If you are considering Soest for a trip of discovery, you can choose from several areas of interest: at Park Vliegbasis Soesterberg, nature and military history come together; museums, milling, regional products and culture offer further highlights. The activities vary in format and include guided walks, cycling trips, routes, exhibitions and events. To help plan your trip, first decide what you would like to focus on, then put together the individual activities.
Military History and Nature at Park Vliegbasis Soesterberg
The former Vliegbasis Soesterberg developed into a unique natural area through its military use. On guided walks in Park Vliegbasis Soesterberg, visitors enter historic buildings that tell the story of the Cold War. Guided cycling trips are also offered in the park; they are more than 10 kilometres long. If you are interested in the military past, you can choose between a walk that visits historic buildings and a guided cycling tour.
Museums: Collections, Local History and Exhibitions
The Nationaal Militair Museum has the largest military collection in the Netherlands. Its Xplore area offers an adventurous introduction to the world of the armed forces, providing a distinct visitor experience. Museum Soest is housed in a listed monastery dating from 1868. Its themes include an old classroom, a permanent exhibition on the royal family and a section on the Second World War. The museum also features a wheelwright’s workshop, a fire service section, and information about local flora and fauna. Museum Soest thus offers a view of everything from historical everyday life to the local natural environment.
Compare Routes by Length and Type
The walking route on Landgoed de Paltz is 3.9 kilometres long and runs through Landgoed de Paltz. The route in Munitiepark covers 4.5 kilometres. The two distances are similar; by contrast, the guided cycling trips in Park Vliegbasis Soesterberg are more than 10 kilometres long and combine a different mode of travel with a longer distance. These figures give you a concrete comparison if you want to focus your plans on routes on foot or by bicycle.
Milling and Regional Products
De Windhond is a working grain mill. Several times a week, grain is milled there into flour products, which are sold in the mill shop. Guided tours lasting about an hour offer insight into the mill and the craft of milling. Along with the products, you can learn about the craft involved in milling.
The cycling route Proef de Streek in Soest offers another perspective on regional food. It takes you to products such as freshly milled flour, artisan cheese, local liqueurs and freshly baked bread. These products can be sampled along the route. While De Windhond focuses on a grain mill and its flour products, Proef de Streek combines several examples of local products with a cycling route.
Horses, Theatre and Concerts
Visitors are welcome daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Stichting De Paardenkamp’s Vosseveld farm in Soest and at the Het Gagelgat museum farm. There, you can meet the horses and see how they are cared for. This visit offers a different focus from museums and routes: the horses and their care take centre stage.
Openluchttheater Cabrio is a fully equipped open-air theatre in the middle of the woods in Soest. Since 2019, Oude Kerk Soest has hosted a concert practically every month under the name DOK-concerten. Check the current calendar for specific concert dates.
Plan Your Journey and Hotel Search
Station Soest is one of three NS railway stations in the municipality of Soest; the other two are Station Soest-Zuid and Station Soestdijk. Check the current timetable when planning your journey. This helps you plan the rhythm of your day; concert dates and train services are subject to the latest information.
Discover more destinations: Soestduinen, Soest, Soesterberg, Bunschoten, Rhenen, Wijk Bij Duurstede, Leusden, Nieuwegein.
For the main travel overview: Utrecht.
