Zwolle () is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the Northeastern

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It is the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Overijssel Overijssel (, ; nds, Oaveriessel ; german: Oberyssel) is a province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name translates to "across the IJssel", from the perspective of the Episcopal principality of U ...

and the province's second-largest municipality after

Enschede Enschede (; known as in the local Twents dialect) is a municipality and city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the Twente region. The eastern parts of the urban area reaches the border of the German city of Gronau ...

with a population of 130,592 as of 1 December 2021. Zwolle is on the border with

Gelderland Gelderland (), also known as Guelders () in English, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by ...

, which follows the river IJssel, and is located about 50 km north east of Utrecht and 85 km south west of Groningen. The current Mayor of Zwolle is Lorenzo Brands.

History

Archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

findings indicate that the area surrounding Zwolle has been inhabited for a long time. A

woodhenge Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class II henge and timber circle monument within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England. It is north-east of Stonehenge, in Durrington parish, just north of the town of Amesbury. Discovery Woodhen ...

that was found in the Zwolle-Zuid suburb in 1993 was dated to the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

period. During the Roman era, the area was inhabited by Salian Franks. The modern city was founded around 800 CE by Frisian merchants and troops of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...

. Previous spellings of its name include the identically pronounced ''Suolle'', which means "hill" (cf. the English

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical ef ...

verb A verb () is a word ( part of speech) that in syntax generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual descr ...

"to swell"). This refers to an incline in the landscape between the four rivers surrounding the city, IJssel, Vecht, Aa and Zwarte Water. The hill was the only piece of land that would remain dry during the frequent floodings of the rivers. Zwolle was established on that incline. A document mentions the existence of a parish church dedicated to St Michael. That church, the Grote of Sint Michaëlskerk (St. Michael's church), was renovated in the first half of the 15th century and exists to this day. The church contains a richly carved pulpit, the work of Adam Straes van Weilborch (about 1620), some good carving and an exquisite

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

(1721). On 31 August 1230, the bishop of Utrecht granted Zwolle

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...

. Zwolle became a member of the

Hanseatic league The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label= Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...

in 1294, and in 1361 joined the war between the Hanseatic League and

Valdemar IV of Denmark Valdemar IV Atterdag (the epithet meaning "Return of the Day"), or Waldemar (132024 October 1375) was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375. He is mostly known for his reunion of Denmark after the bankruptcy and mortgaging of the country to finance ...

. In the 1370 Treaty of Stralsund that ended the war, Zwolle was awarded a ''vitte'', a trade colony, in

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skån ...

, then part of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. Zwolle's golden age came in the 15th century. Between 1402 and 1450, the city's Gross Regional Product multiplied by about six. In July 1324 and October 1361, regional

noblemen Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...

set fire to Zwolle. In the 1324 fire, only nine buildings escaped the flames. Blaeu 1652 - Zwolle

Zwolle was also, with

Deventer Deventer (; Sallands: ) is a city and municipality in the Salland historical region of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands. In 2020, Deventer had a population of 100,913. The city is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, ...

, one of the centers of the Brethren of the Common Life, a monastic movement. from Zwolle, on a slight eminence called the Agnietenberg, (hill of St Agnes), once stood the Augustinian convent in which Thomas à Kempis spent the greatest part of his life and died (in 1471). At least as early as 1911, Zwolle had a considerable trade by river, a large fish market, and the most important cattle market in the Netherlands after

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte (river), Rotte'') is the second largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the Prov ...

. The more important industries comprised cotton manufactures, iron works, boat-building, dyeing and bleaching, tanning, rope-making, and salt-making. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Zwolle was single-handedly liberated from the Germans by French-Canadian soldier Léo Major. He was made an honorary citizen of Zwolle in 2005 and a street is named after him, Leo Majorlaan. In 2004, Zwolle's De Librije restaurant was honored with 3 stars by

Michelin Guide The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of ...

; as of 2018, it is one of only three restaurants so honored in the entire country.

