Soestdijk Royal Palace
The castle of Amerongen looks more like a manor house than a castle. The original castle, a real castle, was destroyed in 1672, during one of the many wars at the time. It was soon rebuilt, but since then it is basically a manor house with a moat. But it is still known as Kasteel Amerongen, Amerongen Castle. The castle was home to some illustrious people, but by far the most illustrious was Wilhelm II, the last emperor of Germany. When he fled his country, he was a guest at Amerongen castle for two years. It was here that he signed his...
read moreUtrecht is an old city, with many medieval monuments, some of them over a millennium old. In medieval times it was the religious center of the Netherlands, but it lost some of its glory after the reformation. Today it is the fourth largest city of the the Netherlands, and home to the country’s largest university. Utrecht is a railway hub and can easily be reached by train. Its many bus lines help you get around the city. Dom church Where the skylines of other Dutch cities are now dominated by modern skyscrapers, the skyline of Utrecht...
read moreNear the village Lage Vuursche, half hidden beneath the trees, you can see many small hills. They are not natural hills, but burial mounds of the first settlers of this region. And they are old, very old. Most of them between 3,000 and 4,000 years old, some of them as old as 5,000 years. We don’t know much about the people that built these burial mounds. They were farmers and shepherds, with cattle and crops. Archaeologists have found some copper objects, and discovered their agricultural fields (known as celtic fields). The only way to...
read moreRoyal Palace Soestdijk was the residence of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Originally built as a hunting lodge, it became the property of the Dutch royal family in the early 19th century, who extended the lodge to become the palace that it is now. The palace has been the summer residence of several Dutch kings and queens. In 1937, the newly-wed Princess Juliana chose Soestdijk Palace as her residence. When her mother, Queen Wilhelmina, abdicated, Juliana became Queen of the Netherlands, and Soestdijk Palace the royal residence. Soestdijk...
read moreIn the village Doorn is an old manor house, known as Huis Doorn (Doorn Manor). The house has a long history (going back to medieval times), but its main claim to fame is its last inhabitant, who settled here in 1920: Wilhelm II, the last German emperor. The first world war (1914-1918) ended disastrously for Germany, and many Germans blamed their emperor for it. Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate and he fled the country. He applied for asylum in the Netherlands, a country that was neutral before, during and after the war. The asylum was...
read moreThe city Utrecht has many beautiful old churches. One of the lesser known gems is the St Willibrord Church. The St Willibrord is a catholic church, where the tridentine (or Latin) mass is still celebrated. It is also a beautifully decorated church, that you must visit if you have a chance. The church welcomes visitors on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For a small fee you can book a guided tour. The church is in the Minrebroeder street, a 15 minute walk from the train station. Or you can take a bus...
read moreThe windmill Rijn en Lek, on the Dijkstraat street in Wijk bij Duurstede, province Utrecht, is built right on top of the city gate – unique in Holland! The windmill was built in the 17th century, the city gate is even older, it dates from the 14th century The mill, a gristmill, is in use and open to the public in the afternoon in most weekends. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For details visit their website (in Dutch). Wijk bij Duurstede has a direct bus connection with Utrecht and Amersfoort.
read moreIn the town Wijk bij Duurstede, province Utrecht, are the remains of an old castle: Kasteel Duurstede, or Duurstede Castle. The history of this castle goes back to the 13th century, when a donjon was built on this place. In the 15th century the bishop of Utrecht settled in Duurstede, and he had the donjon expanded into a large castle, with the old donjon in the centre of the castle. The second half of the 15th century was the glory time of the castle, afterwards it was neglected and fell into disarray. After Wijk bij Duurstede was larely...
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