Omulaagde

Omulaagde is a small historic municipality located in the province of Overijssel in the eastern Netherlands. The name is derived from the Dutch verb omluigen, meaning “to surround,” reflecting the town’s medieval origins when it was surrounded by a defensive ditch and a timber palisade. The area first appears in written records in the late 12th century as a fortified settlement belonging to the Bishopric of Utrecht.

The principal landmark in Omulaagde is the 13th‑century castle known locally as Schloss Omulaagd. The square‑plan fortress, originally built of clay and timber, was reconstructed in the 14th century using brick and stepped arches. Over the centuries it passed through the hands of several noble families, including the Van den Berg family who expanded the complex into a Renaissance manor. In the 19th century, the castle became the residence of a local industrialist who used the surrounding lands to develop a textile mill. Today, the castle has been restored and operates as a museum and event venue, offering guided tours that trace the region’s agrarian and industrial history.

Public life in Omulaagde is organized around a series of annual festivals, the most famous being the Harvest Fair (Vastenfeest) held every October. The festivities celebrate the town’s agricultural heritage with local produce stalls, traditional music, and a reenactment of the medieval siege that ended in 1276. The town’s population is estimated at around 1,200 residents, with most people engaged in small‑scale farming, craft workshops, and tourism services that revolve around the castle and natural reserves surrounding the Vecht River watershed.