Holiday apartment in Bilthoven: Nature, Architecture and History

Bilthoven combines distinctive architecture, commemorative culture and varied landscapes. The spectrum ranges from old beech avenues and woodland areas to 20th-century buildings and monuments with a special history.

Nature Experiences around De Leyen and Beukenburg

The De Leyen recreational area is a starting point for walks and hikes. The De Leyen & Beukenburg Experience Route begins at the parking area there, which is about a 15-minute walk from Bilthoven railway station. The area consists of agricultural land and woodland. Trails run along old coppice parcels and through a park woodland with monumental beech avenues; the hiking route through De Leyen also follows these avenues.

The old beech trees serve more than just a landscape function: they provide a habitat for bats, owls and woodpeckers. The recreational area also serves as a starting point or rest stop for hikes, cycling tours, horseback rides and walks with the dog. On the edge lies the “verloren kerkhof”, a cultural and historical monument commemorating vagrants buried there and people who went into hiding during the Second World War.

Holiday Apartment in Bilthoven between Architecture and Remembrance

Several historic buildings and memorial sites stand in the built-up area of Bilthoven. The Geopad can be walked in both directions in Bilthoven, allowing you to admire the notable architecture twice.

One of the prominent historic sites is Huize Gaudeamus, a Rijksmonument in Bilthoven. Gaudeamus was built in 1924 in the Amsterdam School style as a country house for the musician Julius Rontgen. Dates can be arranged for the use of Huize Gaudeamus for cultural events. The De Bilt Memorial commemorates all victims of the Second World War and stands at the entrance to the Jagtlust municipal building on Soestdijkseweg in Bilthoven.

Opposite Bilthoven railway station is the Julianaflat complex. It was designed by Dudok for the period from 1955 to 1960. The Natuurbad De Biltse Duinen, which opened in Bilthoven in 1933, is also part of the history of the area.

Landscape, Water and Active Days

Around 2007, the Biltse Duinen were designated a municipal landscape monument. The entire area, including the golf course and the adjacent campsite, was thereby protected. At Golfpark De Biltse Duinen, a tee time can be booked online no more than two weeks in advance.

The Geopad leads into the public hiking area of Biltse Duinen. Heidepark is a wooded area surrounding a heathland landscape with old pine trees.

A pond was created in the southern part of Heidepark. Zwembad Brandenburg has a 25-metre pool. Every day, it welcomes lap swimmers, participants in aqua sports activities, children taking swimming lessons and the local water polo club.

Discover More Destinations in the Area

From Bilthoven, you can also include the destinations Groenekan, Westbroek and De Bilt in your further planning.

To the higher-level travel overview: De Bilt.