Netherlands > Historic Deventer

I slept very well last night. We sleep on the ground floor on the street side, but I hardly noticed the noise from loud youths outside. Around half past seven, a garbage truck collects the trash. By then, I’m already awake. At the breakfast buffet, we carefully take note of the hotel’s corona rules. We are allowed to take whatever we want from the buffet, and then enjoy breakfast either on the outdoor terrace or in our room. Eating inside is not permitted. A difficult choice. The room only has a small desk, and the outdoor terrace is still chilly. We choose the latter. From the terrace in the courtyard, we have a view of the outside of the historic building—perhaps even more beautiful than inside. After breakfast, we set out to explore the city using a walking tour with detailed explanations of the sights. Our hotel is even mentioned in the description. We pick up the route there. Right next to the hotel stands the former famous bakery of the Jewish De Leeuw family. During the war, they were in hiding here but were betrayed. Today, the building houses the city guesthouse—a special place to stay overnight. Around the corner is the ruin of the Chapel of the Lamme van Diezehuis. The chapel dates back to the fourteenth century. In the seventeenth century, the Jordenshof was a residence for single women. Today, the courtyard is closed due to corona risks. We make our way to Deventer station. The station appeared in 1864 on the edge of the then city. At that time, the station building had to be made of wood so it could be quickly dismantled in case of war threats. The current brick building dates from 1914. The irregular design was intended to convey a village character. Behind the station lies the former cemetery. It’s apparently cemetery week.

Netherlands - Old graves at the Jewish cemetery on the edge

Some volunteers tell us the cemetery was opened in 1831. By order of the first king of the Netherlands, William I, the dead had to be buried outside the city. Mid-last century, the cemetery was closed to give priority to the expanding city. The cemetery, with many graves from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was left behind. We walk through the heavily overgrown cemetery. Most gravestones are over a hundred years old. Over the wall, we look at the adjacent Jewish cemetery. This cemetery is closed on Saturdays due to the Sabbath. Via the former union building “Help U Zelven,” now a funeral center, we return to the station. The city wall once ran in front of the station. Due to the city’s expansion, the walls were torn down and the moats filled in. We cross the street and walk into the old center. We pass several historic buildings. Many houses were built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Jugendstil style. This illustrated the city’s wealth during the Hanseatic League period. Wealthy merchants had beautiful houses built. We pass the antique shop D’Olde Bakkerieje. The elderly owner sits outside. A few years ago, he became known on television for saying “mand.” A reporter asked him to be more concise. The shop is a treasure trove of antiques and old items. There’s stuff everywhere, making it almost impossible to walk through. Further along Walstraat is an old city farm. In the past, city farms inside the walls could supply inhabitants with food during a siege. Until the 1980s, cows were still driven annually over the Brink to the floodplains of the IJssel River.

Netherlands - The cozy antique shop DOlde Bakkerieje

The Brink forms the heart of Deventer. Today, Saturday, there is a market. The stalls attract many visitors. A steward approaches us. Due to the crowds, there is a one-way route around the stalls. We hadn’t noticed this and are walking against the flow. We continue our route on the other side of the market. The terraces are busy due to the nice weather. We decide to make a reservation for tonight— it would be a shame if we couldn’t find anywhere to eat. Through the Waag, we reach the Munttoren. Here, in cooperation with the Hanseatic cities Kampen and Zwolle, their own coins were once minted. The building was in poor condition at the beginning of the last century. Fortunately, the characteristic building has been restored. A nearby warehouse on Rijkmanstraat has also been preserved. The house stands somewhat alone—surrounding buildings were lost during a bombing in the war. We arrive at the Bergkerk in the Bergkwartier. The church stands on a river dune and is fifteen meters higher than the Brink. The church dates from 1206. According to legend, the towers were deliberately built at uneven heights, but this is an optical illusion—both towers are exactly the same height. Around the church are many old buildings with beautiful facades. We walk along the city wall and cross the busy Emmastraat. We enter the neighborhood with the old factories.

Netherlands - The old factories have been converted into apartments

Many of these factory buildings have been preserved and now serve as apartments. The early twentieth-century atmosphere has been maintained. We pass the mill, the oil press, and the flax mill. The Senzora factory is still in use. At the Wilhelminabrug, we go under Emmastraat again and return to the center. In fact, almost every street has a special historic building. We pass many seventeenth-century houses that didn’t even make it into our description. At Grote Poot is a cozy square with terraces. The “Hereniging,” the building of the social club, stands proudly on the square. On the nearby Botermarkt, trade used to take place under a wooden canopy. The canopy is currently being renovated. Opposite the Botermarkt, the Proosdij is the oldest stone house in the Netherlands. We have seen a lot of Deventer city. We have some trouble finding the right way to the Buiskensklooster. A man we ask seems never to have heard of the monastery. His wife comes by and points the way. The garden behind the monastery is beautifully laid out and neatly maintained. An oasis of calm in the middle of the city. Here we conclude our walking tour through Deventer. In the afternoon, we return to the Brink. On one of the terraces, we meet friends of Nicolette. Together we have drinks while the market vendors pack up their stalls. Street sweepers clean the square. At half past six, we move to another terrace nearby. Here we have a reservation for dinner. The reservation was definitely necessary—every table is occupied. Back in the hotel room, we look back on a wonderful day.