Bronckhorst



Bronkhorst is a municipality in the middle of the Achterhoek, Gelderland, The Netherlands. The municipality has been around since 2005, when it was created by merging the former municipalities of Hengelo, Hummelo en Keppel, Steenderen, Vorden and Zelhem. This makes Bronckhost the 12th largest municipality of the Netherlands. Its name is derived from the smallest city in the Netherlands, Bronkhorst, which can also be found in this region.

Understand
Bronckhorst itself has little history as it has only been around for just over 10 years. Its predecessors however have some history to their name.

Hengelo
Not to be confused with Hengelo in the province of Overijssel. Hengelo is a village with many events, varying in size. Most notably is Hengelo's motorraces, with an annual road race on the Varsselring-circuit.

Hummelo and Keppel
Hummelo is a town along the road between Doetinchem and Zutphen. The road however, has been permanently re-rerouted around the town, causing its main road's restaurants and shops to loose profit. Never the less, Hummelo is a pretty village that is worth visiting. The name of Keppel implies that it is a single town, though in reality, it consists of Hoog-Keppel and Laag-Keppel (lit.: High-Keppel and Low-Keppel). Hoog-Keppel is, in short, no more than urban housing. Laag-Keppel is the main attraction of the two. The 19th century Keppelse Watermolen is a picturesque watermill between the Oude IJssel river and an old, partially blocked off diversion of the river. On this former island in the river you will also find Kasteel Keppel, which is a castle, originally built around 1350, and rebuilt in the 17th century after it has been destroyed in 1582.

Steenderen
Steenderen is a town that's mostly known for its factories of Aviko and FrieslandCampina. Steenderen is historically an industrial town, and it doesn't pose much for the average traveller.

Vorden
Vorden is the castletown of the Achterhoek, if not Gelderland. It counts a grand total of eight castles, all of which surround the town. Quite some time ago, in 1976, it was crowned the pearl of Gelderland for its many castles. None of these castles haven't changed much over time, and are still worth visiting or viewing when visiting isn't possible.

Zelhem
Zelhem is one of the larger towns in Bronckhorst, though its centre is the thing worth visiting Zelhem for, is rather small. The town's main pearl is the Lambertichurch in the middle of the town. When walking long distances, you might be interested for its location on the Pieterpad.

By car
The main roads in Bronckhorst are the N314, N315 and N316. To get into the region, travel to Doetinchem, Doesburg or Zutphen. When in Doetinchem, use the N317 followed by the N314 to get to Hummelo and Steenderen, the N316 to get to Hengelo and Vorden, or the N315 to get to Zelhem. When in Doesburg, use the N317 to get to Keppel. At its roundabout after Laag-Keppel, either use the N314 to get to Hummelo or Steenderen, or stay on the N317 to get to any of the other towns via Doetinchem. When travelling from Zutphen, use the N314 to get to Hummelo or Steenderen, the N319 to get to Vorden, and from there, use the N316 to get to Hengelo or Zelhem (via the N330).

Get around
The villages themselves can be explored by bike or by foot. When travelling between them, consider using a car or public transport.

Go next
While you're around, why not visit the nearby cities? From Hummelo, Keppel and Zelhem, the closest cities are Doetinchem and Doesburg. From Hengelo, Steenderen and Vorden, the closest city is Zutphen, and the nearby municipality of Oost Gelre has many events to offer, and may be rewarding to visit. Larger cities nearby include Arnhem, Deventer and Enschede. If you'd rather hop over the border into Germany, then consider visiting Bocholt, Emmerich am Rhein or Kleve