Herman Finkers route
Oldenzaal, Rossum, De Lutte
To many Dutch people, Herman Finkers (Almelo, 9 December 1954) is perhaps the best-known person from Twente. He became known as a cabaret performer and his ‘ode’ to Almelo -‘The traffic light jumps red, the traffic light jumps green, in Almelo there is always something to do’ - is now legendary. He hasn't lived in Almelo for a long time, but he does live in rural East Twente. And he has a ‘writers’ cottage' in a quiet spot along the river Dinkel, where he stays when he wants to be alone to concentrate. Finkers is inextricably linked to Oost-Twente in several ways. First, it is because of his constant efforts to save the Twente dialect, a specific form of the Lower Saxon language, from extinction. He did this by using it in his many songs, and by writing television series, films and Catholic masses in Twents. He was closely involved in the television series ‘Van Jonge Leu en Oale Groond’, which ran from 2004 to 2008 on the regional channel RTV Oost. The series was hugely popular, not only in Twente, as it was later broadcast by several other regional channels in the Netherlands and the second season was even shown nationwide on public broadcaster KRO. Finkers himself also starred as an actor in the first season. Finkers also had great success with the film ‘The Legs of St Hildegard’, which was released in cinemas in 2020. Finkers himself wrote the script for this tragicomic film (an adaptation of the Czech film ‘Teorie tygra’), and starred alongside Johanna ter Steege. In the film, they form the married couple Jan and Gerda, whose marriage is under pressure because Gerda is very caring towards her husband, who cannot always appreciate her interference. Of course, this film also largely speaks Twents. Apart from Twents, Finkers also promotes traditional Catholic traditions. Twente is the largest Catholic region in the northern Netherlands. That Catholicism remained so strong here after the Reformation and the Eighty Years' War is due to its location near the Catholic diocese of Munster in Germany. In the years when the practice of the Catholic faith was more or less impossible in the Dutch republic, there were many ‘hideaway churches’ in Twente, or people migrated to locations across the border. For many Twente people, the Catholic faith is therefore also part of their regional identity. For his own wedding, Finkers himself composed a polyphonic traditional Latin mass, the St George mass, and in 1988 he wrote the text and songs of the cartoon ‘Kroamschudd'n in Mariaparochie’ (‘On maternity visit in Mariaparochie’), a Christmas story. In this story, Jesus is not born in Bethlehem, but in the village of Mariaparochie near Almelo. It could hardly be more Twentsy. You can extend this route with a ‘trip’ to Bad Bentheim in Germany, a location that plays an important role in the film ‘The Legs of St Hildegard’. To do so, from bike point 83, follow points 29, 90, 42, 55, 77, 30, 51 and 26. You will then cycle (there and back) about eleven kilometres extra. This Premium cycle route was compiled by our editor: Frans Glissenaar.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Gasthuisstraat , 7631 BW Dinkelland | 60.5 KM | |
|
From
69
to
29
|
1526 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head west on Markt | 77 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Ton Schultenplein | 23 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kapelstraat | 68 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Kapelstraat | 70 M | ||
| Turn left onto Molenstraat | 328 M | ||
| Turn left onto Binnenes | 412 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 224 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Binnenes | 37 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 209 M | ||
| Continue onto Binnenes | 78 M | ||
| You are now at section 29 | 0 M | ||
|
From
29
to
72
|
1490 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head southwest on Binnenes | 31 M | ||
| Turn left onto Tichelwerk | 606 M | ||
| Turn right | 247 M | ||
| Continue onto Almelosestraat | 123 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Almelosestraat | 483 M | ||
| You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
|
From
72
to
71
|
1291 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head west on Hezebergweg | 323 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oppersveldweg | 116 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Oppersveldweg | 852 M | ||
| You are now at section 71 | 0 M | ||
|
From
71
to
42
|
2082 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head east on Zonnenbergweg | 293 M | ||
