For many visitors to the Netherlands, the city of Zwolle probably isn’t really on the radar. If travellers do get outside of Amsterdam, they usually go to one of the other big cities like Rotterdam, Utrecht, and the Hague. But if you’re looking to explore more of the Netherlands, then this charming city in the province of Overijssel might be just the ticket. I’ve visited Zwolle on a number of occasions as it’s where the closest immigration office is, plus I did my integration exams there as well. During these trips I’ve taken the time to explore this cute city to share it with you. There are a surprising amount of fun things to see and do in Zwolle, so let’s get started!

About Zwolle

Zwolle is the capital of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Overijssel is the province in which you will also find Giethoorn (a very popular Dutch destination), so you should definitely spend some time in the city of Zwolle if you are travelling to Giethoorn as well. Zwolle has a beautiful medieval centre and lots of interesting architecture. If you look at it on a map from above, you will also see a vaguely star-shaped moat around the city centre. During WWII a Canadian soldier called Léo Major apparently single-handedly liberated Zwolle from German occupation and there is now a street named after him. Today the city is a charming mix of old and new, with interesting museums, plenty of shopping opportunities and great places for a bite to eat.

Things to Do in Zwolle

Here are the best things to do and see in Zwolle! You could easily do nearly all of these in one day as a day trip from Amsterdam, or perhaps stay overnight so you can really explore the city, or maybe a couple of nights so you can also visit nearby places like Giethoorn.

1. Follow the sculpture route from the station

If you arrive via train, then you will be perfectly positioned to start your day in Zwolle by exploring the Portal Art Route. Starting at the station and leading you into the city are a series of sculptures and odd little elements made by artists Ram Katzir and duo Hertog Nadler. It definitely makes for a fun walk from the station to the historic centre as you keep an eye out for each of the elements!

2. Admire the old fortifications

One of the best parts of Zwolle is exploring the leftover parts of the medieval walls around the city centre. You will notice partially ruined (and sometimes repurposed) pieces all around the main historic area but the most famous is the Sassenpoort Gate (above left). This was the main gate when the entire city was walled and was restored in the 1890s. Now it’s one of the top 100 Dutch Heritage Sites and a must-see when visiting Zwolle.

3. Check out the Grote Kerk

Sint Michaelskerk, or simply the Grote Kerk, is located right in the middle of the historic city centre and surrounded by cafés and shops.  It’s a gorgeous church with a famous Baroque organ and is worth a little visit inside just to marvel at its beauty. It also often hosts events and exhibitions, the day I went inside there was a local photography exhibition on display.

4. Marvel at the Museum de Fundatie

Ever since I saw a photo of this museum I wanted to visit since it looks so weird! This strange mix of traditional and futuristic architecture is the home of the Museum de Fundatie, a museum for visual arts. There are actually two locations for the museum (more on the second one later); the building in Zwolle was originally the courthouse, and the egg-shaped structure on top was added in 2012-2013.

Inside the museum, you’ll find a collection of artworks ranging from the end of the Middle Ages until today, along with regularly rotating temporary exhibitions. The most unique part is the gallery right at the top, inside the egg, where you can see out over the city from the window below. There’s also a café one floor down that enjoys the view.

As you walk down the stairs from the café you can look out the windows on the other side of the building to see the golden bird that perches on the roof. My favourite piece was the Van Gogh painting (bottom left) of De Molen ‘Le Blute-Fin,’ a windmill in Paris.

5. As well as the Herman Brood Experience

Herman Brood was a famous Dutch musician and painter who was born and raised in Zwolle. Directly opposite the Museum de Fundatie is the Herman Brood Experience, a small shop/café/art gallery where you can have a look at and even buy some of his artwork. I quite like his art style and enjoyed looking at the prints, sculptures and merchandise available. It also seems like a nice spot to sit with a coffee and watch the world go by, plus there’s another café next door.

6. Explore Van der Velde Boeken

One of the most well-known, and my favourite, places to visit in Zwolle is Van der Velde Boeken (which used to be known as Waanders in de Broeren): a bookstore in a 15th-century church! There’s another well-known and beautiful church-turned-bookstore in Maastricht, but this one in Zwolle is certainly much closer to Amsterdam.

