Discover Deventer, the quirky Dutch riverside city in the heart of the Netherlands – Tags: city, city trip, Deventer, Deventer koek, Dutch city, IJssel, Overijssel, picturesque, River IJssel, the Netherlands, travel, travelling, Twente, typical Dutch
Travel Diary: Deventer the pretty, picturesque place famous for its “Deventer Koek” and Christmassy Dickens Festival
- Country: the Netherlands
- Province: Overijssel
Most of you have no doubt heard of Amsterdam, the Dutch capital city with its canals, its infamous Red-Light District, its Anne Frank Museum, and much, much more.
But what about Deventer, the quirky city in Overijssel? Situated on the banks of the IJssel, Deventer looks as picture-perfect as you can imagine, especially with the sunbeams reflected in the water.
Walking through the streets, you feel the wonderful atmosphere, the vibrancy of the city that has a population of just over 100,000. The impressive cathedral stands proudly; the square around it filled with restaurants and cafes. There’s the original ‘Deventer koek’ museum – we’re not going to translate that, you’ll just have to taste it!
Deventer’s history is rich: from the English missionary Lebuinus (who is credited with founding the city) to the Saxons and Vikings who burnt it down. Have you heard of Erasmus? Well, he was a student in Deventer!
And did you know Deventer bridge was the location for the bridge in the film A Bridge Too Far?
These days, Deventer is famous for its delicious Deventer honey cake and… for the yearly Christmassy Dickens Festival which takes place in December. Over the course of that weekend, Deventer’s Bergkwartier is transformed into a Victorian town with almost a 1,000 characters from Dickens’ famous books coming alive on the streets.
We hope you enjoy the YouTube video, our little impression of Deventer in the summer of 2024.
Thanks for reading!
Jon & Caz Cole
The video has been posted on YouTube; this article has also been posted on Substack.