of about 3 hours in their workshop in Nijeveen. We did this with a group of ten parents and adult children. The very friendly and capable coach Jeroen split us in groups of two persons and each group made two types of Bonbons. Quality ingredients were provided, notably Callebaut chocolate. We also made a bowl of chocolate in which the Bonbons could be carried. Everybody left with about 600 grams of pretty good tasting chocolates! We had an amazing time, surpassing our expectations.
8. Museum Valse Kunst
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28 reviews
Reviewed By ploddinghappily - el cerrito, california
If you happen to be in Drenthe, one of the Eastern provinces in the Netherlands or, if you are on your way from Amsterdam to Germany by car, you may consider swinging by Vledder to visit the Museum of Fake Art. In this museum, an entertaining selection of forgeries of well-known paintings and other works of art of famous artists are displayed.
The best-known Dutch forger is Han van Meegeren who successfully imitated Jan Vermeer and other old Dutch masters. The funny thing was that at the end of his career he had to prove, with considerable difficulty, that he was the forger, because he would otherwise go to jail on another technicality. Another master forger is Geert Jan Jansen, who was arrested in a French castle with some 1600 paintings of contemporary masters, such as Picasso, Matisse, and especially of Karel Appel. All of these were fakes painted by him. He had already sold hundreds of them to established museums all over the world. His favorite ploy is to make a painting in the Appel style and sign it “na Appel”, which means “in the style of Appel”. The buyer can, if he so wishes, erase the letters “na”, (specially applied to the painting to be erased easily) and lo and behold, he has an Appel.
But the best part of the museum is the tour, where the guide gives a hilarious, entertaining, and very knowledgeable presentation of how and what the master forgers did to mislead the public. And how museums were duped into acquiring these forgeries, after which many do not want to have these paintings rechecked for authenticity. Call ahead at 0521-38 33 52, to find out the times of the tour and when there is one in English (or French, or German, etc.) The Dutch are multilingual. Without the tour, the museum is just average, so be sure to schedule a tour.
9. Museumhuis Rams Woerthe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16 reviews
Villa Rams Woerthe is the first 'Museumhuis' of Vereniging Hendrick the Keyser. This beautifull villa is a highligt of Jugendstil and art nouveau in Holland. Visitors are invited to enjoy the villa with all their senses: open the doors and cupboards, feel the linnen and sit down on the sofa. Experience what it was like to be a rich merchant in the 1900's. Futhermore Villa Rams Woerthe houses The Hildo Krop Museum.
Reviewed By mireille b - Ramnicu Valcea, Romania
I usually spent my summer vacation in Steenwijk ,visiting my relatives .Villa Rams Woerthe is my favourite place ,just in the centre of the town .It was the old town hall long ago ,,today it is a museum and the perfect place for a wedding .It is surrounded by an English Landscape Park of 10 hectares ,full of old trees ...and deer .The ticket entrance costs 8 euro ,and the guide is very friendly ...I liked the staircase an the glass windows by Adolf le Compte .Since 2002 an artist born in town ,Hilde Krop ,who was the city sculptor of Amsterdam ,has a permanent collection of his work inside the villa .
10. Bootverhuur Giethoorn
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 96 reviews
Reviewed By simono1958 - Stevenage, UK
Summary
• Highly photogenic
• Narrow timber-edged canals lined with attractive Gardens, trees, houses and other buildings
• No cars near core areas of village; best accessed by foot or boat
• Narrow footpath following the canal and changing sides periodically
• Quaint footbridges
• Many boats for hire
• Without tourists, provides an opportunity for a tranquil experience.
• With tourists, provides lots of people watching opportunities and fun akin to a Water Park ride
• Waterside restaurants
Although this definitely is a class destination to rival sights like the Cambridge backs or Cotswold villages, describing this as the ‘Venice of the north’ is perhaps a little aspirational. Similarly if you come hoping to see a rural idyll with locals ferrying their daily needs and wares by boat or local girls travelling to their weddings in a canal bridal procession you may be disappointed given the difficulties of such rural life being compatible with the hundreds of thousands of fascinated tourists (particularly Chinese) who want to see the Giethoorn that, following a well-organised local campaign a few years ago, now figures on an International Monopoly (tm) board.
