The County Route West

This versatile round between Zutphen and Deventer takes you past a number of the many stately Havezathes and country houses that this area is rich in. You cycle over the beautiful dikes and along the flat floodplains on the winding banks of the IJssel and you ride through fields and fields, interspersed with pieces of forest and heath. Huis de Voorst was built around 1700. It fell prey to a major fire in 1943. The interior could not be restored, but the 17th-century appearance on the outside could. Eye-catchers are now the lead domed roof and the impressive colonnades. You can walk on the estate and enjoy countless plant and animal species. Along the canal you can see the shimmering blue of the kingfisher and bats hibernate in the restored ice cellar. The rare triangular fern grows in the park forest and all kinds of wall plants grow in the quay wall. You can get married on the estate and you can stay overnight in bridal suites and hotel rooms. Windmill Geertruida Cornelia is a round stone ground sailer from 1893. The mill was in operation until 1935. In 2000 it was thoroughly restored and today the mill is in operation on Saturdays. The flour from the mill is for sale there. The oldest mention of the former Dorth castle dates from 1311. The house fell into disrepair in the 18th and 19th centuries and was completely demolished. The house that stands there now was built in 1928. It cannot be visited, but the estate is freely accessible. You can still recognize the construction of the old moat in the landscape. Huize't Ross was built at the end of the 19th century in the Neo-Renaissance style. In addition to the country house, the country estate includes a coach house, a barn, a fruit wall and a number of monumental trees. The house cannot be visited. The Warkense Molen was built in 1878. The flour mill was fitted with a petroleum engine in 1899 to enable it to grind when there is no wind, and in 1922 the drive was taken over by a crude oil engine. In 1965 the mill was restored and raised with a stone base. This thatched groundsailer is usually open to the public on Saturdays.