| Turn right onto Smitsweg | 1.8 KM | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M | ||
|
From
42
to
41
|
2418 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head west on Voortsweg | 629 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Dennenkampsweg | 451 M | ||
| Turn left onto Weerselosestraat | 538 M | ||
| Turn left onto Bornsedijk | 367 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Oude Bornsedijk | 433 M | ||
| You are now at section 41 | 0 M | ||
|
From
41
to
48
|
1112 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Oude Bornsedijk | 157 M | ||
| Keep left onto Oude Bornsedijk | 933 M | ||
| Turn left onto Agelerweg | 22 M | ||
| You are now at section 48 | 0 M | ||
|
From
48
to
75
|
1005 M | 1 KM | |
| Head southwest | 59 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oude Bornsedijk | 946 M | ||
| You are now at section 75 | 0 M | ||
|
From
75
to
76
|
3245 M | 3.2 KM | |
| Head east on Kleijsenweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Bekhuisweg | 393 M | ||
| Turn right onto Plegtsweg | 761 M | ||
| Keep right onto Boerkampsmorsweg | 430 M | ||
| Turn left onto Abdijweg | 30 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Abdijweg | 50 M | ||
| Turn right | 102 M | ||
| Continue onto Bornsestraat | 80 M | ||
| Turn left onto Rudolph Wilminklaan | 148 M | ||
| Turn right onto Stiftstraat | 63 M | ||
| Turn left onto het Stift | 59 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on het Stift | 38 M | ||
| You are now at section 76 | 0 M | ||
|
From
76
to
78
|
5846 M | 5.8 KM | |
| Head east on het Stift | 58 M | ||
| Continue onto Schoolpad | 215 M | ||
| Turn right | 38 M | ||
| Turn right onto Abdijweg | 225 M | ||
| Turn left onto Voortmorsstraat | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Siemertsteeg | 954 M | ||
| Turn left onto Paalmaatsdijk | 231 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Rossumermedenweg | 2.2 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Vospeldijk | 29 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Ootmarsumsedijk | 815 M | ||
| You are now at section 78 | 0 M | ||
|
From
78
to
49
|
2147 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head east on Paalmaatsdijk | 11 M | ||
| Turn right onto Reimerweg | 2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Father Raatgerstraat | 88 M | ||
| Turn left onto Korhuislaan | 63 M | ||
| You are now at section 49 | 0 M | ||
|
From
49
to
79
|
3289 M | 3.3 KM | |
| Head east on Korhuislaan | 37 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kerkewei | 156 M | ||
| Make a sharp right onto Thijplein | 122 M | ||
| Turn left onto Thijstraat | 269 M | ||
| Turn left onto Lemseloseschoolweg | 151 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Bentertsteeg | 961 M | ||
| Turn left onto Ootmarsumsedijk | 727 M | ||
| Turn right onto Lemseloseschoolweg | 866 M | ||
| You are now at section 79 | 0 M | ||
|
From
79
to
35
|
4093 M | 4.1 KM | |
| Head southeast on Hilbertweg | 2.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Tiethofweg | 455 M | ||
| Turn left onto Klumpersdijk | 6 M | ||
| Turn right onto Tiethofweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Loweg | 178 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
36
|
1094 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Oude Ootmarsumsestraat | 235 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Hoge Esweg | 207 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Oosterikweg | 636 M | ||
| Continue straight | 16 M | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
|
From
36
to
64
|
2325 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head south | 269 M | ||
| Turn left | 191 M | ||
| Turn left onto Waterhamweg | 74 M | ||
| Turn right | 333 M | ||
| Continue onto Thorbeckestraat | 172 M | ||
| Turn right | 256 M | ||
| Turn left onto B.A.A. Engelbertinklaan | 420 M | ||
| Turn left onto Tijgaardenstraat | 143 M | ||
| Turn right onto Asterstraat | 49 M | ||
| Turn left onto Tulpstraat | 58 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Nagelstraat | 12 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Nagelstraat | 232 M | ||
| Turn right onto Grootestraat | 116 M | ||
| You are now at section 64 | 0 M | ||
|
From
64
to
66
|
2479 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head east on Sint Plechelmusplein; St. Plechelmusplein | 53 M | ||
| Turn right onto Pastoriestraat | 78 M | ||
| Turn left onto Gasthuisstraat | 93 M | ||
| Turn right onto Schoolstraat | 106 M | ||
| Turn left | 64 M | ||
| Turn right onto Wilhelminastraat | 280 M | ||
