Deventer – Dutch city
Deventer is one of the largest cities in the Dutch province Overijssel, which is situated in the east of the Netherlands, in between Friesland, Drenthe, Germany, Gelderland, Utrecht and Flevoland.
Cake City
Deventer is synonym to cake, although the city’s cake is hardly comparable to the cake anyone from outside the Netherlands knows. The city on the river IJssel has been known as the Koekstad (Cake City) for over 500 years. Any visitor should therefore stop at the famous Deventer koekwinkeltje (Deventer’s Little Cake Shop) at the Brink, owned by J.B. Bussink.
Brink museums
While you’re at the Brink, you might as well enjoy the rich history of the city, since the City Museum is located here as well. The wonderful Toy Museum offers more than dreams to any child.
Fish ‘n cake
The Brink (a common name for a square in many Dutch villages by the way) also hosts the historically important house called De Drie Haringen (The Three Herrings). The building was constructed in 1575 by herring market man and shipbuilder Herbert Dapper, and is one of the most important architectural leftovers from the 16th century, as well as one of the most beautiful. The herrings refer to a product that was as important as cake 500 years ago: fish. Already in those days, stockfish from Norway’s Bergen was imported in exchange for Deventer’s cake. In this region, both were part of daily meals in the Middle Ages.
Erasmus in Book City
Besides Cake City, Deventer has been Book City for ages as well. The city owns the largest annual book market in Europe. August of each year sees more than 6 kilometres of bookstands. The interest for books is no coincidence. The Dutch scholar and Renaissance humanist Erasmus (1466-1536) went to Latin School in Deventer. One of the first printing businesses in the Netherlands started off in the city 500 years ago as well.
Middle Age
The Middle Age character of the city centre is still very well visible. To navigate through the centre of town, it would hardly be problem to use the city map made by Johan Blaeu in 1649. The tourist office has two historical city walks to enjoy all monuments to the fullest. They also have a ‘shop walk’ as well as a children’s tour with various puzzles and assignments.
Bird Island
A walk that does not lead into town but into nature, is the route to Vogeleiland (Bird Island). This city park was designed in 1888 by Haarlem garden architect Leonard Springer, on one of the five river islands that used to function as defence structures. Now the island is one of the most loved recreational areas in the region. The waffles in petit restaurant De Mandala are celebrated.
Other diversions
Deventer’s largest church is the Grote Kerk or Lebuïnuskerk, whereas the city also possesses the oldest stone house in the Netherlands: it’s on Sandrasteeg, number 8, dating from 1130.
Trains and highways
The city lies along the west-to-east train and highway route Amsterdam-Enschede, on the eastside of the river IJssel. Near Deventer, the highway crosses the north-south highway from Zwolle to Arnhem.