Zwolle, a Hanseatic city, exudes a medieval charm and has preserved some fine relics of those times. Like other cities in Holland, it combines its historic heritage with a remarkable economic and cultural dynamism.
With just over 110,000 inhabitants, Zwolle projects the image of a provincial town, yet overlaid with considerable dynamism. The city, the capital of the province of Overijssel, is 80 km to the north east of Amsterdam and lies between the two rivers of Zwarte Water and Ijssel, Its medieval origins are readily apparent. A fine town centre with historic buildings, canals of a kind you only find in the Netherlands, the remains of fortifications... Zwolle is proud of its past, symbolised by the magnificent fortified city gate, Sassenpoort.
Arts and culture are also two pillars of its success. Studios and art galleries are to be found dotted about the old city, the Innenstadt, which also boasts churches and old cloisters. With its two major theatres, the Odeon and De Spiegel for those who enjoy that kind of entertainment and two fine museums for art lovers, the Stedelijk Museum and the Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle has long been a destination of choice for local and foreign tourists alike who are captivated by the profusion of boutiques, typical of the kind of shopping experience you can enjoy in most towns in northern Europe.
Zwolle is active, young, boasts enough green spaces to justify it being labelled a ‘green city’, is home to more than 30 000 students and is in excellent economic health, particularly in healthcare and the service industries.