Blauwvingers

Citizens of Zwolle are colloquially known as ''Blauwvingers'' (Bluefingers). This dates back to 1682, when the St Michael's church tower collapsed. The authorities were strapped for cash and saw no option but to sell the church bells to neighbouring city Kampen. To make sure that Kampen would not make too much profit from the deal, the local authorities asked a high price for the church bells. Kampen accepted, yet after the arrival of the bells it became clear, they were too damaged to be played. In revenge, Kampen paid in copper coins of four ''duiten'' (the equivalent of two-and-a-half cents). Zwolle distrusted Kampen and wanted to be sure they truly paid the entire price. After the rigorous counting of this vast amount of money, their fingers had turned blue from the counting of money.

Geography

Besides the Grote of Sint Michaëlskerk (St. Michael's church), the latter which houses a majestic

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

organ built by

Arp Schnitger Arp Schnitger (2 July 164828 July 1719 (buried)) was an influential Northern German organ builder. Considered the most paramount manufacturer of his time, Schnitger built or rebuilt over 150 organs. He was primarily active in Northern Europe, es ...

, there are several other historic monuments in Zwolle. The Roman Catholic ''Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming''-

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

(Our Lady of the Assumption) dates back to 1399. The church tower, called '' Peperbus'' (pepperpot), is one of the tallest and most famous church towers in the Netherlands. The modernized town hall was originally built in 1448. Mention should also be made of the ''Sassenpoort'' (one of the old city gates), the city walls, the ''Mosterdmakerstoren'' (''mustard makers' tower'')(the complex where local mustard used to be made), a guild-house (1571), the former provincial government offices, a Dominican monastery, and on the Melkmarkt, two museums; the of antiquities and natural history, and the Vrouwenhuis.

Museum de Fundatie Museum de Fundatie () is a museum for the visual arts in Zwolle, Netherlands. Museum de Fundatie forms part of the Hannema-de Stuers Foundation, to which Kasteel het Nijenhuis in Heino also belongs. Museum de Fundatie possesses a collection of v ...

, the fine art museum of the province of Overijssel, is hosted in the former Justice Hall on Blijmarkt Square. In the western part of the city, west of the railway station, there is a quarter of Art Nouveau buildings, concentrated mostly on Koningin Wilhelminastraat, Prinses Julianastraat, and Prins Hendrikstraat. These three-store living houses were built in 1900s by various Dutch architects. Eleven of the buildings are protected by the Dutch government (

rijksmonument A rijksmonument (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands ...

en). The ''Broerenkerk'' church was part of the Dominican monastery founded in 1465. The monastery was closed in 1580 and the monks were expelled. From 1640 until 1982 the church was used for Protestant services. After a restoration in 1983–1988 it has been used for cultural events and it is now a bookstore.

Image gallery

File:Thorbeckegracht en Wijndragerstoren Zwolle Overijssel.jpg, Thorbeckegracht and Wijndragerstoren File:Peperbus, Eekwal.jpg, Peperbus from the Eekwal. The house in front really ''is'' that crooked. File:Zwolle, Praubstraat.jpg, Praubstraat, inner city File:Zwolle Sassenpoort.jpg, Sassenpoort File:Thorbeckewal en Thorbeckegracht Zwolle Overijssel.jpg, Thorbeckewal and Vispoortbridge File:Zwolle, Rijke Fratershuis.jpg, The ''Rich Friar House'' a center of the '' Devotio Moderna'' and later the home of Willem Bartjens File:Zicht op Zwolle Centrum.jpg, View of Zwolle city centre File:Organ in Broerenkerk, Zwolle, 2013.jpg, The organ in Broerenkerk File:Herman Brood Museum & Experience Zwolle Overijssel.jpg, Herman Brood Museum & Experience File:Zwolle Prins Hendrikstraat Gate.jpg, The Art Nouveau gate at Prins Hendrikstraat 1-3-5. 1902, architect Geurt Gijsbertus Post File:Zwolle, fontein in Stadsgracht bij Museum de Fundatie foto4 2016-06-05 10.03.jpg, Fountain near Museum de Fundatie

Notable residents

:''See also People from Zwolle'' ;Arts, culture, entertainment and the media *

Willem Victor Bartholomeus Willem Victor Bartholomeus (Bunde, Limburg, Bunde, 11 February 1825 – Zwolle, 13 August 1892) was a Dutch organist and conductor. He was born in the family of sexton/organist/church singer Jan/Jean Bartholomeus and Maria Cornelia Isabella Hagem ...

