Achterhook

Understand

History

The Achterhoek was inhabited by Germanic tribes and was never a part of the Roman Empire. At Christianization around the year 800, it was not a region of its own - the west belonged to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht and the east to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Münster. The region only came to exist as the Zutphen Country during Medieval times. The area encompassed many castles, many of which stand to this day. Most were owned by the royal families of Bronkhorst and Van Heeckeren, which fought several succession wars against each other. Until the 19th century the Achterhoek had a feudal system. Due to the region's location at the border, it was invaded several times - mostly by German entities during the Guelders and Eighty Years War. Battles were fought mostly around the Bergh Castle and Keppel Castle, as well as the cities of Bredevoort and Groenlo. The Battle of Grolle of 1627 is reenacted bi-annually in Groenlo. During industrialisation, a large part of the Achterhoek was still feudal. Much of the land was still undeveloped, consisting of forests and sand flats. Industrialisation had an effect only on the cities along the Oude IJssel river and in the far east. As the ground contained bog iron, a hype for metallurgy hit Doetinchem, Ulft and Keppel, under the Dutch brands of ATAG, DRU and Pelgrim. In the east of the Achterhoek, textile industries boomed and continued in Aalten, Neede and Winterswijk until the end of the Second World War, when due to competition from low-wage countries the industry was no longer viable. During the time that it thrived, the textile industry made large invests in the region, especially by Winterswijkse magnate Jan Willink who funded many railroads throughout the region. This helped the textile industry survive in the rather remote east. Of these railroads, only the lines between Arnhem and Winterswijk and Winterswijk and Zutphen remain. Additionally, a heritage railroad, formerly spanning between Doetinchem

Getting there

From Amsterdam/Schiphol To get to Zutphen or Winterswijk, take the Intercity train to Apeldoorn and change in Apeldoorn to the small diesel train connection Zutphen and Apeldoorn in 20 minutes. It leaves from Apeldoorn at --:10 and --:40, a few minutes after the Intercity from Amsterdam arrived. It usually departs from the opposite side of the platform. Alternatively, you can reach Zutphen via Arnhem by changing there, but it will take about 10 to 15 minutes longer and doesn't cost more (i.e. with a ticket to or from Zutphen, you can choose between the Apeldoorn and Arnhem routes). See the article on Zutphen for more extensive information. For Winterswijk, trains leave at --:07 and --:37, and depending on the route taken (Amsterdam-Apeldoorn-Zutphen) or (Amsterdam-Arnhem-Zutphen) will take either 135 or 153 minutes. To get to Doetinchem, take the Intercity to Nijmegen and change trains in Arnhem. The train to Doetinchem and Winterswijk leaves 2 minutes after the arrival of the Intercity from Amsterdam, at --:04 and --:34, usually from platform 9. These trains take 34 minutes to Doetinchem and 68 minutes to Winterswijk, during the morning and afternoon rush there are 2 more to Doetinchem, at --:15, and --:45. For Winterswijk it's better to travel through Zutphen instead of Arnhem when coming from Amsterdam. To Doetinchem this should take 102 minutes, but it's likely to take 30 minutes longer because there's only a 2 minute change in Arnhem, which one is likely to miss. Not all towns can be reached by train. The ones that can be reached are: Doetinchem, Zutphen, Winterswijk, Lochem, Vorden, Ruurlo and Aalten

From Germany

To get to any of the cities above, head to Oberhausen (GER) first, whether by train or car. By car, use the A3 in the direction of Arnhem, Utrecht or Amsterdam. To get to Doetinchem or Zutphen from there, leave the A3 as soon as you cross the border, at Exit 30 . Jin the N812 heading for Beek. At the end of the N812, join the N335 heading fo

Getting around

The Achterhoek can be travelled by train, but as there are no train stations between Arnhem and Winterswijk via Zevenaar and Doetinchem, as well as Zutphen and Winterswijk via Vorden and Lievelde, a bus is recommended for most destinations. Bus service is provided primarily by Arriva. Train service is also provided by Breng. To plan travel by public transport, 9292 is recommended. Or you can rent a car or bike. Bike routes are of high quality and are well maintained.

See

The Achterhoek has many castles. Vorden alone has seven of them. Though not all can be visited, many are open to the public for a reasonable entry fee. Must-sees include Kasteel Huis Bergh (Bergh Castle), located in 's-Heerenberg and Kasteel Keppel (Keppel Castle) in Laag Keppel Museums in the Achterhoek are mostly local town museums. They generally display only items of interest to locals. Visiting these isn't a must, but they might appeal. Doetinchem and Winterswijk have the Openbaar Vervoer Museum and GOLS Museum, both of which highlight the role of public transport, especially trains and trams, for the region. Oost Gelre has several large events, including the De Zwarte Cross which is held annually. It is the largest motocross event of Europe featuring not only motorised vehicles, but live music as well. In addition, annually, Lichtenvoorde houses one of the largest flower parades of the Netherlands, if not Europe, called Bloemencorso Lichtenvoorde. Beautiful landscapes are common in the Achterhoek due to its semi-rural character. Terrains are flatter in the northwest of the region, and more sloped in the Montferland area in the south. The rivers in the area meandered a lot more in the past but have straightened somewhat over time. Their smaller branches are now mostly small lakes. All of these rivers and lakes provide opportunities for beautiful photos. The Oude IJssel river around Keppel is especially beautiful during the summer.

Do

The Achterhoek is ideal for hiking, especially in the well-forested area of Monferland which is great for a long walk during summer or fall. The Pieterpad also passes through this area. Every year a four-day hiking event is held sometime during the month of May (in 2017, from the 24th to the 27th). The Achterhoekse Wandelvierdaagse usually takes place in and around Doetinchem. Its routes are available online (although only in Dutch) if you wish to participate. Cycling is the most common mode of transport for the Dutch, including for Achterhoekers. Routes vary, with the above mentioned Montferland area having off-road routes with terrain that varies in elevation. The terrain becomes flatter towards the German border. You can easily travel from one town or city to another within half a day, making a vacation by bike an ideal option. Recreational waters are a popular with locals. Many former sand mining operations have been intentionally flooded to transform them into recreational lakes. The Liemers has three of these, and another can be found ju