steenwijkerland

Few visitors to the Netherlands have even heard of the municipality of Steenwijkerland in the province of Overijssel. That’s a pity, since it includes attractions as unique as the enchanting village of Giethoorn and the scenery and wildlife of the Weerribben National Park. Then there are the historic ‘Zuiderzee villages’ of Vollenhove and Blokzijl, the fortress walls of Steenwijk and little places like ‘Muggebeet’ (mosquito bite) and ‘Nederland’ (The Netherlands). Echoes of tall stories about bishops, robber barons and peat diggers complete the picture. Tinker was given the challenge of bringing together Steenwijkerland’s superb attractions into a single coherent offering and of developing a communications plan to present this to the public.

Revealing the inspiration of the region is not such a hard task. There are only a few places in the Netherlands that can offer visitors such an authentic panorama. They can still see how people and nature have shaped each other, and history can be seen and experienced throughout the area. Steenwijkerland offers a cultural landscape worthy of international renown, and it has reached the 21st century virtually intact. That alone is truly unique in our heavily developed country. Not culture with a capital C, but we feel its ubiquitous heritage truly makes Steenwijkerland a delight to discover in the Netherlands. (ongoing project)