National Landscape Winterswijk

The Landscape

The Winterswijk National Landscape covers nearly 22,000 hectares and offers a beautiful mix of nature reserves, farmland, and stream valleys. In the narrow valleys, ancient brooks still follow their original, meandering course, a rare sight in the Netherlands. The landscape around Winterswijk is considered one of the most distinctive parts of the Achterhoek region. Thanks to its centuries-long isolation, surrounded by vast marshlands, the area has developed a unique character that sets it apart from the rest of the Achterhoek.

The semi-open landscape around Winterswijk is shaped by a mosaic of small farmland plots, gently sloping fields, hedgerows, tree-lined lanes, and the region’s characteristic “scholten” farmsteads. These farms once belonged to influential landowning farmers (known as scholtenboeren) who served as stewards or magistrates on behalf of the noble lords of Gelre or Münster. Their influence played a key role in shaping the region. Through their care and stewardship, a carefully structured landscape emerged, with hedgerows, winding brooks, raised fields, mills, woodlands, arable land, and meadows. This enduring legacy has preserved the beautiful, scenic landscape that continues to define the area around Winterswijk today.