Beautiful Zwolle - Enjoy Haerst and Berkum

When you leave Haersterveer you will see Huize Arnichem on your right. In the early 1400s, the house belonged to the deanery of Sint Lebuijnse from Deventer. Later the house was occupied by several generations of the prominent Zwolle Tobias family.

After the death of the last Tobias in 1925, the house came into the possession of the Dominican monastery on Assendorperstraat. The father and brothers of the Catholic monastery spent their free time on the estate in Haerst, which was then Protestant.

The Tomb of Lepejou

If you continue along the road you will arrive at Den Doornweg. Along this road, in the forest of Tobias, lies the Tomb of Lepejou. As far as is known, this is the oldest Muslim grave in the Netherlands. Lepejou was a black slave from the former Dutch East Indies. According to tradition, he saved the life of Joan Hendrik Tobias, the then resident of Huize Arnichem. As a thank you, the Zwolle resident took Lepejou to the Netherlands. Lepejou died on July 23, 1828, probably at the age of 23.

Tobias had him buried in the woodland point on his estate. The monument consists of two gravestones. The one stone with an Arabic text:'The lord has dedicated this grave to his most faithful servant, because he is grateful to him and always thinks of him\\\'. The other with the Latin text:'Lepejou, who is also called Apolloon, was born on the island of Celebes and died on July 23, 1828\\\'.

In 1979 the grave was desecrated. The stones were destroyed and Lepejou's skull was probably stolen. Even in this century, Apolloon, Lepejou's nickname, has not yet been forgotten in the hamlet. Lepejou had a deformed foot. When there is a thunderstorm, the people of Haersten still say "Apolloon with his foot pouring around".

The New Leaves

The Nieuwe Vecht was dug around 1600. A connection between the Overijsselse Vecht and the Almelose Canal in the center of Zwolle. This meant that ships no longer had to sail to Zwolle via the Zwarte Water.
The lock at the Overijsselse Vecht is called the Nieuwe Verlaat. It is a national monument because of the rare oval shape of the lock chamber. The associated lock keeper's house was inhabited by several generations of the Koezen family. Hence the name the Kolk van Koezen, which is part of the Overijsselse Vecht.

Berkum

The walk continues through Berkum. Berkum is now a district of Zwolle. It was once a hamlet just like Haerst. The manors of Campherbeek and Kranenburg were located here. There is now a primary school of the same name on the site of the Campherbeek manor. The manor of Kranenburg was located on the spot where the Kranenburg cemetery is now located. Until 1967, Berkum belonged to the municipality of Zwollekerspel.

The last part of the route takes you over the Agnietenberg back to the starting point. You can enjoy the beautiful nature and the rolling landscape along the outer edge of the city of Zwolle.