Holiday apartment in Soest: dunes, history and special experiences

A holiday apartment in Soest is a great base if you would like to combine nature experiences, history and a wide range of activities. The Soesterduinen offer trails through drifting sand and woodland, while historic sites, museums and special attractions provide insights into the past and cultural life. This allows you to plan your days in many different ways: with exercise in the landscape, an audio tour of historic sights or a family-friendly experience centred on farming and horses.

Natural surroundings for hiking and cycling

The Soesterduinen are an extensive area of drifting sand near Soest. They consist of the Langen Duinen and the Korten Duinen and are surrounded by deciduous and coniferous forest. The area is a popular place for hiking, cycling and relaxing in nature. Various hiking and cycling routes run through the Soesterduinen. If you are looking for a specific walking route, you can start the De Lange Duinen route at TOP Lange Duinen, a car park on Foekelaan in Soest-Zuid. It follows the waymarked junctions of the walking network.

The De Paltz estate also creates its own distinctive landscape. It was designed in 1876 by landscape architects Copijn and Springer and covers approximately 80 hectares. The grounds include beech avenues, sightlines, bodies of water, an impressive villa, a coach house and a shepherd's house. The varied landscapes make Soest appealing for holidays that combine active routes with peaceful observation of nature.

Discover historic Soest

Kerkebuurt was the village centre of the old farming village of Soest in the Middle Ages. Several old buildings have been well preserved there and were fully restored in the 1960s and 1970s. At the heart of Kerkebuurt stands the Oude Kerk, which dates from around 1350. It contains two bells; the largest was cast in 1506 and is one of the oldest bells in the Netherlands.

Museum Soest is housed in a listed monastery dating from 1868. This historic building complements the exploration of the past. Museumboerderij Het Gagelgat conveys three centuries of agricultural history through an interactive guided tour about rural life in Soest in earlier times.

Museums, horses and rural life

At Het Gagelgat, “Aanschuiven bij de Boer” is one of the special culinary experiences. On the last Thursday of every month, except during the school holidays, coffee or tea with freshly baked cake, homemade seasonal soup and bread with ham or cheese are served from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for €12.50. The experience combines an insight into rural life in earlier times with a shared break.

At De Paardenkamp, visitors can join a guided tour with explanations from staff, stroke and feed the horses, and take part in a treasure hunt for children. This gives families an opportunity to include nature and animal experiences in their daily plans.

Historic route and cultural events

The historic route through Soest is a 4 km audio tour that you can complete on foot or by bicycle. It takes you to eight historic sights, making it suitable both for a walk and for a more active exploration. At the Herman van Veen Arts Center, concerts, festivities, exhibitions, seminars and lectures were held on a small scale in the Kapschuur, in the shade of old trees and in keeping with the wooded surroundings.

Choose a holiday apartment to match your preferred pace

When choosing a holiday apartment in Soest, it helps to consider your preferred daily rhythm: the route through the town combines exercise with history, the Soesterduinen offer trails and nature, and museums and special venues provide cultural highlights. Different route lengths and types of experiences make it easier to plan your own stay, without every day of your holiday having to look the same.

Discover more destinations with Soestduinen, Soesterberg.

For the overarching travel overview: Soest.