Tour de Pays-Bas Day 8: Giethoorn to Zwolle
We wake up early for a quick but relaxing coffee on our dock before we head out to explore Giethoorn by boat. Our hosts, Marco and Marjolein, have generously allowed us to take their electric boat out before any of the town’s many boat rentals are even open for business. This is the equivalent to an exclusive private pass of Giethoorn as we sail through its canals with nary another boat in sight. In just a couple hours’ time, the canals will be packed with tourists on boats in what will resemble something like a bumper car (or bumper boat) ride. And they really do start bashing into one another and the docks! It’s kind of amazing that these boat rental companies trust tourists with little to no experience in driving boats to operate them through these narrow passageways. … Not that we should talk! Justin’s initial attempt to set sail leads to a good bash against the dock that makes Marco wince. But once cleared, Justin’s boating skills from his childhood days at his opa en oma’s vacation home in Breukelen kick in for a (mostly) smooth ride!
If not entirely smooth, it is a very peaceful, inspiring and civilized way to take in this beautiful village. Even though it’s raining, it’s well worth getting a bit wet to have Giethoorn all to ourselves. There are hardly any tourists travelling by foot and we’re the only boat cruising slowly through the canals. It’s a serene experience passing under bridges and admiring all of the beautiful houses with their tranquil gardens. It’s a bit unsettling as well as we really don’t see a soul. Many of the Giethoorn’s residents have large backyards with guesthouses where they can stay to avoid the rush of tourists that will pack this place later in the day. Up until more recently, it was not uncommon for tourists to feel they had an all-access pass to peoples’ properties and they would step onto their lawns and even peek through their windows until more strict regulations were put in place.
At Marco’s suggestion, we pull out into the lake Bovenwijde for a little boat tour through the Weerribben-Wieden National Park. We hope to spot some otters, but are happy to settle for a flock of cranes that take flight just metres ahead of us. It’s quite a startling and majestic feeling to see them so up close, although we also feel guilty for startling them with our boat.
After 90 minutes in the boat, we return (with an unfortunate amateur parking job by Justin, probably making Marco wonder how we even made it back — but he did snap this nice shot of us). The rain really starts to kick in and Marco generously lets us stay past checkout to wait for it to clear up a bit before we head off to Zwolle.
Giethoorn - Zwolle: 30.4 km
Google Maps time: 95 minutes Our time: 2 hrs 35 min (with an hour lunch stop in Hasselt)
The weather is mostly dry but with threatening skies overhead, we’re on the lookout for a village to take shelter in and have lunch should it start to pour. The town of Zwartsluis looks really charming but as it’s only 12 km into our bike ride, it’s too early for lunch or for anything to really be open (but we make a note of wanting to pay a visit in the future). Situated roughly halfway to our destination, we focus on making it over to Hasselt.
En route, we’re treated to another beautiful bike lane stretch with wetlands to the left of us and the Zwarte Water river to the right (a river which also leads into Zwolle). But with dramatic dark clouds gathering, we just take a few photos and then power through to the Hanseatic city of Hasselt, convinced we’re going to get dumped on at any minute.
A Hanseatic city or town denotes a municipality that was part of the Hanseatic League, a powerful trading organization of German origin in medieval times. Typically, they will be located along waterways for ease of trade and be enclosed by a wall for defensive purposes. … But we won’t pretend to know more about this by rephrasing facts we’re finding about this subject online. While fascinating, it’s also a little confusing to come to a clear consensus on just what makes a place part of the Hansa. However, it does seem to be generally agreed upon that there are nine recognized major Hanseatic cities in the Netherlands, and Hasselt is the first of three that we will visit on this trip. (Hope we can come back and visit all nine someday – sounds like a great future bike route!)
We shouldn’t be surprised to find Hasselt to be another historically rich, charming and beautiful town. That really does seem to be the case with any place we spontaneously visit on this trip and it’s one of the main reasons we love the Netherlands and so many countries in Europe. It seems more often than not, any place you visit – no matter how small – will feel welcoming and full of character. It’s almost more surprising when a town does NOT have these qualities (and the places that did make this distinction for us we will refrain from identifying out of consideration – after all, everywhere is home for somebody).
We have a quick walk around and then have lunch at the charming Ad'vundum (our new favourite ’t twaalfuurtje, consisting of a kroket, a sandwich and soup. Kind of like a traditional Dutch lunch combo). We’d like to stay longer but realizing that today is also a much needed laundry day, we need to press on to Zwolle (our fingers crossed that finding a wasserette there won’t be as much of an ordeal as it was in Leeuwarden).