For the tourist though, no visit here would seem complete without a trip in a boat, hired from one of the operators. At the time of writing the going rate throughout the village appears to be €15 an hour for a smaller boat with the full day rate €75. Boats vary in design, some controlled by a small wheel and some by angling the direction of the propeller with a handle. The former is less tiring and more intuitive, the latter requires some twisting around. Some boats have limited throttle settings which can be a further challenge in moving smoothly at slow speed. It also possible that on windier days lower powered boats may struggle against head or crosswinds on the lakes. Most boats also have controls at the stern which may make it a little difficult to see quite where you are going if the boat is full. The electric boats claim an all-day battery and are quieter, ‘green’ and avoid fumes.
A one-way system for boats operates in the village core and so part of any circular route including the village will mean crossing a lake as well. To this main route can be added nearby village, additional lake or nature reserve extensions. The core route is the most sought-after though and the ‘speciality’ attraction as a result of which at peak times boat traffic can become congested with a flow rate varying from 0 to 10 boats a minute, i.e. either stationary, very slowly or like a conveyor belt. On busy days, however, it is less congested before ten o’clock and after four. The same day on a May weekend can thus provide contrasting experiences: a tranquil and stress-free glide; or a hybrid between a flume-ride and dodgems requiring good humour, but also providing numerous amusing sights for walkers as novice boaters collide with each other and the banks or as a private pontoon of wassailing lads chunters through. Note that the village extension to the north is arguably less scenic apart from Molengaat lake and involves some early head-ducking to get under Bridges along Dorpsgracht. In the less touristy areas north and south sometimes boaters may be startled by guard dogs.
Novice boaters may be advised to keep off the main navigation waterway (kanaal) to the west and should avoid areas of weed or water lilies given the potential hazards from big boats and clogged propellers respectively.
The decision of how long to hire a boat for will therefore be a combination of budget, interest, boat type, weather and levels of congestion.
An alternative to boat hire is to take a guided trip in a ‘rondvaartboot’ perhaps shared with thirty others.
For those able to moor, along the main village spine there are a few shops, perhaps the most notable those specialising in rocks and crystals, and several bars and restaurants (many bearing the same family name). Away from the spine near the main road (Beularkaweg) walkers and drivers can find a VVV (tourist information) next to a sizeable Spar supermarket. In the other direction, out on the lake and reached by a short causeway, is a popular restaurant.
There are some cultural facilities including a church, museums (geology and local history). The Gardens and buildings are typically well-maintained and photogenic. A few include sculpture and a few sport tall poles bearing herons’ nests.
The WaterReijk Weeribben Wieden Giethoorn map (plattegrond) is a very useful Dutch only resource to locate the main visitor attractions although unfortunately not easy to obtain cheaply in advance via post and there is currently little information on the Internet. Note too that this printed map could mislead pedestrians used to cartographers’ conventions; while it is always necessary for map makers to show features on maps larger or wider that if scaled accurately this version in particular may give the impression of a compact village. Lengths of straight sections on the map may also not always seem quite as short, or long, in reality. The map particularly needs to be used with care if navigating canals. Although a better size than some it does not cover the extension routes referred to earlier or show minor features useful for orientation or deciding where to turn round. Even the A4 sheets maps typically handed out by boat operators may also be difficult to follow but a telephone number is likely to be provided in the case of delay or difficulties. One wonders why, as with the Cambridge ‘backs’ there are not more students willing to display for a fee their prowess with navigation and story-telling.
To get to Giethoorn the normal options would appear to be either by car or coach tour to Giethoorn or by train to Steenwijk, followed by one of: the hourly No. 70 bus and a walk; a taxi for €25-35; or a hired bicycle. Staying there is an option and enables the village to be experienced without other tourists. If arriving with luggage establishing the accessibility of your accommodation beforehand may reduce stress.
Please note that there are several boat hire companies and I am reviewing the experience not any company. The company I used, De Kruumte, does not currently have a listing under attractions it seems.
(I retain copyright in this article in case I want to reproduce it.)
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