Tour de Pays-Bas Day 9: Zwolle to Harderwijk
We wake up to our alarms in our windowless medieval tower room with no windows (a bit disorienting to be without natural light!) and head out to enjoy a morning stroll around Zwolle to find some coffee and breakfast.
But our main goal is to pay tribute to Zwolle’s Canadian war hero, Leo Major. Haven’t heard of him? Neither had we until we started researching Zwolle ahead of this trip. Leo Major was a soldier from Quebec, who is credited for being almost single-handedly responsible for liberating Zwolle from Nazi occupation at the end of the Second World War. He remains a celebrated household name in Zwolle, which also has a street named after him. This year marks the 80th anniversary of liberation, and there were many ceremonies and memorials in Zwolle earlier this year to mark the occasion and honour the Canadian soldiers who fought so valiantly. Leo Major in particular was honoured with a commemorative banner that was unveiled at the local PEC Zwolle professional football club’s stadium.
Dutch children still grow up learning about Leo Major in school. Last night, we met a twentysomething bartender who was not only well-versed in his history but also advised us that making the trek out to visit the actual street he’s named after, “Leo Majorlaan,” isn’t that essential a visit. (The street is apparently in a quiet residential neighbourhood without too much else to see. But we’ve included a picture from Wikipedia of the sign above.) Instead, we decide to look elsewhere – and a good place to start is the ANNO Stadsmuseum, which has a free exhibit called Behind the Facade in honour of 80 years of liberation.
There, we see an iconic photo of Canadian soldier Earl Olmsted – a compatriot of Leo Major who both served in the Régiment de la Chaudière – seen here on the telephone of a communications vehicle in the Grote Markt in Zwolle soon after it had been liberated. There are several other moving stories about the lives of local people living in Zwolle during the Second World War, including Nora Louise van Zanten, a young teacher who refused to comply with the regulations imposed on Jewish people by the Nazi regime.
Zwolle is also home to a stunning art gallery called the Museum de Fundatie, which also has an exhibit in recognition of 80 years of freedom from the Nazis. Fundatie Collectie: 80 Years of Freedom is an incredible display of art from the museum’s permanent collection by artists who were considered “degenerate” by the Nazis, including pieces by Chagall, Klee, Van Gogh, Kandinsky and Matisse. Some more chilling artifacts are also on display, such as the program from the 1930s “Degenerate Art Exhibition,” put on by the Nazis in 1937 to denigrate and humiliate these great artists.
In addition to the wonderful art contained inside, the Museum de Fundatie is also known for being a work of art itself. It’s housed in the former Palace of Justice, originally built in the 19th century, with the traditional facade topped by a modern shimmery egg-like dome.
Zwolle - Harderwijk: 44.9 km
Google Maps time: 2 hours, 18 minutes Our time: 3 hrs 45 min (includes stop for lunch!)
The moving museum visits make us a little late leaving Zwolle, but of course it’s well worth it. We have a nice chat with hotelier Andries as we check out and, of course, just as we’re about to head out, it starts raining. Just like the day before, we linger a little while until the rain subsides a bit. It actually makes for a nice bike ride when there’s just a sprinkle of rain and Zwolle is extra beautiful as we make our exit out of the city. But after just 10 minutes of cycling we get completely dumped on. Luckily, there are plenty of trees along the route and we take shelter with a number of other cyclists until it’s safe to venture out again. But the rain clouds follow us and we take shelter under numerous more trees and bridges en route. It’s slowing us down and we’re getting pretty soaked. We even contemplate getting a train from nearby town Wezep the rest of the way to Harderwijk. (Even though it looks short on our map route above, Zwolle to Harderwijk is still a good 45 km ride.) But we already had a cheat day when we took the train partway from Leeuwarden to Groningen, and we decide it’s only fair to press on.
We’re so determined that we completely miss the fact that we’ve crossed the border from Overijssel to Gelderland (the sixth province we’ve hit on this trip). With strategic stops for a bizarre lunch experience in Oldebroek and a hydration break in Nunspeet, we avoid getting too wet and by the time we bike into Harderwijk it’s sunny (it’s incredible how quickly the weather can change here from hour to hour). There’s still a big thrill we get from biking into our final destinations. Not only have we reached the finish line for the day, but it’s magical how these historic villages, towns and cities reveal themselves after a long bike ride. Often minutes before arriving you’ll be biking through a field or on a dyke or alonside a river then suddenly you’re over a bridge and into a maze of cobblestone streets lined with quaint old stone buildings. It’s especially gratifying to experience these changes in the landscape by bike.
We were warned that Harderwijk is a bit of a touristy town. And with the Dolfinarium, a waterpark and a beach bar, we should be a little terrified. But Harderwijk is another example of how the Dutch are good about incorporating these rather tacky elements while maintaining some class. The Dolfinarium and waterpark (which did look like a lot of fun! No judgment!) are separated across from the town. And the independent restaurants along the pier are tasteful (we enjoyed a great seafood spread at Johannes. Highly recommend their Fish Sharing Plate!) with seating that allows for an excellent view of the Wolderwijd Lake (part of the Zuiderzee) and many of the more than 600 wind turbines that inhabit the neighbouring province of Flevoland.
And you can easily find respite from waterfront activities when you step through one of the grand brick wall entrances to the old city where we find more beautiful ancient architecture, a charming public art display of a couple making out, a big market square with locals having a drink on the terrace and a cozy bruin cafe called Café de Belofte (that we sadly did not have time to get to because of our dinner reservation. But we’re going to call it an honorary Café of the Day anyway!). It all makes for a lovely relaxing evening as we enjoy a nightcap by the water and watch the stunning sunset over the Zuiderzee.
LEARN FROM THE AMATEURS: While the Netherlands doesn’t exactly offer Dutch Lion Safari (well, there is a safari park here but we won’t plug that), in the “wild” (and also often in urban areas) you will come across a lot of animals. On our trip (that we can recall) we saw: cows, sheep, goats, horses, ponies, donkeys, deer, swans, ducks, cranes, herons, storks, cormorants, jackdaws, geese, peacocks, magpies, parakeets … and a camel? (See Day 4.) We’re suckers for animals, and if we’d stopped for every animal photo op there was on our trip, we’d still be pedalling right now. But be warned! As adorable as all this wildlife and livestock is to look at, occasionally (ok, more often than that) the wind would blow a certain direction and the, ah, bouquet of various farm animals and their ordure would perfume our journey. Of course such fragrances are only natural and usually waft away quickly enough, but be prepared for the occasional stench to interrupt what is otherwise a beautiful bike ride.