//
City and municipality in Overijssel, Netherlands
Photo: Michielverbeek, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Dutch city of Zwolle is home to some 120,000 people and, although second in size to Enschede, it serves as the province capital of Overijssel. It is known as a "green city" for its many parks and the municipality's efforts to maintain them through sustainable activities. Zwolle is surrounded by different rivers and lies at a meeting point of different ecological zones. For visitors, its well-kept town centre is one of the main attractions, with an abundance of historic buildings and a pleasant city atmosphere.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Building of this city gate started in the late 14th century. Today, it's one of the city's main landmarks. It's built largely with natural stones and today it's owned and maintained by the national government. It's classified as a monument of extraordinary cultural-historical importance. The building is open to visitors.
Only small pieces of the former city walls can be seen today. The best place to see them is at the end of the Diezerstraat. Once, the Diezer tower stood here too.
This church was built in stages, with the first parts completed in the late 14th century. The final stage was the tower, which was constructed between 1454 en 1463 and is commonly known as the Peperbus, a nickname it gained from its resemblance to a pepper pot. The church was granted the title of basilica upon its 600th anniversary in 1999. The 75-m-high tower is one of the main landmarks of the city and it's possible to climb the first part of the tower (236 stairs), to a height of 51 m, which allows for great views over town. Beware of the low roof of the stairs, especially when going down.
Sint-Michaëlskerk
This large church right on the central market was built in the 15th century and is dedicated to the archangel Michael. Already weakened by repeated lightning strikes, the tall church tower (the highest tower in the country at the time) collapsed in a 1682 storm. The church has Sunday services and is not open for visitors during the week.
This is one of the smallest parks (only 1.2 ha in size), but due to its location right in the city centre, it's one of the busiest. In summer, locals use the grass fields to enjoy the sun. The park was established in the 19th century, on top and around a part of the historic defence structures. It holds a number of large, old trees, a fountain and some flower beds.
English Work
Creation of this park in English landscape garden style (hence the name) started in 1830. With a 36ha area, it's a rather large park. It's located at the south-west side of town, near the river IJssel. Before the 1800s, this place was part of the defensive structures and parts of the old ramparts can still be made out. The adjoining forest was planted in 1980, but now has a fairly natural feel to it.
This city park is the most visited of Zwolle's parks, but that's in part due to the event terrain that's located here. It's the scene of the city's annual Liberation Festival as well as a number of smaller events. This is a real city park, an area clearly dedicated to the outdoor needs of the locals. There's a basketball field, a fairly large skateboarding park, an adventure playground and more. The park is about 21 ha in size.
The city museum houses in a 16th-century building, expanded in the 1990s. It is home to a collection of historic and cultural artefacts, as well as a range of both historic and contemporary art works. Of course, the focus of the collection lies on the city and its direct surroundings.
This arts museum is housed in the "Paleis aan de Blijmarkt", built in the first half of the 19th century as the regional Justice Palace. The neo-classicistic building was extensively renovated in 2012, with a new, large elliptical structure added on the roof (nicknamed the UFO by locals). The museum's collection consists of a good range of contemporary and modern art, mostly paintings. The collection is divided over two locations: this one, in the centre of Zwolle, and Nijenhuis castle near Heino.
Interactive museum tracing the history of computers and video games, with one of the Netherlands’ largest collections. Lots of systems are set up to play—from 8-bit home micros and classic consoles to a full retro arcade and pinball area—so plan extra time if you want to try the machines.
The annual Zwolle edition of the Dutch "Liberation Festivals" is one of the largest in the country. Some 16 cities throughout the Netherlands organize these events on the 5th of May, with lead artist hopping from one to the other in helicopters. Each year, 100,000 to 140,000 people headed to Park de Wezenlanden, the festival ground for Zwolle, to see a range of Dutch artists perform in celebration of the Dutch liberation in 1945 and freedom in general. Coins to buy food and drinks cost €2.50. Get some when entering, as the lines on the festival grounds can be pretty long.
This Asian-fusion place is so popular, it's almost always packed. Reservations are strongly encouraged, especially on weekends, but even then you might have to wait for your table. It's not the setting or service people come for; it's the food. You pick small dishes from an extensive menu, in five rounds. The concept works much like an all-you-can-eat sushi place (and sushi is among the options), with dishes arriving when they're ready.
A cosy restaurant with a small but excellent French inspired menu.
A bistro with a mission in a charming historic building. It serves high-quality bistro dishes, prepared with seasonal produce, but also offers a work and learn environment for students who face trouble entering the job market. The service is very friendly and many of the dishes have an interesting twist. It serves lunch (or even late breakfast) and dinner. Also a nice place for a cup of coffee with cake.
This 3 Michelin star place might be the most famous restaurant in the country and is owned by celebrity chef Johnnie Boer and his wife. One of only two restaurants in the country to hold 3 stars, this is the top of haute cuisine cooking in the Netherlands. Service works as a well-oiled machine. Of course, it comes at a price and especially for dinner, make sure to make reservations - preferably well ahead.
Open only on Fridays and Saturdays from midnight to 05:00, this place offers serious dance music in the middle of town.
A stone's throw away from the train station, this is a friendly hotel in the Bilderberg chain. It's one of the better options close to the city centre.
Simple but adequate rooms in a historic building in the old city. The rooms can be a bit noisy and aren't too big, but some have pleasant views. The location at one of the old city gates is a major plus for this small hotel, but the service is nice too.
This top-end hotel offers the same kind of standards as the highly awarded restaurant of the same name. It has modern rooms and suites with a range of facilities on top of the standard ones. The spacious and well decorated rooms have free use of an iPad, free use of a mini-bar and 24-hr butler service. The excellent hotel restaurant has gained 2 Michelin stars of its own, with prices being accordingly high.
A large, new hotel with good facilities and a colourful modern design. It's located at the IJsseldelta Stadion.
By car
The A28 between Groningen (in the north) and Utrecht (in the middle of the country) passes right through the city. The part near Zwolle is one of the busiest roads outside the Randstad area.
By train
Zwolle is a major rail transportation hub, and with trains running in 8 different directions from here, it's second only to the central station of Utrecht.
The city centre is compact and in part car-free, so the best way to get around there is on foot. It's about a 10-minute walk from the train station to the centre.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Groningen · International · GRQ
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Zwolle and Netherlands.
Travel tipsUnderstand travel insurance for a Schengen visa in 2026. Learn mandatory €30,000 medical coverage, zero deductible rules, and embassy-approved policies.
7 min read
Travel tipsEstimate your Europe trip cost for 2 weeks in 2026. Compare realistic budgets for lodging, Eurail trains, dining, and sightseeing across three styles.
8 min read
InspirationDiscover the best places to visit in April. Compare Dutch tulip fields, Thailand's Songkran water festival, Roman spring gardens, and cherry blossoms.
7 min read
Travel tipsUnderstand the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and the €20 ETIAS travel authorisation, who needs each, and how to avoid long airport border queues.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.