You don’t necessarily have to travel to the US to find a place with Zwolle. Near the house, in the county of Gelderland, there is also a “Zwolle”. Is this place exactly like our Hanseatic city? We explain it to you with a crash course at Zwolle in Groenlo.
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About an 80-kilometer drive from the big Zwolle, you’ll find the little Zwolle. It is a small village in Groenlo, in the east of Gelderland, not far from the German border. To avoid confusion with the big Zwolle, the popular village of Gelderse is nicknamed “Zwolle bie Grolle” or Zwolle bij Groenlo. Nice detail: Residents are called Zwollenaren, just as they are in Zwolle. So you can be a Zwolle resident in both Overijssel and Gelderland.
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Zwolle small and large
Zwolle near Groenlo is not that big. It mainly consists of a central and outer district of about 250 addresses and 700 residents, according to village reports on the site. This is much smaller than Zwolle in Overijssel, suitable for about 130,000 residents. In terms of facilities, Zwolle residents in Groenlo have to go for the surroundings. There is no shop, bank, or church, but there is, for example, an elementary school, a cafeteria, and even a bed and breakfast. ‘t Reirinck, an old farmhouse in a forest, is also a beautiful wedding reception and overnight location.
The history of the village – just like the big Zwolle – goes back in time. According to the place guide, the oldest mention of it likely dates back to 1234, when Zwolle (near Groenlo) was called Suellen. After that she was named Swelle, Zwolle, but then Swelle again and then even Swolle. The name means – just like Zwolle in Overijssel – an elevated area.
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close community
The motto “Met mekare, veur mekare” is characteristic of Zwolle in Gelderland. This represents a close-knit community, in which union life in particular plays a major role. For example, there is a clochet club, a carnival and a shooting. The logo was even woven into a work of art in the city.
In Zwolle, we’re familiar with the greats like Herman Brood, Typhoon and Wietze de Jager, but Willy Gelinck is adored in little Zwolle. Willie is often jokingly referred to as the “Paperazzi King of Zwolle,” according to a city guide. The star has been taking pictures since he was 15, mostly of activities in the neighborhood. He is also committed to all kinds of individual jobs in society.
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De Limbotten Nature Reserve
If you walk in the big Zwolle via the Park het Engels Werk or the Park de Wezenlanden, in the small Zwolle you can do it in the De Leemputten Nature Reserve, an area with ponds where you can walk and fish. You’ll find plenty of nature in little Zwolle: according to the Hamlet website, most of the hinterland is agricultural and the other part is nature.
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Conclusion
Is Zwolle in Groenlo an alternative to Zwolle in Overijssel? Here you won’t find Peperbus, Sassenpoort, and Canal City, but you can (keep on) calling yourself Zwollenaar. And although there are similarities also in, for example, the meaning of the name, the celebration of carnival and – going forward – the nature reserves that both places have, there are many differences between the places. Wondering if you feel at home in Zwolle in the US? Then check out the article below:
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