In Hattem, making bread is also a performance

The Dutch Bakery Museum connects four historic buildings, an old bakery and a theatre where the craft is demonstrated.

Museum Magazine · 20 October 2026

A baker stands beside a table as children and adults watch the demonstration. — Bread demonstration in the theatre of the Dutch Bakery Museum in Hattem, photographed in 2023. Photo: Vysotsky / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Vysotsky / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image source

The Dutch Bakery Museum in Hattem occupies four listed buildings linked by a tunnel beneath the street. In its 150-year-old bakery, the museum tells the history of bread and pastry. A visit therefore passes a workplace, tools and a space where the work is explained.

In the museum theatre, a baker regularly gives a Bread Show. According to the museum, he recounts the history of bread while working with dough. During the family performance, he uses dough, scissors and currants to make bread figures. The performance lasts about three quarters of an hour.

Wooden shelves holding old, labelled biscuit tins at the Bakery Museum. — Biscuit tins at the Dutch Bakery Museum in Hattem, photographed in 2023. Photo: Vysotsky / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Vysotsky / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image source

The museum also shows what happens after baking. A shop interior dating from 1900 presents objects and products associated with selling. A photograph taken inside the museum in 2023 shows old biscuit tins labelled Theebanket and Bitterkoekjes. They recall that a bakery makes more than everyday bread.

Family performances take place from time to time on Saturdays, during school holidays and on special days. The show is not suitable for children under three. Start times vary by day and are confirmed at reception.

A reserved time slot is required for a museum visit. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday and closes at 4 pm according to its official booking page. Each time slot lists a start and end time. It closes on Sunday and Monday. The address is Kerkhofstraat 13, Hattem.