Het Stroot, Nature reserve in Twekkelo, Netherlands.
Het Stroot is a nature reserve covering about 70 hectares with forests, farmland, and natural areas surrounding a historic estate with a Renaissance entrance gate. The property includes a mansion, coach house, farm buildings, and landscaped gardens that together show what country life looked like in the past.
The estate was founded in 1819 when Johanna Berendina Roessingh-van Heek purchased the property from Enschede municipality and built the main villa. The distinctive sandstone entrance gate dates from 1615 and originally stood at another location before being moved to this site.
The buildings on the property show Dutch country architecture with classical elements that reflect how wealthy families lived in rural areas. The mix of mansion, coach house, and farm buildings gives visitors a sense of historical farming life and rural prosperity.
The area is accessible through several walking paths that lead through forests and open countryside suitable for different fitness levels. Visitors should stay on marked trails and respect the natural surroundings, especially when observing birds and other wildlife.
The sandstone entrance displays intricate hunting relief carvings from the 17th century showing scenes with horses and hunters, remarkably well preserved. This fine stonework makes the gate a surprising artistic detail in the middle of nature.
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