Zutphen

Zutphen (population 46,000) is an historic city in the center-eastern part of the Netherlands. The city has existed since Roman times and received its city rights in 1190, making it one of the oldest medieval cities in the Netherlands.

The city was voted as having the best city center of The Netherlands in the category of small cities in 2006.

It has an untouched historic city center that gives you the feeling of travelling hundreds of years back in time. It is not widely known to foreign tourists and waiting to be discovered.

Zutphen is located in a river valley at the river IJssel, a sidebranch from the branch of the Rhine known as the Nederrijn. The small river Berkel (no shipping possible) as well as the major Twentekanaal (channel) flow into the IJssel near Zutphen. The city lies at the border of the hilly forested Veluwe region and the more flat and agricultural Achterhoek.

See

Its Dutch tourist promotion slogan, "Torenstad", means "Tower-city", which refers to the large number of towers. The largest is the Walburgkerk (officially it's called "St. Walburgiskerk", but the locals say "Walburgkerk"), located at the square where the city originated. Guided tours are available, organized by the VVV located directly opposite the railway station. These tours will also allow you to visit the medieval library "Librije" - books have been kept here secure since the 1600s by chaining them to the desks.

• ⊙'s Gravenhof, Kerkhof 3, ☎ +31 575 547058. Containing both the Walburgiskerk, locally known as 'Walburgkerk', one of the biggest churches in the country, as well as the old city hall, the 's Gravenhof is the place where the city was founded and grew around, filled with both modern and classical buildings. (updated Jul 2017)
• ⊙City museum, 's Gravenhof 4, ☎ +31 575 516878. (updated Jul 2017)
• ⊙Berkelpoort, Isendoornstraat 21. The Berkelpoort is one of the old gates of the city, spanning the Berkel river.
• ⊙Broederenkerk. Fourteenth-century monasterium on the outskirts of the old walled city.