Castle route: round Zutphen and Lochem

Old Hanseatic cities arose long ago along the IJssel. Zutphen grew during the Hanseatic period by transporting herring, butter and beer over the IJssel to the Rhine. The skippers took wine back with them, but the timber trade also flourished. Striking towers and stately merchant houses determine the streetscape. Just past junction 43 you can take a detour to a park-like estate with a stately country house: De Voorst. The seventeenth-century country house is also known as the Versailles of the Achterhoek because of its appearance. It was designed by the architects of Paleis het Loo. After a cup of coffee at De Kleine Carrousel Experience Farm and a visit to the lovely Lochem, you will cycle back via Huis Het Velde, which is connected to De Voorst via a park forest.