We enter Zwolle’s city limits by crossing a bridge back over the Zwarte Water river (and going past a little rabbit hutch in a park full of bunnies – a good omen!). We’re in by 2:30 p.m., but ahead of checking into our hotel, our priority is Het Wasmandje, a laundromat that closes at 4 p.m. With that oddly early closing time, we’re already bracing for the worst (and riding in stinky clothes the next day). But we have to give a big thank you to the folks at Het Wasmandje, who were able to wash, dry and fold our clothes and have it all ready for us to pick up at 3:45 p.m. (And all for a fraction of the cost of the self-service wasserette in Leeuwarden. How does that make any sense?) So we should also plug that they specialize in gifts and catering for baby showers! With our clothes taken care of, we cross another bridge into Zwolle’s centrum to find our hotel, De Pelsertoren.
De Pelsetoren isn’t just any hotel. And it takes us a moment to realize we’re in the right spot – hard to believe our room for the night is in this 15th-century medieval tower that’s part of the wall that used to surround the city! Apparently, 23 towers used to line the canal of the inner city of Zwolle. Of those 23, only three remain, with the Pelsetoren being the only one that was refurbished to keep both its features as a historical monument intact while providing a unique experience for visitors to lodge there.
We ring the doorbell and pretty soon our friendly host Andries is coming up the street to let us in and lead us up the winding stairway to our room. While we do get the only suite of the four available that has no windows, the atmospheric ancient brick that encloses our room more than makes up for it.
We unload our bags and follow Andries to lock up our bikes … at yet another amazingly unique hotel he operates, De Staatsman. Located in the heart of Zwolle’s shopping district, this historic provincial building that was once a meeting venue for government matters is now a luxury hotel sporting seven beautiful suites. Turns out the city was so pleased with the work Andries and his wife did with De Pelsertoren that they were then asked to restore what is now his new hotel. He gives us a short tour of the building, which is stunning and features walls covered in intricate painted detail. It kinda has us wishing we could spend a second night here after our medieval tower stay!
Zwolle is clearly a city that revels in its own history and architecture, and this isn’t only on display in our awesome hotel. Around the corner is De Broerenkerk, a massive and stunning 15th-century church that has been converted into a beautiful bookstore. (As far as Alison is concerned, this is the best possible use of a space like this.) Remnants of the past are all around us as we stroll through Zwolle, soaking up the medieval ruins aesthetic. There are parts of the ancient walls that no longer connect as they have crumbled to a halt, but the jagged bricks that remain create a sublime effect as the gaps in the wall reveal elements of modern life behind them. It’s a beautiful blend of past and present (that this description and our photo do not do justice to!).
We even have the opportunity to pop into a bar that’s built right into one of the ancient walls lining the city. But while it’s beautiful inside, and we have a great spot by a window overlooking the canal, the music and service leave something to be desired and it’s a short visit.
Much more our speed is the next bar stop at De Tagrijn, a definite contender in our ongoing search for the best bruin cafés of the Netherlands (and which we discuss in further detail for our Café of the Day below). It’s a special place that reflects just how special a city Zwolle is. We’re able to enjoy a drink and reflect on the amazing things we’ve seen on yet another great day of biking around this country. And tomorrow, we’ll learn a bit more about a special connection Zwolle shares with our own home country.
CAFE OF THE DAY: De Tagrijn is Zwolle’s oldest bruin café, situated in a historic building that has also been both a brothel and a Salvation Army office (so it really ran the gamut of morals throughout history!). The owner, Fedde, tells us that it has been fully restored after a devastating fire in July of 2020. Insurance covered most of the repairs, he says, but the local community rallied around him so strongly with a very successful GoFundMe campaign. Even after full restoration, Fedde had enough cash to commission a local artist to create unique stained glass panels that celebrate the history of the building. We’re also inspired by the traditional mini Persian rugs that adorn the tables – something to add to our shopping list for Borrel?
LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: While travelling by bike, it makes sense that you want to travel light. But of course, the less clothes you pack, the more quickly you’ll find yourself in need of some clean attire. With two full 20-litre pannier bags each, we had enough clothes to last us about four days. (And Justin still had to wear an additional backpack to carry everything. It’s for this reason that Justin was thankful for packing two mesh running shirts. While soaked in sweat by the end of the day, they were easy to rinse in a bathroom sink and they dry quickly … and hopefully didn’t stink too much after multiple wears!) We could have opted for 30-litre bags, but you definitely feel the extra weight while biking. So while four days may not be bad for a laundry visit, the problem is that outside of Amsterdam, laundromats (or wasserettes) can be hard to find. (And in the case of our experience in Leeuwarden on Day 4, they can be expensive and ill-equipped.) Almost everyone in the Netherlands owns a washer (with dryers being the luxury household item). So while there certainly are wasserettes, plan your visits accordingly, especially if you are visiting smaller towns.