Holiday apartment in Amersfoort: Discover culture, history and nature

Amersfoort combines an impressive urban history with museums, parks and varied paths through the surrounding area. Between medieval city gates, art and nature reserves, there are many different discoveries to be made.

Culture and history

The Museum Amersfoort is housed in three typical Amersfoort Muurhuizen in the historic city centre. It displays art and special objects and uses a multimedia city model to convey stories from the past and present. The Muurhuizen themselves were built from around 1500 using the remains of the old city wall. Other notable structures include the Monnikendam water gate, built around 1420, and the Koppelpoort. This combined land and water gate dates from 1425 and can be visited as part of a guided tour. The Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren completes the historic cityscape as a late-medieval tower standing more than 98 metres tall.

At the Mondriaanhuis, the museum in the artist Piet Mondriaan’s birthplace (1872–1944), visitors can trace how his work developed from realistic landscapes into abstract compositions with characteristic lines and areas of colour. The Nationaal Monument Kamp Amersfoort, located on the border between Amersfoort and Leusden, offers a different historical perspective. It commemorates around 47,000 prisoners from the Second World War. In the underground museum and reconstructed courtyard, visitors can learn about the history of the camp with an audio guide in Dutch or English. The wooded grounds can be visited independently or as part of public guided tours.

Parks and leisure

’t Hammetje is an area for walking, playing and sports. It has play equipment, a large sandy play area and a viewpoint at the De Uiverhoeve artwork. ’t Hammetje also features three special follies associated with its former owner, Willem Ham. Park Schothorst was laid out in the English landscape style in the nineteenth century. Park Randenbroek has medieval origins and is listed as a Rijksmonument, a protected national heritage site in the Netherlands. In the Zocherplantsoen, visitors can walk along the former city walls of the city centre.

Cycling, water and regional landscapes

Amersfoort is making more space for pedestrians and cyclists and ensuring good routes between the city’s neighbourhoods. The city has free, supervised bicycle parking facilities. One cycling route leads from Amersfoort through the Arkemheen-Eemland nature reserve to Bunschoten-Spakenburg. The city and its surroundings can also be explored thematically by water: Waterlijn offers themed boat trips focusing on nature, art, culture or special historical sites.

Amersfoort borders the three national landscapes of Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Veluwe and Eempolder. This geographical location complements the city’s richly tangible history and its urban parks. At Stadsbrouwerij De Drie Ringen, visitors can learn more about the brewing process; the experience includes a beer tasting. A city walk also starts there, during which visitors learn more about the brewing process and sample several beers.

More destination pages

For further orientation, the destination links lead to Amersfoort and Hoogland. Other linked destinations include Breukelen, Woerden, Loenen, De Bilt, Soest and Renswoude.

For the higher-level travel overview: Utrecht.