Ootmarsum, Tubbergen

Ootmarsum, with its beautiful half-timbered houses, is known as an art town. Many artists have their galleries or studios here and there are various exhibitions throughout the year.

The time around Easter is a special time in Ootmarsum. On Silent Saturday at twelve o'clock the town crier announces the Easter celebration. Then Easter carts fetch pine wood for an Easter fire. The Poaskearls, eight unmarried young men dressed in beige mackintoshes with black trousers and a hat, sing a procession around the church. Then the 'vlöggeln' begins, hand-in-hand the poaskearls walk with the inhabitants of Ootmarsum (and other interested people) behind them in a long string through the town to the market square. On the square the children are lifted up three times while shouting "Hurray! At 20:30 the Easter fire is lit by the poaskearls. The origin of the tradition is unknown. However, it was already mentioned in a document from 1840.

On this cycle route you will also pass the village of Tubbergen. The name of this village probably comes from 'between the mountains'. This indicates that you may sometimes climb a little, but fortunately you may also descend. Tubbergen is the place for mill lovers: there are four water mills and three windmills within the municipal boundaries. South of Tubbergen is the Kroezeboom, an over four hundred year old oak tree that was planted as a marker of a crossroads or border. At the time of the Reformation, Roman Catholics held secret meetings here. The priest would preach from the cart with which the altar had been transported to the kroezeboom.

There is a lot of art and culture to be found in this part of Twente, so jump on your bike and come and discover it!