Holiday apartment in Driebergen-Rijsenburg: nature, gardens and culture

Driebergen-Rijsenburg combines protected local heritage, distinctive gardens and varied landscapes. Between the historic centre of Rijsenburg, tree-lined avenues, forest clearings and country estates are destinations that give your stay a range of different focuses.

Historic townscapes and garden culture

The historic centre of Rijsenburg is designated as a protected village townscape. Kerkplein in Driebergen-Rijsenburg also has its own architectural character: the semicircular square is defined by workers’ houses from the Napoleonic era. St. Peter in Chains Church was also built at Kerkplein for members of the Catholic faith.

Sparrendaal combines park design with local history. The historic garden and park preserve a formal avenue structure, a watercourse system, a northwestern boundary with a beech hedge, a curved wall and a forecourt. Former Utrecht mayor Jacob van Berck built Sparrendaal on the site of a 17th-century farm.

The Tuinen van Kraaybeekerhof include a pick-your-own garden, a nursery with a flower-picking garden, a food forest, a herb garden, a seasonal tea garden and an estate shop. The Kraaybeekerhof estate is freely accessible from sunrise to sunset. The Thursday-evening three-course meal “Proef de Tuin” is served with fresh produce from the garden; between the main course and dessert, there is a tour of the vegetable garden and food forest.

Forest, heathland and trails for active days

Heidetuin is a sunny forest clearing among individual trees and shrubs. Curving watercourses with bridges and abundant heathland give this landscape a varied character. Heidetuin is easily accessible for wheelchair users. Rijsenburgse Bos is also easily accessible for wheelchair users; mountain biking is permitted there on the paved cycle path.

Seminarieterrein is part of Rijsenburgse Bos. You can stroll there along stately avenues. Around Kasteel Sterkenburg, extensive mowing over more than 15 years has created herb-rich meadows. The castle itself forms the heart of an estate and is surrounded by a coach house, a gardener’s house, a park and a garden.

For cyclists, the 32-kilometre Castle tour Utrechtse Heuvelrug and Kromme Rijnstreek offers a clearly defined route. It starts and ends at the TOP Station Driebergen-Zeist in Driebergen-Rijsenburg, follows the cycling junction network and leads through the forests of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and part of the Kromme Rijnstreek. Along the way, the route passes castles, country estates and museums.

Places of tranquillity and special discoveries

The Driebergse Lourdes Grotto was built around 120 years ago on the grounds of the former Grootseminarie Rijsenburg. The Lourdes Grotto is a Marian chapel with a statue of Mary and is used as a place for conversation, spirituality and lighting candles. The Driebergse Lourdes Grotto is freely accessible.

Kasteel Sterkenburg can also be included as a special cultural experience. Private tours of the castle for adults and children can be organised by arrangement for groups of ten or more.

More destinations

For further travel planning, you can also find Maarn, Maarsbergen, Overberg, Amerongen, Doorn and Driebergen.

For the overview of the wider destination: Utrechtse Heuvelrug.