Hanseatic Year 2023: all kinds of fun in nine different Hanseatic cities in Overijssel and Gelderland
Going out in our own country: we love it. This year it's a real party, because in 2023 it is The Hanze Year. The Dutch Hanseatic cities (Doesburg, Zutphen, Deventer, Zwolle, Hattem, Hasselt, Kampen, Elburg and Harderwijk) will celebrate the 2023-year legacy of the Hanseatic League in 800. And in doing so, the Hanseatic cities give visitors and residents the Hanseatic feeling again. So party, all year long. All kinds of different events (from a chocolate festival to a nine-day light event), and in every city they are of course as unique as the city itself! Below you will find all the tips and tricks for nine Hanseatic cities in Overijssel and Gelderland.
The 'Kleur de Hanze' event is on from December 22 to 30! And that's quite a teamwork project, because everyone can participate! You download a coloring page, color it (or let the kids do it) and then you upload it again.
If your drawing has been selected to be projected on the Hanzepand, you will be notified via the email you provided when uploading (you will receive that email sometime in mid-December) and you will immediately know when and where your artwork will be projected. be!For example at the Vischpoort in Harderwijk or the City Hall in Doesburg. Every day, a building is highlighted with projections in each of the nine participating Hanseatic cities between 17:00 PM and 23:00 PM.
For your share of terrace shopping, stroll through historic streets and past old facades. To have an extensive meal or to get a quick bite somewhere so that you can still visit all the museums. For the down-to-earth conviviality of the residents, for the enterprising vibe and the history of the Hanseatic cities. For a good cup of coffee, for a perfectly tapped beer, for an afternoon of sailing on an old botter and for a medieval setting. For shopping, for attending festivals and for discovering culture and history. In short, going out in your own country? On to the nine pearls in the east, the Hanseatic cities of the Netherlands.
Below you will find the tips, hotspots and the best things to do in the Hanseatic cities of Doesburg, Zutphen, Deventer, Zwolle, Hattem, Hasselt, Kampen, Elburg and Harderwijk in the Hanseatic year 2023 (and actually any other period).
Photo credits Gijs Versteeg
A weekend in Zwolle, why not?! Where merchants used to create the buzz, now it is students, entrepreneurs and other creative people. Delicious food Het Pestengasthuys, Jaffa Jaffa Streetfood (or if your wallet allows it: De Librije) or visit a number of pubs so you can taste all the local breweries. Very nice for a tour Axes Castellum Monastery Beer: enter the vaulted cellar, learn about the only Zwolle monastery beer and then continue your beer tour City café Het Refter (with good snacks and a grilled Rueben sandwich, must!). During the day it is a trip back in time to it Zwols Ballethuis a good idea: a case of filling bags with polka chunks and wine balls. Zwolle has more than enough to offer for a good coffee or (vegetarian) lunch. We mention Villa Suikerberg, Brasserie Jansen, De Gillende Keukenmeiden and and and..
A city on the river always has something extra cozy, something lively and exuberant. Panta rei, as you can so beautifully say. And so is Deventer, full of atmosphere, good catering, with beautiful monumental buildings and in beautiful surroundings. Not to be missed Town square de Brink with its many nice restaurants and pubs and not to be missed Deventer cookie shop (kind of like gingerbread, but different). You will find the brewery less than a ten-minute walk from the Brink DAVO, where you can enjoy delicious beers in their beer garden and even try their own whisky. Shopping? In Deventer? Is Rihanna pregnant? A very good idea. Stroll down Walstraat and Grote Oeverstraat or if you're really greedy, you'll have to go for a while The Old Mustard Factory walk into: a market hall full of antiques, handmade jewelry, curiosities and delicacies.
To sleep? You do that Hotel Finch, an oh-so-nice and handsome hotel in the old center of Deventer.
Harderwijk is a Hanseatic city with star status. Foodies have come to the right place, because it is bursting with terraces and dining options. Whether you want a Dutch eel to slide down your throat John or would you rather sit down at a restaurant with (several) Michelin stars ('t Nonnetje), there is something for everyone. They even get ice cream here with flair. Namely at Partridge Pastry & Ice Cream, where this year they even received the title 'Golden Ice Cream Creation 2023' for their Mille-Tuille. Want to get some fresh air after a day in Harderwijk? That means with your feet in the sand city beach Valhalla.
