The Peddlers Path

LAW3
From Rijssen to Okkenbroek

September 2025

Back to Rijssen

Eight days later, just after half past nine, we found ourselves back at the station in Rijssen. About twenty-five minutes later, we reached the little self-service ferry, Reggeveer Notter-Zuna, across the Regge—the endpoint of our previous hike and, this time, the starting point for a new stage of the Marskramerpad.

Along the Regge and Through Old Countryside

We followed the Regge for about an hour along a grassy path through the meadows. The walking was strenuous, but the scenery made up for it with its open views and peaceful silence. Just before reaching Zuna, we left the river behind and entered a charming stretch of old Dutch countryside. The farmhouse, with its weathered barn, De Oâle Schöppe, apple trees, and grazing sheep, must have looked much the same a few hundred years ago.

Heathlands, Storks, and a Rainbow

We crossed the N347 highway and reached the Zunasche Heide. A marker described a pingo ruin, a term I had never encountered before. Pingos, it explained, were hills with an ice core that formed when the ground was permanently frozen. When the climate warmed, the ice melted, and the hills collapsed, leaving behind a round, hollow space that later filled with peat and water. Fascinating, since at first glance, this pingo ruin seemed just an ordinary pond.

The Zunasche Heide was beautiful in the windy weather. We saw a group of storks wandering around, and in the distance, a rainbow stretched across dark skies.

Discovering the Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park

The heath gradually blended into the Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park. We walked through the forests, spotted patches of blooming heather, and quickly peeked through the fence at the Holten Canadian War Cemetery. It’s wonderful to honor those who fought for our freedom, but also sad to realize they died in senseless wars.

Lunch in Holten and Endless Heathlands

In Holten, we saw a familiar sight as we crossed the Pieterpad trail, which we walked in 2022. We decided to have lunch at the restaurant Buitengewoon Holten, since we still had about six miles to go. Half an hour later, we continued our walk through endless, beautiful heathlands. The dark skies in the background made the scenery even more stunning.

A Soaking Rain and a Quick Escape

Just after leaving the Sallandse Heuvelrug, the rain started pouring down. It fell horizontally, and we got completely soaked. During the last hour, I only took a few photos of the Salland farmland, since the rain wasn’t exactly healthy for my camera. We quickened our pace to catch the bus in the tiny village of Okkenbroek, which only ran once an hour. We arrived on time and happily boarded the small bus.

From Okkenbroek to Deventer

The driver and another passenger immediately recognized us as Marskramerpad hikers, and I noticed their pity, as we looked like drowned cats. We told them we had simply had bad luck with the weather during the last hour.

We were safely dropped off at Deventer station and walked a short distance to the characteristic Fletcher Hotel located downtown. After a warm shower, we headed out for dinner at the cozy restaurant St. Maxine.