(1825–1892), organist and conductor * Hein Boele (born 1939), actor, Dutch voice of Elmo * Jonnie Boer (born 1965), chef with three Michelin stars *

Gerard ter Borch Gerard ter Borch (; December 1617 – 8 December 1681), also known as Gerard Terburg (), was a Dutch genre painter who lived in the Dutch Golden Age. He influenced fellow Dutch painters Gabriel Metsu, Gerrit Dou, Eglon van der Neer and Johan ...

(1617–1681), painter * Gerard ter Borch the Elder (1583–1662), painter * Moses ter Borch (1645–1667), painter *

Tooske Breugem Antonia Grietje "Tooske" Ragas-Breugem (; born 3 June 1974), is a Dutch actress and television host. She played a stewardess in ''06/05'', a movie by Theo van Gogh about the murder of Pim Fortuyn. She was video jockey (VJ) at TMF Netherlands a ...

(born 1974), television host actress * Herman Brood (1946–2001), painter/rock star * Funda Eryiğit (born 1984), Turkish actress * Willem Grasdorp (1678–1723), painter *

Aleida Greve Aleida Greve (1670–1742) was an 18th-century painter from the Northern Netherlands known for founding the Vrouwenhuis, Zwolle. Biography She was born in Zwolle as the daughter of the largest beer brewer in Zwolle, Geurt Greve (1634-ca.16 ...

(1670–1742), painter *

Anna Cornelia Holt Anna Cornelia Holt (1671–1692), was a late 17th-century painter from the Northern Netherlands. Biography She was born in Zwolle as the daughter of Herman Holt (1643–1672), councilman of Zwolle, and Armarenta Holt (d. 1714).

(1671–1692), painter *

Sophia Holt Sophia Holt (1658 – 1734), was an 18th-century painter from the Northern Netherlands. Biography Holt was born in Zwolle as the daughter of the city secretary Johan Holt.Antonina Houbraken Antonina Houbraken (30 May 1686 – December 1736) was an 18th-century Dutch draughtswoman who is known for her many topographical drawings of Dutch sites. She also drew landscapes. She is recorded as a skilled portraitist. Life Antonina ...

(1686–1736), draughtswoman * Marnix Kappers (1943–2016), actor * Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471), canon and mystic *

Master I. A. M. of Zwolle Master I. A. M. of Zwolle (known works 1470–1490, lifetime estimated as ca. 1440–1504

(c. 1440–1490), engraver *

Ton Koopman Antonius Gerhardus Michael Koopman (; born 2 October 1944), known professionally as Ton Koopman, is a Dutch conductor, organist, harpsichordist, and musicologist, primarily known for being the founder and director of the Amsterdam Baroque Orche ...

(born 1944), a conductor, organist, and harpsichordist * Yuri Landman (born 1973), experimental musical instrument builder, comic book artist *

Cornelia van Marle Cornelia van Marle (1661–1698), was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Biography She was born in Zwolle as the daughter of the beer brewer Herman van Marle and his wife Lamberta Holt. After her father died her mother married another brewer, Geurt ...

(1661–1698), painter * Michael Minsky (1918–1988), singer and conductor * Leonard van Munster (born 1972), artist *

Opgezwolle Opgezwolle () was a Dutch rap group consisting of MCs Sticky Steez and Phreako Rico, and beatmaker DJ Dippy Delic. Biography In 2001 Opgezwolle competed in a contest called "De Oogst van Overijssel". After winning the final in Enschede in May 20 ...

