Paleis Het Loo


This dazzling palace, 3.5km north of downtown Apeldoorn, was built in 1685 for William III, and Queen Wilhelmina lived here until 1962. Until 2021 its furnished interior – the royal bed chambers, the collection of regal paintings, the lavish dining room from 1686 – is closed for extension work costing €123.2 million. But the splendid stables (1907–09) and coach house, magnificent 17th-century gardens with their symmetrically planted flowerbeds and allusive statuary, and palace rooftop offering a bird's eye view of the entire estate all remain open.

Beyond the palace gardens sprawls Palace Park, an immense, beautifully landscaped section of the estate where the Oranges promenaded at leisure (entry until 3.30pm). Follow the Orange Trail to uncover the key features of the park, including the royal boathouse and various romantic pavilions. Lunch afterwards in one of two on-site restaurants serving Dutch and European fare, or picnic.

From Apeldoorn train station take bus No 10 to the Tuinmanslaan stop (€4, 15 minutes), a five-minute walk from Palais Het Loog.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. CODA

1.09 MILES

Eye-catching temporary exhibitions covering everything from contemporary costumes and jewellery to modern art and design take place in the town's…

2. Apenheul

1.2 MILES

Apes and monkeys entertain at this unique zoo, on a jungly hill within the vast forest west of town.

3. Jachthuis Sint Hubertus

8.7 MILES

The lakeside country residence where the Kröller-Müllers lived can be visited by guided tour (in Dutch, but participants get a multi-lingual audioguide)…

4. Grote of Lebuïnuskerk

9.17 MILES

The city's main church is named after the English cleric who founded it in 738; the present Gothic structure dates from the late 15th century. Its many…

5. Oldest Stone House

9.21 MILES

On a tiny alley just off Kleine Poot, look for the oldest stone house in town, a much-modified AD 1100 vintage building with still-discernible Romanesque…

6. Museum de Waag

9.37 MILES

At home in one of the country's oldest weighing houses (1528), this evocative museum in the middle of the Brink explores local history. During Deventer's…

7. Penninckshuis

9.4 MILES

Among the splendid reminders of Deventer's Hanseatic past is the Penninckshuis, in the enclosure behind the statue of Albert Schweitzer. Home of the 16th…

8. Walstraat 20

9.44 MILES

Shows a woman descending the wall while hanging by a sheet, a reminder of its former use as a women's prison. Nearby are murals from the novels of Charles…