Hanseatic Cities Path
SP11 Zutphen to Deventer along The IJssel
We got off the train at half past nine on Zutphen station’s cold and windy platform. So I quickly put on my hat, tightened my scarf, and started wearing warm gloves.
We climbed up the bridge and took the iron stairs down. We were back at our endpoint, our starting point for our next stage SP11 Zutphen to Deventer of the Hanseatic Cities trail. Again, our destination was Deventer (the Gorssel day trip also ended in Deventer) but now we walked along the west side following the IJssel river. We walked past an old, beautifully restored laundry. It is a conference center “different from others” in Gelderland today. We continued on the trail into the polder. There was some overlap with the Voorster Klei route in the opposite direction. The donkey was still hiding in “the Burrow,” as we named its crooked shelter.
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Past the pumping station, we entered new territory. We walked past the ruins of the 13th-century castle of Nijenbeek, which was restored in 2015. Unfortunately, the inside could only be visited by appointment. We kept sight of the IJssel and enjoyed the beautiful views. We felt “alone in this world.” There were no other walkers or cyclists, which was not surprising given the rough winter weather. However, a few brave fishermen were sitting near the waterfront when we approached Deventer.Ā
As we continued our walk, we saw the striking Lebuinus church tower in Deventer appear in the distance. This route to Deventer provided a typical Dutch scene: a dike, a mill, a church tower, pollard willows, and tiny houses with red roofs. We took the alternative route over the bridge towards the center because the ferry only sails in the summer.Ā
We had another memorable hiking day. We can’t get enough of the meandering IJssel and the picturesque Hanseatic cities!
DateS
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Distances
11.53 miles
18.56 km
Moving Time
4:12:26 hours
Weather
2 Ā°C
cloudy, gentle breeze