(since 2001), rap crew * Jan Vayne (Jan Veenje) (born 1966), pianist * Charlotte Wessels (born 1987), former singer for Delain * Aleijda Wolfsen (1648–1692), painter ;Authors * Eef Brouwers (born 1939), journalist and former head of the Netherlands Government Information Service * A. den Doolaard (1901–1994), author * Rhijnvis Feith (1753–1824), author * Everhardus Johannes Potgieter (1808–1875), author ;Business * Willem Jan van Dedem (1776–1851), landowner and founder of the canal and town of Dedemsvaart ;Religion *

Johannes Busch Johannes (or Jan) Busch (1399 – c. 1480) was a major reformer and provost of a community of Canons Regular. He was associated with the Brethren of the Common Life. He was born in Zwolle. He spent most of the last 40 years of his life visiting a ...

(1399–c. 1480), church reformer and provost of the Augustinian monastic order * Andreas Ignatius Schaepman (1815–1882), Archbishop of Utrecht *

Alanus de Rupe Alanus de Rupe (also Alan, Alain de la Roche, or Blessed Alain de la Roche); (c. 1428 – 8 September 1475) was a Roman Catholic theologian noted for his views on prayer. Some writers claim him as a native of Germany, others of Belgium; but his ...

(1428–1475), Roman Catholic theologian and Dominican promotor of the rosary ;Politics * Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (born 1937), former Minister of Economic Affairs * Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol (1741–1784), role in the

Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic ( nl, Bataafse Republiek; french: République Batave) was the successor state to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 and ended on 5 June 1806, with the accession of Louis Bon ...

* Wybo Fijnje (1750–1809), Mennonite minister, publisher, exile, coup perpetrator, politician * Willem Johan Lucas Grobbée (1822–1907),

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...

from 1883 to 1885 * Johannes van Heerdt tot Eversberg (1829–1893), former governor of Suriname and Curaçao * Piet Kasteel (1901–2003), ambassador and former governor of Curaçao * Johan Rudolf Thorbecke (1798–1872), Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1849/1853, 1862/1866, 1871/1872) ;Sports * Jeroen Dubbeldam (born 1973), 2000 Olympic Equestrian champion *

Marten Eikelboom Marten Eikelboom (born 12 October 1973 in Zwolle) is a field hockey striker from the Netherlands, who was a member of the Dutch team that won the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. After the World Hockey Cup in Kuala Lumpur (2002) ...

(born 1973), hockey player * Maarten Grobbe (1901–1961), football player * Martin Haar (born 1952), former football defender and current trainer * Rinus Israël (born 1942), former football player and current scout * Ron Jans (born 1958), former football player and current

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

* Bert Konterman (1971), football player * Hennie van Nee (1939–1996), football player * Eric Pierik (born 1959),

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...

player * Johnny Rep (born 1951), football player *

Piet Schrijvers Piet Schrijvers (15 December 1946 – 7 September 2022)https://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/1875093014/voormalig-oranje-doelman-piet-schrijvers-75-overleden was a Dutch professional football manager and player who played as a goalkeeper. At internat ...

(1946–2022), football player * Johannes Smeekens (born 1987), Olympic speedskater *

Jaap Stam Jakob Stam (; born 17 July 1972) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a centre-back and is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation. Stam played for several European clubs including ...

(born 1972), former football player and current coach * Gerrit Voges (1932–2007), football player * Peter Wessels (born 1978),

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

player ;Science *

Christianus Carolus Henricus van der Aa Christianus Carolus Henricus van der Aa (25 August 1718 – 23 September 1793) was a Lutheran pastor in Haarlem and secretary of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities. Life Christianus Carolus Henricus was born in Zwolle, where ...

(1718–1793), Secretary of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities *

Thomas Joannes Stieltjes Thomas Joannes Stieltjes (, 29 December 1856 – 31 December 1894) was a Dutch mathematician. He was a pioneer in the field of moment problems and contributed to the study of continued fractions. The Thomas Stieltjes Institute for Mathematics at ...

