For a stay in Voorhout, the season, walking distance and interest in history or garden culture can help guide your plans. Highlights include the De Hoop Doet Leven mill, the public Het Overbosch park and the floral landscape, which changes throughout the year. You can focus on a stroll, a longer hike or seasonal flowers.
Mill history in the Elsgeesterpolder
The De Hoop Doet Leven mill was moved to the Elsgeesterpolder in August 1999. It was officially put back into operation there on 11 November 2000. Since then, it has often been seen turning and grinding. The two dates mark different stages: first the move, then the official recommissioning. Anyone interested in local history will find a clear timeline here, leading up to the mill’s visible use today.
Het Overbosch: park and former country estate
Het Overbosch is the last surviving remnant of the former Schoonoord country estate in Voorhout and a public park for walking. The park covers about 2.5 hectares and lies in Voorhout, in the triangle between the Leidse Vaart and Rijnsburgerweg. Its current role as a walking park and its connection to the former country estate offer two different perspectives: it is both a green place for a stroll and a surviving piece of local history.
Choose walking routes by distance
Rondje Voorhout comprises three walking routes through the area around Voorhout. They pass parks, sports fields, monuments and bulb fields. One route runs through Voorhout’s parks, including Oosthoutpark, Molentocht Park and Wilgenhorst Park. When choosing a route, you can also consider which landscape and park features you would like to see along the way.
For a route with a specific distance in mind, there are also walking routes between Voorhout station and Hillegom station. They are 10, 13, 16 and 19 kilometres long; their starting and ending points are easy to reach by public transport. The different distances make it easier to choose the route length you want. If you plan to travel by public transport, check the current connections before setting out.
Flowers through the seasons
In spring, the bulb fields around Voorhout form a colourful mosaic of flowering tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. In autumn, dahlias add more seasonal colour. The floral display therefore varies significantly depending on when you visit: in spring, the bulb fields take centre stage, while dahlias bring an autumnal touch.
More than 600 dahlia varieties bloom in De Tulperij’s show garden from August to October. The garden was created in collaboration with CNB and growers from the region. Visitors can also put together their own dahlia bouquet in a pick-your-own garden. The flowering season and wide range of varieties make the garden a specific destination for anyone with a particular interest in dahlias.
Combine history and a garden visit
The Ruïne van Teylingen began as a moated castle, which Heer Dirk van Teylingen had expanded and fortified as a residential castle around 1250. After fires, partial restoration and subsequent decline, the ruin has survived in its present form. Its history—from expansion through later changes to its current ruined state—offers a historical focus alongside the parks and gardens.
The Boerhaavetuin may also be of interest to groups: a guided tour of the garden can be arranged by appointment. If you would like to include a tour in your stay, arrange it in advance. This gives you a choice of different activities, from strolls and walking routes to garden culture and Voorhout’s historic sites.
Discover more destinations: Sassenheim, Sassenheim, Warmond.
Go to the main travel overview: Teylingen.