| Turn right | 37 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 81 M | ||
| Turn left onto Watertorenstraat | 24 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto De Groene Loper | 91 M | ||
| Turn left onto Haerstraat | 640 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Haerstraat | 651 M | ||
| Turn right onto de Wijnbergen | 281 M | ||
| You are now at section 66 | 0 M | ||
|
From
66
to
74
|
1074 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head east on Rhododendronlaan | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn left to stay on Rhododendronlaan | 21 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
|
From
74
to
67
|
1360 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head east on Lutterkerkpad | 869 M | ||
| Turn right onto Farwickweg | 491 M | ||
| You are now at section 67 | 0 M | ||
|
From
67
to
20
|
1422 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head east on Fleerderhoekpad | 919 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Fleerderhoekpad | 474 M | ||
| Continue straight | 29 M | ||
| You are now at section 20 | 0 M | ||
|
From
20
to
60
|
2010 M | 2 KM | |
| Head north on Plechelmusstraat | 333 M | ||
| Turn left onto Bentheimerstraat | 50 M | ||
| Turn right onto Peulkespad | 662 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hanhofweg | 965 M | ||
| You are now at section 60 | 0 M | ||
|
From
60
to
22
|
1379 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head north on Hoge Kaviksweg | 299 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Hoge Kaviksweg | 513 M | ||
| Turn right | 159 M | ||
| Continue straight | 191 M | ||
| Turn left | 217 M | ||
| You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
|
From
22
to
57
|
557 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head northwest on Hakenbergweg | 557 M | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
|
From
57
to
52
|
5321 M | 5.3 KM | |
| Head northeast on Voortmansweg | 917 M | ||
| Turn right onto Paandersdijk | 412 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nijenhaerweg | 2.1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Achtermaatsweg | 382 M | ||
| Turn left onto Paandersdijk | 723 M | ||
| Turn right onto Schoolweg | 597 M | ||
| Turn right onto Lomanskamp | 25 M | ||
| Turn left onto Beuningerstraat | 130 M | ||
| You are now at section 52 | 0 M | ||
|
From
52
to
54
|
1625 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head northwest on Beuningerstraat | 237 M | ||
| Turn right onto Borgbosweg | 624 M | ||
| Continue straight | 31 M | ||
| Continue onto Sterrebostunnel | 27 M | ||
| Continue onto Borgbosweg | 706 M | ||
| You are now at section 54 | 0 M | ||
|
From
54
to
17
|
804 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head north | 505 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Singravenweg | 299 M | ||
| You are now at section 17 | 0 M | ||
|
From
17
to
15
|
1251 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head northwest on Molendijk | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 15 | 0 M | ||
|
From
15
to
14
|
996 M | 1 KM | |
| Head northwest on Schiphorstdijk | 996 M | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
|
From
14
to
10
|
975 M | 1 KM | |
| Head north on Damweg | 975 M | ||
| You are now at section 10 | 0 M | ||
|
From
10
to
16
|
2357 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head west on Hooimatenweg | 773 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hunenborgseweg | 860 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Hunenborgseweg | 170 M | ||
| Turn left onto Beusemkolkweg | 554 M | ||
| You are now at section 16 | 0 M | ||
|
From
16
to
43
|
2240 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head southwest on Kooiweg | 2.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 43 | 0 M | ||
|
From
43
to
69
|
1727 M | 1.7 KM | |
| Head southwest | 37 M | ||
| Turn right | 20 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 8 M | ||
| Turn left onto Timmusweg | 186 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Timmusweg | 301 M | ||
| Turn right onto Berend Vinckenstraat | 162 M | ||
| Turn left | 131 M | ||
| Turn right | 243 M | ||
| Turn right onto Wildehof | 15 M | ||
| Turn left | 143 M | ||
| Turn left onto Odemarusstraat | 17 M | ||
| Turn left onto Profietstraat | 135 M | ||
| Turn left onto Smithuisstraat | 79 M | ||
| Turn right onto Radboudstraat | 171 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kerkplein | 18 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Kerkplein | 61 M | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M |