The entire church has been transformed into a huge bookstore, as well as a café at one end. While most books are in Dutch, of course, there are a fair amount of English ones for sale as well as some lovely gift ideas that aren’t books. For fellow bibliophiles, this is the number one thing to see in Zwolle! You can do a guided tour of the church for €15 or just wander around for free.

7. Climb the Peperbus (or just admire it)

Another iconic sight in Zwolle is de Peperbus (or pepperbox) which is actually the tower of another church; Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming (Our Lady of the Ascension). The 75-metre tower is one of the most famous in the Netherlands and is open to visitors when the church is open. You can climb the tower for views over Zwolle for €4 for adults, check the website for opening times and dates. Of course, if you don’t feel like climbing all the way up, you will spot it peeping over the buildings all over the city.

8. See cute cats at Kattencafé Skatjes

Even though we basically live in a cat café, I’m still a sucker for visiting them and Zwolle is home to a very charming one called Kattencafé Skatjes. Skatje in Dutch translates to cutie and this café is definitely home to some cuties!

I really enjoyed my tuna salad sandwich, which was cut into the shape of a cat face and came with both a napkin featuring cat art and a little toothpick with a cat face on the end. They also serve ‘catcakes,’ cupcakes with edible art on top of the actual cats in the café, although I don’t think I could bring myself to eat them!

There’s also a gorgeous mural on the outside wall of the building.

9. Shop and eat!

If you don’t fancy having a meal with cats, then Zwolle is also home to lots of shops, restaurants, bars and cafés which are just begging to be explored. If you walk from the Grote Markt along the Diezerstraat (a pedestrian-only street) you will see all the major shops, and by ducking down side streets you will also discover many small boutique stores and a craft fair on weekends.

The main square by the Grote Kerk (Grote Markt) has lots of busy cafés and we also saw many cool ones by venturing a few streets away. If you want to shop and enjoy a nice meal or drinks then Zwolle is a great place to do so. Some places that I haven’t personally been to but have on my list to check out next time include:

• De Librije: This restaurant has 3 Michelin Stars and looks gorgeous, so it would be a great choice if you’re splurging on an amazing meal for a special occasion!
• In Den Hoofdwacht: This is the little restaurant that’s sort of attached to the Grote Kerk (you can see it in the photo above) and is a good choice if you want to eat on the main terrace and watch the world go by.
• Grand Café Staatsman: I recently spotted this ‘grand café’ and thought it looked stunning from the outside. Checking their website, this also looks like a great spot for lunch if you’re shopping in the city centre, especially if you sit in the inner terrace.
• De Admiraal Bar & BBQ: I love the style of this bar/restaurant, which features lots of wood like it’s the inside of a ship and serves some pretty mouth-watering looking dishes to boot.
• Wannawaffle: This looks like the perfect spot for breakfast or brunch in Zwolle, particularly if you like waffles! They have sweet and savoury choices, as well as sandwiches, salads and other dishes.

10. Head to the ‘south side’

Most tourists to Zolle probably go straight to the historic area, which is beautiful and definitely a must-see, but you might also like to check out the more modern “south side” of the city! I’ve walked through here multiple times on my way to the immigration department office, and there are some very cool art pieces as well as unique modern architecture. I’d recommend at least walking out of the train station past the rainbow arches (the first photo in this section) to the square outside the Stadskantoor. There are usually some food trucks here, as well as a Spar supermarket, so you could get a cheap meal to sit and eat in the square when the weather is nice.

11. Visit the Bonami Games and Computers Museum

One rather unexpected attraction in Zwolle is the Bonami Games and Computers Museum. This is an interactive computer game museum so you will be able to play on some classic consoles. There’s also a virtual roller-coaster with 3D glasses, a working 3D printer and as many arcade games and computer items for any nerd to be happy! The entrance fee isn’t cheap, but once you have paid then all the consoles, arcade games, etc,. are free to play, so you can spend hours reliving your childhood. Read more about my visit here.

