Deventer

Introduction

Deventer, Overijssel, is situated on the banks of the river IJssel. The historic center is located on the eastbank, but newer parts have also been built on the other side of the river. Deventer, one of the Hanseatic cities, is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands.

Sights and Activities

The Waag

The Waag (in English Weighing-house) is located on the Brink square, it was built in 1550. Nowadays the Deventer City Museum is housed inside the Waag. The Museum's collections include industrial and trading history, paintings, silver objects and prehistoric findings. Legend has it that the kettle was used for a public execution in the late Middle Ages. A man who had counterfeited coins was cooked to death in it. Behind the Waag, there is a Toy Museum (in dutch: Speelgoedmuseum, which is housed in one of the old houses of the city.

Lebuïnuskerk

The Lebuïnuskerk (St. Lebuin's Church) was built in Gothic style, with remarkable ceiling paintings and a beautiful organ. In summer the tower can be climbed for a beautiful view over the town.

Brink

The Brink (market square) is the center of the town and also the center of Deventer nightlife. The houses, shops, and cafes date back from 1575 until 1900. Markets takes place on the square every Friday and Saturday. He you will also find the Bussink "Koekhuisje", where you can buy the famous Deventer Koek (honey-cake), and the aforementioned Waag building.

Bergkerk

The Bergkerk (Mountain Church), which was built in the 12th century, on top of a small hill (old river dune) is now used ofr musical perfomances and expositions. One of the events that takes place there anually is a performance of the Matthäus Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is performed on the Thursday and Friday before Easter. Not only the church dates back to the 12th century, the surrounding houses do as well.

Events and Festivals

Deventer Boekenmarkt

On the first sunday of August, there is a huge bookmarket in the center of Deventer, simply called the Deventer Boekenmarkt. There are hundreds of marketstalls covering a distance of 6 kilometres, making it the largest bookmarket in Europe. The market starts at 9.30 in the morning and lasts until 17.30.

Dickens Festijn

In the weekend before Christmas, the world of Charles Dickens is brought to life in the center of Deventer. The area near to the Bergkerk is were the actual festival takes place, but there is much more to do than only the festival. The entrance is only possible at the Keizerstraat, and is for free. The Festival starts at 11.00am and lasts until 17.00. Due to the many visitors (around 150,000 in two days) there is a waiting line, which is entertained with perfomances.

Getting There

By Plane

Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport, (external link: Schiphol), near Amsterdam is the largest airport in the Netherlands. From the airport you can reach Deventer by train in just under one and a half hour, depending on your time of departure at Schiphol, you can get to Deventer directly, or you need to make a stopover at Amersfoort.

By Train

Like most Dutch cities, Deventer is connected pretty well by train. Amsterdam can be reached in an hour and twenty minutes, and Zwolle in just 24 minutes. More information on timetables and tickets for travelling by train in the Netherlands can be found of the website of the NS.

By Car

Deventer lies on the A1 motorway, that runs from Amsterdam until it meets the German A2 autobahn, halfway to Hannover. On the way it connects Utrecht, Apeldoorn to the west of Deventer, and Enschede and Osnabrück to the west of the city. If you need to go to the north or south of the Netherlands, you can head to Apeldoorn, and switch there to the A50, that goes to Arnhem in the south, and Zwolle in the north.

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

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Upscale

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The rate for sending a postcard or letter up to 20 grams within the Netherlands is €0.46 (2010). Since 2010 there are stamps available for domestic post which no longer include the value in €. Instead, there are stamps available with either a '1' or a '2' as a substitute for value. The '1' can be used for letters and postcards up to 20 grams, while 20-50 grams require you to use the '2'-valued stamps (or two '1'-valued stamps of course).

Sending items to other EU countries will cost €0.67, while the rest of the world sets you back €0.89 per piece. Stamps are sold at post offices and supermarkets; often the place where you buy your postcards can also supply you with stamps.

Sending parcels abroad is more costly. A standard-sized parcel between 500-2,000 grams will cost you €9.10 for destinations within the EU, and €17.50 to the rest of the world. Parcel service is available from major post offices only; standard-size boxes are on sale there as well.

If you need to receive mail while moving around, you can have it sent poste restante (to be called for) to a post office of your choice, where it will be kept for a month. If you come to claim it, bring a valid ID, and make sure to have told the sender that the name on the envelope must be an exact match with that in your passport. For addresses of post offices, as well as more information, consult the TNT website.