Summary
This rapidly expanding city stands as the largest urban center in Gelderland’s Achterhoek region.
Doetinchem boasts a modern streetscape, a result of significant destruction during the bombing raids by Allied forces at the end of World War II.
The central Sint-Catherinakerk was promptly reconstructed and features historic furnishings, including a Medieval font unearthed during renovations.
The Stadsmuseum serves as an insightful introduction to Doetinchem and the broader Achterhoek region.
While the city is not primarily focused on tourism, it offers excellent facilities for families with young children, including a puppet-themed amusement park, petting zoos, and numerous well-kept parks.
Visit in early July for the unique street theater event, Festival Buitengewoon.
1. Stadsmuseum
This structure is regarded as the most exemplary example of Amsterdam School architecture in the Achterhoek region.
Referred to as “Het oude Postkantoor,” this former post office was designed by Joseph Crouwel and constructed in 1920. The entrance features an impressive pair of monumental coats of arms flanking a lion.
The museum displays paintings and drawings by various Achterhoek artists, alongside historical maps, meticulously crafted scale models representing different eras in the city’s history, and archaeological finds such as Neolithic arrowheads, Iron Age pottery, and a sword from the early Medieval period.
Additional exhibitions include a room styled in the Art Nouveau fashion, a recreated classroom, and insights into significant local businesses such as Misset printing company and Apollo Vredestein BV, a tire manufacturer.
2. Sint-Catherinakerk
The 16th-century hall church of Doetinchem was claimed by the flames that obliterated the old city center during the Allied bombings in March 1945. Its restoration was finalized in 1952, marking the second time Sint-Catherinakerk was rebuilt, as an earlier structure was completely destroyed by a fire in 1527. Remnants of this older edifice can be found in a wall fragment located behind the organ and a font situated within one of the pillars.
New additions include an oak pulpit dating back to 1774, several ledger stones, and a tomb dedicated to former Mayor Q.M. Ver Huell and his wife, commissioned in 1829 by their son Carel Hendrik Ver Huell, who served as an Admiral under Napoleon.
Glass panels installed in the church’s floor reveal the extent of the devastation experienced in 1945.
3. Land Jan Klaassen
The renowned puppet character Jan Klaassen is the central attraction at this theme park designed for younger visitors, located just south of Doetinchem.
Land Jan Klaassen houses the largest puppet theater in the Netherlands, accompanied by extensive outdoor and indoor playgrounds as well as a water play area.
Beyond the continuous shows, children can enjoy climbing, rolling, and swinging to their delight, ride a train through a gnome village, or zoom down a four-lane turbo slide.
Adults may find interest in the puppet theater museum, showcasing puppets and theatrical artifacts amassed over a span of 60 years.
4. De Walmolen
A notable landmark located at the southern section of the city center, De Walmolen (established in 1850) received its name due to its construction on a section of Doetinchem’s original city wall.
With a sail diameter of 23 meters, the sails became obsolete following the installation of a steam engine in 1910, which remained in operation until the 1950s.
During this period, the mill faced demolition as the last vestige of Doetinchem’s wall was removed and planned to be converted into a parking lot.
However, community opposition preserved the mill, resulting in its restoration along with its gears, shaft, brake wheel, and pair of grinding stones.
For many years, Doetinchem’s tourist office (VVV) was located within this historic structure before relocating to Burgemeester van Nispenstraat.
5. Recreatiegebied Stroombroek
The Stroombroek is a lake situated just south of Doetinchem, formed through sand extraction and has become a favored destination for families during the summer months.
This recreational area features a beach, fishing platforms, a volleyball court, a children’s playground, and designated barbecue spots.
The north shore includes a cable site for waterskiing and wakeboarding, touted as the longest in the Netherlands and accommodating children from the age of ten.
On the southern side lies the Palestra wellness and beauty center, providing steam rooms, saunas, and a variety of therapeutic and beauty treatments, ideal for a day of personal care.
To the south, one can observe the 67-meter Montferland hill rising amid the trees, presenting a rare elevation in this exceptionally flat area of the Netherlands.
