Deventer Bingo: Spot 30 Typically Deventer Things
Walk the Bergkwartier, tick off the card, snap a photo of every typically Deventer thing you can find. From a slice of Deventer koek to the Lebuinuskerk over the Brink, this is a 30-item Deventer bingo that turns any walk into a treasure hunt. No fixed route. Just keep your eyes open.
Challenges (30)
Spot a slice of Deventer koek
Find a slice of Deventer koek (the local spiced honey cake) in a bakery or specialty shop window. Photograph the dark slice.
Spot a Deventer bitterballen plate
Find a plate of bitterballen on a Deventer café table. Photograph the line-up.
Spot a Deventer stroopwafel
Find a fresh stroopwafel in a Deventer bakery. Photograph the warm wafer.
Spot a Deventer Dutch flag
Find a Dutch flag flying on a Deventer building. Photograph the colours.
Spot a Deventer Vlaamse frites cone
Find a paper cone of Belgian-style frites at a Deventer friet stand. Photograph the cone.
Spot a Deventer Dutch bicycle
Find a Dutch upright bicycle parked on a Deventer cobblestone street. Photograph it.
Spot a Deventer cheese stall
Find a cheese stall on the Brink (Friday market) or a cheese shop with Gouda wheels. Photograph the stack.
Spot a Deventer Heineken sign
Find a Heineken sign on a Deventer café awning. Photograph the red star.
Spot a Deventer haring with onions
Find raw Hollandse Nieuwe herring with chopped onion at a Deventer haringkraam. Photograph the silver fish.
Spot a Deventer brown café
Find a Deventer bruin café (dark wood, beer pumps). Café Bouwkunde, De Hanzestad. Photograph the doorway.
Spot the Lebuïnuskerk
Find the Sint-Lebuïnuskerk on the Brink. Photograph the tall gothic spire.
Spot the Bergkerk
Find the Bergkerk on the Bergkerkplein with its 14th-century twin towers. Photograph the towers.
Spot the Waag (Weighing House)
Find the Waag on the Brink, the 16th-century gothic Weighing House. Photograph the gabled facade.
Spot a Bergkwartier cobbled lane
Walk into the Bergkwartier and find a steep cobbled lane between heritage houses. Photograph the stones leading up.
Spot a stepped or bell gable in Deventer
Find a stepped or bell gable on a Deventer canal house. Photograph the silhouette.
Spot a Deventer stoepenpoortje (gate-arch)
Find a stoepenpoortje (small archway entrance to a Deventer courtyard or hofje). Photograph the arch.
Spot an IJssel river view
Walk to the IJsselkade and find a view over the IJssel river. Photograph the river with the Hanze city behind.
Spot an IJssel ferry or boat
Find the small Deventer-Schipbeek ferry or a tour boat on the IJssel. Photograph the boat.
Spot a Dickens reference
In December find a Dickens Festival reference (the costumed festival in the Bergkwartier, third weekend of December). Outside the season find a Dickens souvenir or photograph. Photograph the reference.
Spot a Deventer Dutch bakery window
Find a Deventer bakery window with Bussink Deventer koek (the famous brand). Photograph the box.
Spot a Deventer boekenmarkt sign
On the first Sunday of August find Europe's biggest open-air book market sprawling through the streets. Outside the season find a Deventer Boekenmarkt poster or a heritage bookshop. Photograph the books or sign.
Spot a Deventer wall lantern
Find a wrought-iron wall lantern hanging on a Deventer heritage facade. Photograph the lamp.
Spot a Deventer poffertjes plate
Find a poffertjeskraam with the cast-iron pan of small puffy pancakes. Photograph the pan.
Spot a Deventer street vintage shop window
Walk down the Polstraat or Lange Bisschopstraat and find a vintage shop window. Photograph the curation.
Spot a Brink market day stall
On a market day (Friday morning) find a Brink stall (fish, flowers, cheese). Photograph the stall.
Spot a Bergkwartier ivy facade
Find a Bergkwartier facade covered in ivy or climbing roses. Photograph the green.
Spot a Deventer hofje
Find a Deventer hofje (Sint-Elizabethsgasthuis, Proosdij or similar). Photograph the courtyard.
Spot a Deventer historic shop sign
Find a hand-painted historic shop sign (delicatessen, ironmonger, tailor) in the centre. Photograph the lettering.
Spot an IJsselkade reflection
Find a still stretch of the IJssel with the city walls reflected. Photograph the mirror image.
Spot a Hanze League reference
Find a Hanze League reference in Deventer (one of the Dutch Hanseatic cities): plaque, museum sign, banner. Photograph the reference.
Frequently asked questions
The duration is up to the organizer when they set up the adventure. As a guideline, a focused afternoon across the Brink, Bergkwartier and IJsselkade ticks off most of the easy items, and stretching across a weekend (with the boekenmarkt or Dickens festival in season) lets a determined group complete all 30.
Each of the 30 items is a camera challenge. When you spot the thing, take a photo and submit it; the bingo card tracks progress. Play solo, with friends or split into teams and race to tick off the most items.
Some items (Dickens Festival in season, boekenmarkt on the first Sunday of August) are seasonal. Sweep the Brink and Bergkwartier for the easy items, the IJssel for the river view, the side streets for hofjes and stoepenpoorten.
The Brink and Bergkwartier hit the most items in a walking loop. Add the IJsselkade for the river and Pothoofdpoortje, the Polstraat for shops, the Bergkerk and Lebuinuskerk for the spires.
Yes. Kids love spotting the Lebuinuskerk, Deventer koek and the IJssel boats; adults enjoy hunting Bergkwartier facades, Dickens references and old Dutch bookshops. No alcohol stops are required.