Kampen in Overijssel
13km (8 miles) NW of Zwolle
With its handsome, bustling IJssel River waterfront and more than 500 historical monuments, including medieval merchants' houses, towers, and town gates, Kampen (pop. 50,000) still displays the signature of its boom period from 1330 to 1450, when it was an important member of the Hanseatic League. The Dutch Golden Age artist Hendrik Avercamp (1585-1663) lived, worked, and died in the town. Kampen is a good base from which to make bicycle and walking tours of the scenic riverside landscapes and nature reserves around the nearby mouth of the IJssel.
Getting There -- From Zwolle, two trains depart every hour, and buses about every half-hour to Kampen. By car, take N50 northwest.
Visitor Information -- VVV Kampen, Oudestraat 151, 8261 CL Kampen (tel. 0900/112-2375; fax 038/332-8900; www.vvvkampen.nl), is in the center of town. The office is open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm (to 5pm Nov-Apr), and Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
What to See & Do
The Oude Raadhuis (Old Town Hall), Oudestraat 133 (tel. 038/339-2999), was reconstructed in 1543 after a fire that grievously damaged the original, from 1345 to 1350. Pass by for a look at the onion-shaped tower, and the oak-paneled 14th-century Schepenzaal (Aldermen's Chamber) with its carved-stone chimneypiece from 1545 and bust of Habsburg Emperor Charles V at its center. The Town Hall is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm.
Across the way, the imposing Gothic Sint-Nicolaaskerk (Church of St. Nicholas), also known as the Bovenkerk, Koornmarkt 28 (tel. 038/331-6453), achieved its final form around 1500. It has a massive organ with 3,200 pipes, and a tower that's 70m (230 ft.) high.
To get an idea of Kampen's illustrious history, visit the Stedelijk (Municipal) Museum, Oudestraat 158 (tel. 038/333-2294), in the Gotische Huis (Gothic House), a late-15th-century merchant's store where herbs and spices were sold. In back is a working mill. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm year-round, and Sunday in summer from 1 to 5pm. Admission is 3€ ($4.80) for adults, 2€ ($3.20) for seniors, and free for children 12 and under.
A few doors along, the Nieuwe Toren (New Tower), Oudestraat 146, dating from 1664, designed by Amsterdam architect Philips Vingboons, has a 47-bell Hemony carillon in its octagonal belfry. For a fine view over the town, climb the 152 interior steps. The tower is open May to August Wednesday and Saturday from 2 to 5pm. Admission is 1€ ($1.60) for adults, and free for children 13 and under.
There's no better way to get close to the spirit of those Hanseatic League traders of yore than by stepping aboard the Kamper Kogge, Havenweg 7 (tel. 038/331-0515; www.kamper-kogge.nl), on the IJssel waterfront. Constructed of oak using original construction methods, this is a replica of the broad-beamed, deep-draft, single-masted merchant vessels, called cogs, that in the 13th and 14th centuries plied the Hanseatic League's Baltic and North Sea trade routes, connecting Lübeck, Bergen, London, Bruges, and other ports. Each could carry up to 200 tons of bulk cargo -- salt, furs, wax, dried and salted fish, grain, cod-liver oil, beer, textiles, and more. Without the sturdy Hanse cogs, medieval northern Europe's flourishing trade would have been impossible. The ship's aftercastle was a kind of redoubt to defend against pirates and other enemies. The Kamper Kogge is open to visitors Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, unless it's being used for a special event. To go onboard costs 3€ ($4.80) for adults, and 1.50€ ($2.40) for school-age kids.
Out of the seven original fortified gates in the demolished town walls, three survive. The riverside Koornmarktspoort, IJsselkade 1, from the first half of the 14th century, is the oldest gate and for a long time was used as a prison and garrison quarters. West of the center of town, the Broederpoort, Tweede Ebbingestraat 50, dates from 1465 and was partly reconstructed between 1615 and 1617 in Renaissance style after losing its military role when the town defenses were pushed farther out. Like this gate, its near neighbor Cellebroederpoort, Tweede Ebbingestraat 1, with twin towers, was constructed in the second half of the 14th century and, between 1615 and 1617, was partly reconstructed for the same reasons. On its town side are two sculptured lions bearing shields.