Vechtdal

The Vechtdal is named after the Overijssel river Vecht.
it flows between the higher regions of Drenthe and Twente. This very wide valley was created by large amounts of meltwater from glaciers located north of the Vechtdal during the ice age. In the Middle Ages, an esdorpen landscape arose on the sandy soils of the Vecht. On the higher ridges, arable complexes were created near the villages, the so-called ash trees. These ash trees were largely fertilized with manure from sheep that grazed on the moors further from the river. Along the river were the grasslands (partly hay, partly pasture). The valley between the higher ash trees is the Vechtdal in a narrower sense.

In the 19th and 20th centuries the peatlands in the wide Vechtdal were excavated.

The river was an important axis for trade until the 19th century. For example, many building blocks from Beinthem, from just across the German border, were shipped via this valley. You can find this building block yourself in the Palace on Dam Square, in Amsterdam and in the city hall of Zwolle.

Other important places besides Zwollen in this region are Ommen and Hardenberch.

Dromos