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City front

City front

Struggling. A city with one of the most beautiful city fronts in the Netherlands. An old town full of charm and vibrant energy. Whether you come for a day of culture, culinary enjoyment or a pleasant evening, Kampen has it all. Walking distance. Moreover, you can be at our beautiful beach pavilion from the heart of the city in just 5 minutes.

History

The old Hanseatic city of Kampen may be a small spot on the map, but it certainly has an important role in history and has a rich past. Although Kampen was only mentioned for the first time in 1227, the city must have been founded in the second half of the 12th century. Around 1150, the first wooden buildings were found on the site of present-day Kampen.

Until well into the 19th century, the city was surrounded by walls, gates and moats. Where these walls and waters previously served as a defense mechanism, people increasingly visited each other here in their spare time. From that moment on, the city underwent a metamorphosis under the leadership of N. Plomp. For example, space was made for warehouses and luxury homes. In the first instance, water management classicism was the predominant style, but later we also saw more and more other (neo) styles. In the 20th century, much has certainly disappeared and been replaced, but the unity of the IJssel front still remained. The view of the city is therefore still one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands.

Kampen is located on the lower reaches of the IJssel, near the mouth of the IJsselmeer and the Keteldiep. Thanks to its favorable location on the busy trade route between the Zuiderzee and the Rhine, Kampen quickly developed into a prosperous trading city. It even grew into one of the most powerful and leading cities in Northwestern Europe. Unfortunately, the silting up of the IJssel ended this prosperity from the 15th century onwards. Around 1600 the production of cloth became an important alternative to the disappeared trade. In the 19th and 20th centuries, space was also made for new activities.

From this period onwards Kampen was also known as a cigar town, garrison town or student town. Nowadays Kampen is a modern and dynamic city where the rich history can be found in abundance. For example, the city has hundreds of monuments and Kampen is only one of the two Dutch cities where three city gates can still be found.

Call or email for reservations

From April 1 to October 31, we are open every day from 8 a.m. to midnight.