6. Hamburgerstraat
Doetinchem serves as a pivotal shopping destination in the region, with Hamburgerstraat being one of its main attractions. This thoroughfare, extending 200 meters, runs southeast from Simonsplein to the former location of the city wall.
Hamburgerstraat features many staple high street stores in the Netherlands, including C&A, Jack & Jones, HEMA, and Miss Etam.
At the base of Sint-Catherinakerk on Simonsplein, shoppers can select from numerous cafes and restaurants offering coffee or meals after their shopping excursions, all providing terraces with views of this historic monument.
Hamburgerstraat transitions into Catherinastraat on the north side of the square, which hosts additional brands, including H&M.
7. De Koekendaal
For those seeking tranquility in nature, a brief journey to this expansive park, which encompasses much of the landscape between Doetinchem and Gaanderen to the southeast, is highly recommended.
The park features a herb garden, a playground, and a small petting farm where children are welcome to hand-feed goats.
De Koekendaal is accessible for strollers and wheelchairs, with most paths paved with asphalt.
Hiking trails are marked by duration, offering 10, 15, and 45-minute routes, while Het Onland, located on the southern edge of the park, provides an inn and restaurant with its own petting zoo and playground.
8. Kinderboerderij Kokiezier
Another petting farm is situated within the picturesque landscape between Doetinchem and the village of Wehl.
At this location, children can interact with ponies, donkeys, goats, cattle, sheep, ducks, and chickens.
Visitors have the option to purchase grain for feeding the goats and fowl, and there is a kiosk offering coffee, tea, soft drinks, and snacks.
Children can expunge any excess energy on the farm’s tricycles and pedal carts.
This farm is conveniently located on the western edge of town and may be seamlessly combined with a cycling or walking excursion in the Wehlse Broeklanden, which will be discussed next.
9. Wehlse Broeklanden
The countryside west of Doetinchem is known for its aesthetic charm and soothing atmosphere.
Traversing the Wehlse Broeklanden reveals numerous farms, hedgerows, quiet country roads, and undulating hills formed by sand dunes.
The tourist office offers a leaflet detailing the newly established trails that lead into fields with grazing cattle and across lush wetlands adorned with wildflowers during summer.
For outdoor enthusiasts, a leisurely round at the 18-hole Pitch & Putt Doetinchem is an enjoyable option, accompanied by a mini-golf course and a foot-golf layout.
10. Natuurpark Overstegen
The Overstegen district emerged in the 1960s and 1970s when Doetinchem extended eastward to address housing shortages.
In the 1990s, the urban park developed for this area was transformed into an ecological park, featuring free-roaming Highland cattle grazing alongside a newly excavated stream.
This park is managed in harmony with nature, leading to the replacement of conventional maintenance tasks like mowing and planting.
Fallen trees are left in position, allowing natural processes to take their course, while volunteers maintain the park’s pathways to ensure a pleasant experience for visitors.
11. Weekmarkt
There is a palpable energy in Doetinchem on Tuesdays when the weekly market fills the Marktplein in front of the town hall.
Historically, this location served as a textile market, with a modest incorporation of food stalls, but it has since expanded to feature an array of goods including household appliances, fashion accessories, and much more.
This market was recognized as the second best in the Netherlands in 2013 and attracts shoppers from across the Achterhoek region as well as from neighboring Germany.
The offerings include cheese, flowers, herbs, meat, seasonal produce, seafood, local condiments such as mustard, and an extensive variety of fabrics.
A smaller market also operates on Tjalmastraat each Saturday.
12. Festival Buitengewoon
An opportune time to plan a visit to Doetinchem is in early July when this street theater festival enlivens the city center.
Festival Buitengewoon commemorated its 25th anniversary in 2018. This event spans five days, commencing mid-week.
The weekend is the most vibrant period, as the streets transform into an outdoor stage, showcasing entertaining, thrilling, and emotionally resonant performances.
The creativity evident in the acts, costumes, and props is frequently astonishing.
The 2018 festival featured a “vertical dance” performance, the world’s smallest concert hall, gigantic soap bubbles, a DJ cooking fries, a group of large mechanical animals, remarkable unicycle juggling, and an array of other unique spectacles.
