The palace was originally built in 1650 by Amsterdam mayor Cornelis de Graeff as a modest country house.
Prince Bernhard famously kept a collection of vintage cars at the palace, which became a point of public fascination.
The palace served as the official residence of the Dutch Royal Family from 1937 until the death of Queen Juliana in 2004.
During the annual Queen's Day celebrations, the royal family would stand on the palace balcony to receive visitors in a tradition dating back to 1948.
The estate grounds contain a neoclassical 'Baarnse Bos' forest designed in the English landscape style.
The palace interior retains many original mid-20th-century decorative elements from the period of Queen Juliana's residence.
Soestdijk Palace is a former royal residence located in Baarn, Netherlands, once the home of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. The site features a 17th-century hunting lodge expanded over centuries into a neoclassical palace complex. It is currently under a long-term redevelopment project intended to transform the estate into a center for innovation and sustainability. The grounds cover 165 hectares of parkland, featuring formal gardens and woodland areas. Public access to the interior remains restricted due to extensive renovation and planning efforts. The estate is historically significant as a site of major post-war political and social gatherings in the Netherlands.
The main courtyard entrance overlooking the formal driveway and the palace facade.
Check the official website in advance, as public access to the palace building is currently suspended due to renovation.
Prioritize walking the surrounding parklands if you are visiting for the natural landscape.
Bring comfortable walking shoes to navigate the extensive 165-hectare estate grounds.
Do not expect to enter the palace building or view historical royal living quarters, as the interior is closed for major redevelopment.
The palace is currently closed to the public for long-term restoration and redevelopment.
