Eastern Netherlands’ Gentle Farm Region of Gardens and Canals : Spaciousness and outdoor activities such as biking and canoeing distinguish the colorful towns of the Twente.

If the Flying Dutchman of legend and opera fame had ever seen this part of the eastern Netherlands, he would have steered his ghostly vessel into the Twente Canal, forgotten his bizarre pact with the devil and settled for the good life here, rather than plying the world’s stormy seas into eternity.

Often called the Hof van Twente (Paradise of Twente), or the Garden of Holland, the region has a distinct Teutonic flavor in its dialect, culture and architecture. Its pretty little towns and villages line the canal that runs east to the gentle hills of the German border.

This is farm country, where steep-pitched tile roofs of 16th-Century Saxon farmhouses stand guard over neat and very prosperous farms providing produce and dairy products for much of the Netherlands. Many of the farmhouses have shutters of distinctive colors, indicating that they were once owned by families living in nearby castles, of which the Twente has more than its share.

The Twente is largely above sea level, so there are few polders and dikes--just great stands of evergreen forests, green meadows and cultivated fields stretching to the horizon. This feeling of rural spaciousness is what sets the region apart from the Netherlands most visitors see. It is singularly devoid of faceless 20th-Century industrial buildings, factories and the odious transportation worries that consume more congested areas in some parts of Europe.

Rather, the little roadways, trails, bike paths and country lanes of Twente are given over to carriages, small wagons, larger prairie schooner varieties and the ever-present bicycle. Biking is a sensible fact of life for natives of the Twente, as it is in most of the Netherlands, and bike paths here cover the region like morning dew.

All of these forms of transportation, plus canoeing, kayaking, hiking and camping, make the Twente Canal region one of the Netherlands’ favorite playgrounds. Yet it also has those lovely castles, centuries-old windmills, water mills dating from the 12th Century and plenty of history in equally ancient towns.

From west to east, Markelo, Diepenheim, Goor and Delden are four towns that capture the true color and spirit of the region. A rental car is almost a must for seeing the Twente, unless of course one is comfortable with non-motorized transportation.

Getting settled: Markelo has a number of typical farmhouse inns, but In de Kop’ren Smorre (At the Copper Pot), dating from 1472, is surely the town showplace. It has been in the same family since the beginning, and the marvelous restaurant is a member of the prestigious Romantik Hotels & Restaurants group.

Farm buildings are in the 15th-Century style and set in magnificent formal gardens containing 500 fuchsias, oleanders, fruit and citrus trees and potted bougainvilleas that are nursed through the winter inside. At one end of the garden is The Guesthouse, a seven-room B&B; with a communal living room and kitchen. Bedrooms are very simply furnished but comfortable, and the inn offers half-pension plans for stays of two or three days.

At the other end of the Twente, in the larger village of Delden, Hotel Sevenster has been at town center since about 1750. There’s nothing fancy about the Sevenster, just an excellent location and good value. The 15 bedrooms are again very simply furnished, and the cafe-restaurant has a stamtisch (a “regulars” table) covered with carpeting in the Dutch fashion, plus a billiards table and homey bar.

Few accommodations could be more regal than the 16th-Century Castle Engelenburg, surrounded by a moat on beautiful grounds near the town of Brummen, just southwest of the Twente region. Public rooms in the main building are truly baronial, yet have the warming comfort of an English country hotel, especially the two bars--one with an antique shelf of six dozen kinds of Scotch.

Most of the 24 bedrooms are in twin buildings that form a horseshoe with the castle, and they are indeed more like mini-suites. Some have ground-level terraces overlooking the moat, with black and white swans and their cygnets gliding by. The Engelenburg also has a nine-hole golf course on the grounds and offers golf packages and clinics at attractive rates.

Regional food and drink: Since the Twente region is inland, one finds more veal and beef on menus than fresh seafood. And with all the forests hereabouts, seasonal game is plentiful, particularly wild boar. Fresh fruits, vegetables and berries are excellent and plentiful, and a young, fresh cheese called kernhen is made here and used in cooking and eaten straight.

Farm Boys is a local homemade liqueur with raisins that’s often poured over desserts. But genever (Dutch gin) is still the national spirits-lifter. It comes in two types, jonge and oud (young and old). Ask for it graf koud , cold as the grave. Few countries make better beer than the Dutch. French and German wines are plentiful.

Good local dining: The Kop’ren Smorre owes its considerable reputation to the Boerderij restaurant, an absolutely charming room in the main building that was once the farm’s stable and threshing floor. Start with the marvelous asparagus soup, then try the lemon sole with creamed saffron, young guinea fowl Normandy-style with Calvados, or medallions of wild boar in a pepper sauce. There is also a three-course seasonal menu for $30, about the same as choosing sensibly a la carte.

Hotel Sevenster’s several dining rooms, including one glass-enclosed over the sidewalk, has a lunchtime menu heavy with Dutch pancakes, a crepe-like favorite topped with anything imaginable (fruits, meats, cheeses, vegetables). These go for about $3.75. The Sevenster’s dinner menu (three courses) leans heavily on schnitzels and steaks and goes for about $15.

Sit in the Castle Engelenburg’s orangery overlooking the moat and gardens. First courses include Basque ham with pine nuts and slices of smoked goose with salad and balsamic dressing, both $10. Main courses range from venison steaks with a cranberry-port sauce to a spiced-lamb Indian dish to probably the best salmon we’ve ever had, en papillote with vermouth, surrounded with half a dozen beautifully prepared vegetables. All were $19, and there is also a daily three-course menu for $30.

On your own: Towns of the Twente are set up as well or better than those of any region in Europe for planning and assisting with family outings. There’s a five-day Star Route bicycle tour of the region ($205 per person, $185 for children 4-9 years old, $102 for tots) that includes nightly lodging, half-board and transport of luggage. A bike will cost $18-$28 for the period, depending upon type, and a child’s seat is $1.50. Check with the VVV office (the local Dutch tourism board) in any of the towns for other particulars. For shorter outings, these offices will also steer you to operators of gypsy wagon programs, horseback tours and bicycle-rental firms.

The little town of Diepenheim has five lovely castles in town and nearby. The area’s most beautiful and historic castle is the 14th-Century Kasteel Twickel in Delden. Gore has three castles, including the Weldam with its marvelous gardens and a splendid maze. Delden has a salt mine and museum, and Diepenheim boasts a fine art museum and 12th-Century water mill.

GUIDEBOOK

Four Score and Twente

Getting there: From Los Angeles, fly KLM, Delta, Northwest, TWA or Martinair to Amsterdam. An advance-purchase, round-trip ticket costs between $748 and $1,050. The train fare from Amsterdam to Gore in the mid-Twente area is $14.50. Delden, Markelo and Diepenheim are all fewer than six miles from Gore, Brummen about 28 miles.

A few fast facts: The Netherlands’ guilder, also called florin, recently sold for 1.79 to the dollar, about 55 cents each. Late spring until mid-October is the best time for a visit to the Twente area.

Where to stay: In de Kop’ren Smorre (Holterweg 20, Markelo, from U.S. phones 011-31-5476-1344; $41-$69 B&B; double); Hotel Sevenster (Marktstraat 6, Delden, tel. 011-31-5407-61391; $28 double); Castle Engelenburg (Eerbeekseweg 6, Brummen, tel. 011-31-5756-3611; $158 double).

For more information: Call the Netherlands Board of Tourism at (310) 348-9333. Or write 9841 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles 90045, for a 24-page, color magazine on Overijssel, Twente’s province, plus a map of the Netherlands and other brochures on bicycle rental, B&Bs; in the country and general travel information.