Page 205 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

UTRECHT  203

8 Baarn/Soest
Roadmap C3. £ @ * 70,000.
n Van Weedestraat 131, Soest (035-
7400074). ( Baarn Tue, Soest Thu.
During the Netherlands’ Golden
Age, regents and wealthy mer-
chants had splendid summer
residences built in Baarn and its
environs. This place has retained
its leafy, elegant appearance. The
Kasteel Groeneveld (1710) lies
in the middle of a magnificent
park. Soest’s past is pre-9th century,
and the old centre remains largely
in its original state. The church
dates from 1400. The surrounding Bunschoten-Spakenburg, once home to an important fishing industry
area is beautiful and offers a
wealth of leisure activities. The small octagonal castle into being in the 15th century.
Drakenstein, which dates back It was once an important
+ Kasteel Groeneveld to 1640–43, is the residence of fishing town; its smoke-
Groeneveld 2. Tel 035-5420446. Princess Beatrix, former Queen houses, fishermen’s houses
Castle: Open 11am–5pm Tue–Sun. of the Netherlands. and shipbuilding yard
Closed 1 Jan, 27 Apr, 25 & 31 Dec. are reminders of this time.
& Park: Open sunrise–sunset Tue– When the Zuiderzee was
Sun. 7 - ∑ kasteelgroeneveld.nl q Bunschoten- closed in 1932 because of
Spakenburg partial land reclamation,
the inhabitants had to
9 Soestdijk Road Map C3. * 19,500. look for other work. Some
@ n Oude Schans 90 (033-
Road Map C3. n Van Weedestraat 2982156). ( Sat. of the women in the town
still wear traditional dress.
131, Soest (035-7400074). Paleis
Soestdijk: Amsterdamsestraatweg Over the years, the towns of Museum Spakenburg brings
1, Baarn (035-5412841). Bunschoten and Spakenburg the fishing activities of the
Open Check website for details. have merged into one another. past back to life.
∑ paleissoestdijk.nl Livestock farming was the
traditional livelihood in E Museum Spakenburg
Just outside Baarn lies Paleis Bunschoten, and there are Oude Schans 47–63. Tel 033-2983319.
Soestdijk. It was built in 1674 still some pretty farms to see Open Apr–Oct: 1:30–5pm Mon,
as a place for Viceroy William III here. Bunschoten, granted its 10am–5pm Tue–Sat; Nov–Mar:
to hunt. In 1815, it came into town charter in 1383, is older 1–4pm Wed–Sat. & 7
the hands of the crown prince, than Spakenburg, which came ∑ museumspakenburg.nl
who later became King William
II. The two wings of the palace
were added in 1816 and the
park was designed by landscape
gardener Zocher. The Naald
van Waterloo (Waterloo needle)
stands opposite, erected in
honour of William Frederick,
Prince of Orange, for his services
during the Battle of Waterloo.

0 Lage Vuursche
Road Map C3. * 250. @ n Van
Weedestraat 131, Soest (035-7400074).
The name “Furs” for Lage
Vuursche has been around
since 1200, though the village
itself has existed only since
the 17th century. The village,
surrounded by woodland, is
very popular with ramblers. Outdoor cafés in Lage Vuursche offering respite after a walk in the woods

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