Grafschafter Spurensuche - On the trail of a giant

Schüttorf has the tallest church tower in the Grafschaft Bentheim - the Schüttorfer Giant. The 81 m high tower was completed in 1535. The Protestant tower, together with the tower of the Catholic Marienkirche and the towering chimneys of the textile factories, forms the visible silhouette of the former Vechtesiedlung Schuttorpe.
In earlier times, an important intersection of two trade routes was located at the site of present-day Schüttorf. This is how the city experienced its economic boom: during the Middle Ages through trade and later through the textile industry. Even today, numerous magnificent factory owner villas tell the story of that time. And did you know that until the 1970s, Schüttorf had its own castle? The Burg Altena slowly fell into oblivion over the centuries and decayed after the Thirty Years' War. Eventually, it was demolished. An attempt to explain the origin of the city's name is as old as Schüttorf itself. According to legend, in 1295, the Vechte river was diverted around the city by building a dam, during which the citizens were said to have emptied their hand carts upon the command "Schütt't d’r up".
Note: Follow the orange signage!