Marijn is a Zwollener
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Marijn de Vries is a versatile lady. People who know her, know that she is crazy about cycling. With great regularity you can see her maneuvering through the city on her racing or cargo bike. Moreover, Marijn has been mayor of Zwolle since 2021. The mayor of cycling, that is. You see, this entrepreneur is a fanatical ambassador of the bicycle. And now also of Zwolle, as you can read in the following blog of #IKBENEENZWOLLENAAR.
Whether you can call yourself a real Zwollenaar if you were not born and raised in the city I don't know, but I do feel like a real Zwollenaar. I have been one for fifteen years now. I have discovered all corners of the city on my bicycle, I know my way around better than by car. And that's handy, because in Zwolle you're almost everywhere faster by bike than by car.
I also love the surroundings of Zwolle. As a professional cyclist I discovered how beautiful it is to cycle here: the region offers an incredible variety of nature, it's very quiet, you're just out of the city and you can go in every direction. From the Veluwe to Vechtdal, from Weerribben and Wieden to the beautiful IJssel. The Holterberg and Lemelerberg are just around the corner. A region to never get tired of.
And every time I cycle to Zwolle, I see the Peperbus and I feel at home. Zwolle gives me what I as an entrepreneur love: a warm network of people who grant each other something. Looking each other up. And hold on to each other. Perhaps because Zwolle is a bit on its own, separate from other cities. Zwolle is small enough to be a village, but big enough to have all the elements of a city. That makes me, as a girl from the province, feel like a fish in water here.
Since June 2021 I am the bicycle mayor of Zwolle. Because I believe that cycling makes Zwolle an even nicer city. I like to stand at the Sassenpoort to watch the fleeting contacts between people on a bicycle. On a bike, you make contact. You look each other in the eye, people often greet you and laugh. And it's healthy too. I like to contribute to such a cycling climate.
Zwolle is one of the few cities where cyclists still stop at a red traffic light. That makes cycling even safer and friendlier, especially for children. Discovering the city from your bicycle, through the eyes of a child: there is nothing better.
Marijn's top 3
- If you're on the road anyway, stop in the Wezenlandenpark at the Park Pavilion. A great place to drink and eat something, and to play with the kids.
- Another place I like to visit is the English Work. Park your bike at the inn and go for a walk. The park is beautiful any time of year.
- A final favorite spot is the terrace of Las Rosas, downtown. There is almost no better place to watch people, how they move, laugh at each other and react to each other, on a bicycle or on foot.
