Blokzijl

In Blokzijl you are in the extreme northwest of Overijssel, or the Kop van Overijssel. Wherever you go or stand, you only see water - in the form of lakes (called weeding or consecrating), rivers, canals and canals. Nature shaves high peaks, as evidenced by the National Park De Weerribben, but there are also handsome towns, such as Blokzijl, Hasselt, Kampen, Zwolle.
That Blokzijl was once a port of significance is proven by the fact that the ships of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) took shelter there during storms. The Amsterdam-looking and beautifully restored merchant houses show wealth. Five breweries were once active here. But it didn't last: at the end of the 17th century Blokzijl was doomed. Peat extraction was faltering and the port was in danger of becoming bogged down. The rescue came many years later through water tourism. Because of its location, Blokzijl is a kind of open window on the IJsselmeer, Friesland and the lakes in the Kop van Overijssel.

Lannoo