Zwolle: The Dutch City You Haven’t Visited Yet (But Should)
People from Amsterdam or Rotterdam will tell you this city is far. So would pretty much anyone else who doesn’t live nearby. Yet, let’s not forget how small the Netherlands actually is — really small. It takes around one hour by train from Amsterdam to reach Zwolle and less than two hours from Rotterdam. I would say it’s quite a good deal, especially when you consider what’s waiting for you on the other end. Trains run every 30 minutes and are very punctual. Now you really don’t have any excuse to skip this city.
This is what you will see once you arrive in Zwolle. The Dutch have truly mastered the art of urban planning, and Zwolle is one of their finest examples. You will notice it throughout the whole city — it’s green, walkable, unhurried and cozy in a way that immediately makes you want to slow down.
Zwolle is a city in the eastern Netherlands with a history stretching back to the 9th century, founded near the confluence of the IJssel and Zwarte Water rivers — a location that made it a natural hub for trade. It received its city rights in 1230 and rose to prominence as a member of the Hanseatic League, the powerful medieval trading alliance that brought great wealth and influence to the city during the 14th and 15th centuries.
That prosperous era left a lasting mark on Zwolle’s landscape, including the iconic Sassenpoort gate (built around 1409) and a beautifully preserved medieval inner city that still draws visitors today. The city went on to become the capital of Overijssel province and remains an important regional and cultural centre in the Netherlands; a place that has quietly held its own for centuries without needing to shout about it.
The city centre of Zwolle is not big — you will explore it easily within a couple of hours by walking slowly, and this will also leave you plenty of time for eating and enjoying cafés while blending in with the locals. There’s something quite lovely about a city that fits so naturally into a single afternoon.
Away from the crowds of Amsterdam and its numerous tourist traps, you will discover a different Netherlands — one with a slower pace (even people might ride their bikes slower here), a genuine sense of calmness, and a great international cuisine represented by a surprising number of excellent restaurants. It feels, in the best possible way, like a place that hasn’t been overrun yet.
You can see in the image a typical street in the city centre. The only struggle sometimes is finding your way through all the bikes — they can sometimes leave very little room on the sidewalk. This is one of my recurring thoughts whenever I visit Dutch cities, but then I remember it’s such a small price to pay. You can go literally everywhere by bike and get to breathe fresh air without having to listen to traffic noise — again, a testament to the Dutch’s excellent urban planning. Once you make peace with the bikes, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them.
As a local in Zwolle, you simply cannot skip this fabulous bookstore. It is located inside a former church — yes, you read that correctly. A former church transformed into a bookstore where everyone can go and immerse themselves in the city’s historic layers while browsing new books. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to stay far longer than planned.
The Broerenkerk was built by the Dominicans between 1466 and 1512. Over the centuries it served multiple purposes — including Protestant worship and briefly a synagogue — before eventually falling into disuse. In 2013, it was transformed into a bookstore.
Now you’ve got your book (or more books — why not?) and it’s time for coffee or tea. You are in luck because Zwolle has plenty of great options all within minutes of each other.
This place is a traditional-looking Dutch café — not to be confused with a typical Dutch coffeeshop, which is a completely different story. It’s a top-rated specialty coffee spot with a warm, minimalist design that could feel at home literally anywhere in the world, and that’s perfectly fine — by this point, you’re practically a local here anyway.
Now that you’ve refuelled, it’s time to keep exploring. There is more to see and we still have time. Whether or not you are into museums, you should give Museum De Fundatie a shot — it might just surprise you.
Museum de Fundatie is one of Zwolle’s most eye-catching landmarks — a neoclassical former Palace of Justice topped with a distinctive egg-shaped extension covered in white and blue tiles, nicknamed “de Wolk” (the Cloud). The contrast between the stately classical base and the playful modern dome is quite something to behold. Inside, the collection spans centuries of visual arts, from the late Middle Ages to the present, with rotating temporary exhibitions keeping things fresh year-round. A must-visit whether you’re an art lover or simply curious about great architecture.
Once you are done with the museum, you can keep wandering the streets and make your way to one of Zwolle’s main canals along Pletterstraat. It’s a short street, but it offers one of the more picturesque views in the city — the kind of scene that has you reaching for your camera without even thinking about it.
I think I may have saved the best part for the end — of course, I did that intentionally. What better way to end a day of over 10,000 steps (hopefully you’ve hit that milestone by now) than with a great dinner? And not just anywhere — in a restaurant like no other.
The place is called Blue Sakura — a Japanese all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant set inside the historic Bethlehemkerk church in the heart of Zwolle. The striking combination of centuries-old arches and atmospheric lighting with modern Japanese cuisine makes for a truly unforgettable dining experience. You order via a tablet at your table, choosing from over 100 dishes including sushi, sashimi, and grilled specialties. It sounds like it shouldn’t work, and yet it absolutely does.
And there you go. You just discovered a new city in the Netherlands, and that will surely make you cooler than your friends — everyone goes to Amsterdam or Rotterdam, but Zwolle? Go ahead and call yourself a traveller now. A real one.
Whether or not you feel like a local in Zwolle, that’s entirely up to you. You can always come back another time to explore more restaurants (there are plenty of great ones, trust me), buy more books, or simply enjoy a Heineken while looking out over the canals. Either way, now you know how to find your way around — and that’s a pretty good place to start.
Zwolle doesn’t need the hype. It just needs you to show up.