There are two place names that may bear the name Hasselt and one of those two is located in the Netherlands. Both are nice, but the one in our own country is easier to reach for many Dutch people. A town full of character with attractive facades, leafy streets and hidden places. History meets good catering and cozy places. What are we going to do? Hasselt is small, so everything is within easy walking distance. Go for a High Tea De Linde , walk the Pilgrim walk, just pop inside Lime Kiln Museum and end the day with a full drinks board Eating & Drinking De Stadskamer.
If you're planning a weekend in the Netherlands in 2023, you're in luck: this year is the year of the Hanseatic Cities! In each of the nine Hanseatic cities there is plenty of fun, unique and festive things to do all year round. Here you will find what festivities, events and more there are to do in the Hanseatic cities.
One of the band members of the Hanseatic Cities is Doesburg, mustard city of the Netherlands. It's not big, but it's a nice town to visit once. Be sure to drop in Doesburg Mustard and Vinegar Factory. Mustard has been produced since 1457 and here we explain in detail how it works. For just €3 you can become a real mustard master. Straight to Lunchroom La Fleur, because that's where you'll find the best mustard soup of 2022. And for drinks? De Waag Stadsbierhuys: since 1478, making it the oldest catering establishment in the Netherlands.
Read more tips about the Hanseatic city of Doesburg here
Photo Lindy Balduk
An ode to the Hanseatic city Elburg, where it feels like you've stepped into a postcard. 10 points for the Hanseatic year, giving us another reason to visit Elburg. 100 points for walking through the medieval city gate and seeing all the details of the former fishing town. And 1000 points for convenience, which contributes to the holiday feeling: getting lost is almost impossible due to the straightforward street plan. Nice concept stores like foeke en EEF&Co, freshly baked bread at the Baker's mill in an industrial building and you add food Restaurant Achter de Poorte with French-Mediterranean cuisine and the occasional Asian touch (lemon sole with bulgur and hollandaise or open ravioli with celeriac and shiso, for example).
Hi, ha. Hattem. This cute town is located between the northern edge of the Veluwe and the IJssel. Hattem is a city in the small but nice category, but definitely worth it. Beautiful alleys, good restaurants (Outer bailey en With the Boys, do it!), a sweet Bakery Museum and plenty to discover for yourself.
Kampen (also known as the cigar city) has been buzzing since the thirteenth century: fishermen, craftsmen and merchants used to provide activity, and now it is the residents, day trippers and tourists. If you want to experience the glorious times of the Hanseatic League anywhere, it is De Unicorn Coffee & Tea en Tobacco factory De Olifant (the first and only tobacco factory still in operation in Kampen). Lots of nice boutiques too, and if you've had a nice day, now it's time for a drink at the Stupid van Campen, where it's anything but stupid. Or at Hanze Pavilion Hanzezicht, for that holiday feeling in the middle of the city.
Next up: Hanseatic city Zutphen. In the Middle Ages, this city was already known as a idiosyncratic Hanseatic city. Fast forward to 2023 and it is still one that should not be forgotten in terms of quirkiness and originality. This way you can get one on June 22 dinner in the sky books (not for those afraid of heights, by the way). If you prefer to keep it lower to the ground, join us The Winery Tower for pizza and pasta or with Nic & I for good wine and fusion dishes. Sleeping in Zutphen? Yes, that almost has to happen the Brethren's Monastery (then include a wine tasting in the medieval wine cellar).
Yes, hey stop: don't forget the Hanze Escape Event! On May 13 and 14, 2023, nine Hanseatic cities will celebrate simultaneously and everyone is invited. You don't have to bring your swimwear and you won't be taken home either. What are we going to do then?
You and your team (your grandfather, your aunt, your best friend, that one colleague, collect them all) have to find the secret exit of the city within two hours. Time is ticking, also because this edition can only be played on May 13 and 14. Only on this weekend, but can be organized entirely in your own time because it lasts 48 hours (in Elburg, Doesburg, Deventer, Harderwijk, Hasselt, Hattem, Kampen, Zutphen or Zwolle). If you are a real fan of Escape Rooms, then you will of course take them all. Yes, and of course there are prizes to be won.