(1856–1894), mathematician, civil engineer and politician * Derk-Jan Dijk (Born 1958), Researcher of sleep and circadian rhythms

Educational institutions

Zwolle is home to several universities and colleges: * Artez * Christelijke Hogeschool Windesheim * * *

Landstede Zwolle Landstede Hammers is a Dutch basketball club based in Zwolle. The club plays in the BNXT League, the Dutch top tier division. The club was founded as Cees Lubbers The Hammers in 1995. In 1999, the club’s name was changed into Landstede Hammers. ...

* * * * * Windesheim Honours College

Transport

Road transport

Zwolle is a hub in the national highway network, and gateway to northern Netherlands. This is reflected in the high traffic volumes in and around the city. The A28 serves Zwolle with 4 exits, and runs from Utrecht to Groningen. It is being widened to 8 lanes across the

IJssel River The IJssel (; nds-nl, Iessel(t) ) is a Dutch distributary of the river Rhine that flows northward and ultimately discharges into the IJsselmeer (before the 1932 completion of the Afsluitdijk known as the Zuiderzee), a North Sea natural harbour. ...

and 6 lanes from Zwolle to Meppel in 2010 and 2011. The motorway initially opened between 1964 and 1970. Another motorway, the A50, interchanges with A28 just west of the city, offering a route for southbound traffic to Apeldoorn and

Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,N35 highway starts in Zwolle, where it forms the eastern section of the ring road of Zwolle, it runs as a non-motorway to Almelo and continues to

as A35 motorway. The ringroad is mainly a 4-lane road, with numerous traffic lights. It forms a full ring, and also exists out of the N337 highway that runs to

. Other sections of the ring road are not numbered. Parts of the ring road were widened to six lanes in 2010. Other numbered highways running from Zwolle are N331 to Hasselt, N758 to Nieuwleusen, N340 to Ommen and N764 to Kampen.

Bridges

Due to nearby rivers, there are several major bridges in and around Zwolle. The most important bridge is the IJssel Bridge where the A28 motorway runs across. It was completed in 1970 and carries over 125.000 vehicles per day. Adjacent to this bridge is the older IJssel Bridge, which opened in 1930 and was destroyed twice during

. A third IJssel Bridge is the railway bridge (called Hanze boog) which carries the railway line from Zwolle to Amersfoort, and from 2012, to

Lelystad Lelystad () is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands, and it is the capital of the province of Flevoland. The city, built on reclaimed land, was founded in 1967 and was named after Cornelis Lely, who engineered the Afsluitdi ...

. There are several bridges across the Zwarte Water River, including two 4-lane bridges, a 2-lane bridge, and a bus/bicycle bridge. There is also a bridge across the Vecht, which carries A28 motorway. Another local bridge is adjacent to this bridge. A third bridge carries rail traffic to

Leeuwarden Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 123,107 (2019). It is the provincial capital and seat of th ...

and Groningen. Numerous local bridges exist around the historic city center.

Rail transport

* Zwolle railway station The first train in Zwolle arrived on 6 June 1864. Today the city has rail connections in eight directions (viz. Kampen,

, Groningen, Emmen,

, Arnhem/

Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, and Amersfoort). The rail connection with

via

– the Hanzelijn – is operational since December 2012. The second station, Zwolle Stadshagen, was opened on 15 December 2019.

Water transport

Zwolle is located on or near three rivers ( Zwarte Water, Vecht, and IJssel), several

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface f ...

s (the now disused Willemsvaart, Nieuwe Vecht and Overijssels Kanaal and the modern Zwolle-IJssel Kanaal). There are some water-related industries in Zwolle, mainly in the Voorst industrial area.

International relations

Twin towns—sister cities

Zwolle is currently twinned with: * Lünen, Germany In the past, Zwolle had partnerships with: * Érsekhalma, Hungary * Rutobwe, Rwanda *

Vologda Vologda ( rus, Вологда, p=ˈvoləɡdə) is a city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. Population: The city serves as a major transport hu ...

, Russia *

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...

, Russia

References

Literature

External links

* *
Official website
{{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Members of the Hanseatic League Municipalities of Overijssel Populated places in Overijssel Provincial capitals of the Netherlands Salland