12. Go further afield to Kasteel Het Nijenhuis

If you have a car and are a fan of castles and/or sculpture art then you should definitely drive the 25 minutes out of the city to explore Kasteel het Nijenhuis. This is the second location of the Museum de Fundatie I mentioned above, and is home to one of the coolest sculpture gardens I have ever seen! I have a whole blog post on all the amazing art but here is a sneak peek if you need convincing. If you don’t have a car you could also get the train from Zwolle to Heino and from there the castle is about a 20-minute walk.

Other things to do in Zwolle

There’s more to do in Zwolle than just these twelve things, here are some other cool ideas that I haven’t completely explored for myself (yet)!

• Boat hire: I mentioned the star shape of Zwolle’s city centre, well you can hire boats to sail around in the moat as well! It looks like a lovely way to spend a sunny day and see Zwolle from a different angle. There’s a boat rental place just near the Museum de Fundatie which has those weird round boats that look like lots of fun.
• ANNO Stadsmuseum Zwolle: Top of my list for my next trip to Zwolle is a visit to this museum, which illustrates the history of Zwolle through stories of former residents.
• Dinoland Zwolle: A theme park full of dinosaurs, what could possibly go wrong?! Well, luckily the dinosaurs aren’t real but I’ll be honest, I really want to visit this attraction even though it’s mostly for kids. Apparently, there are dinosaur models throughout the park, as well as things like laser tag and mini-golf along with educational activities for any aspiring palaeontologists out there.
• Street art and sculptures: I have noticed on my trips around the city that there is quite a lot of cool graffiti art as well as ‘official’ art and sculptures throughout Zwolle. Simply wander around and keep an eye out!

Where to stay in Zwolle

I haven’t personally stayed overnight in Zwolle since it’s so easy to visit from Lelystad as a day trip, but there are plenty of excellent accommodation options to choose from, no matter your budget.

Budget: The most affordable option is Hostel & Bar De Basis, which is right by the Museum de Fundatie and offers bunks in dorms or private rooms. There’s also a restaurant/bar which offers decent prices for food and features a terrace for sitting outside.

Mid-range: As you walk from the train station to the city centre you actually pass two hotels next door to each other, which both look like nice spots to stay. Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Ter Borch is gorgeous, and the Bilderberg Grand Hotel Wientjes has a really cute old-fashioned facade (photo above). Alternatively, Hotel Staatsman (in the same building as Grande Café Staatsman) looks really lovely or you could even stay on a houseboat called Boat Boutique!

Luxury: If you’re looking for a bit more luxury then Zwolle is home to the pretty incredible five-star Librije’s Hotel, which has amazingly beautiful (and colourful) rooms, some with freestanding bathtubs, and the Michelin-starred restaurant I mentioned earlier.

Map of Zwolle

I’ve added all the places that I’ve mentioned in this guide into a handy map so you can easily see where they’re all located in relation to each other. Just click on the map below to open it.

Getting to Zwolle

It’s very simple to get to Zwolle by public transport as it’s one of the major rail hubs in the country. You can get a direct train from Amsterdam to Zwolle, which takes about an hour and a half (sometimes a bit less) and costs around €13 each way (if you buy the tickets online and travel during off-peak times). Zwolle is also a great place to stay if you are looking to visit Giethoorn since that takes quite a lot of travel time from Amsterdam. You could stay in Zwolle for a couple of nights, explore the city and then easily get the bus from Zwolle to Giethoorn for a day trip. Use the website 9292 to help plan further travels from Zwolle.

Visiting Giethoorn from Zwolle

Zwolle is also in a great spot if you’d like to perhaps stay overnight and visit the picture-perfect town of Giethoorn! You can read more about visiting Giethoorn in my guide. While you can stay the night in Giethoorn itself, it would also be quite convenient to combine a trip to both places in one, and then choose if you’d rather stay in Giethoorn or Zwolle.

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Have you ever visited Zwolle? Let me know in the comments if there are any other must-visit places I’ve missed! Or pin one of these if you want to visit this cool town for yourself someday.