Vollenhove
An ancient Zuiderzee town that was once the seat of the Bishop of Utrecht's castle, where the harbour, churches and noble estates form a peaceful historic streetscape.
Vollenhove has held town rights for over 700 years. In the Middle Ages the Bishop of Utrecht built a castle here, and many noble estates (havezaten) later grew up around it; you can stroll among the remains of the Toutenburg estate and its classical gardens. On the harbour side stand the Church of St Nicholas and Little St Mary's Church, along with the old town hall building. The town gets few visitors, and it makes a good cycling route linked with Blokzijl (about 6 km apart, along the old sea dyke). A visit takes about an hour and is free.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Blokzijl
- De Wieden Visitor Centre & Laarzenpad
- Weerribben-Wieden National Park
- Kalenberg
- Dwarsgracht
- Ossenzijl & De Weerribben Visitor Centre
- Giethoorn
- Museum Giethoorn 't Olde Maat Uus