Apeldoorn

Paleis Het Loo City in the forest Apeldoorn is a medium sized city in the Dutch province of Gelderland. With a population nearing 160,000, it is the 12th largest city of the Netherlands and plays a significant role in regional economy and infrastructure. Billed as a post world war 2 "groeistad" (new town), much of the city is comprised of modern residential areas and business districts. Previous to the war, Apeldoorn was only a large village; thus much of its history, sights and attractions are concentrated in the north west quarter of the city, the original core. This area is home to the famous 17th century Palace "Het Loo", beautiful parks with stately villa neighbourhoods, Apenheul ape zoo and the eastern flank of the forestry area known as the "Veluwe". The city centre offers a relatively generic range of shopping opportunities, but caters well in terms of places to eat out. The north end of the city centre displays some picturesque Jugendstil/art-nouveau architecture and hosts the night life and entertainment/cultural venues of Apeldoorn. Apeldoorn is known for its spacious, green, family atmosphere and is at its best during the summer months. Get in By Plane Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is the nearest and largest airport. From there, directly under the arrivals area, regular trains can be boarded that take just over an hour to reach Apeldoorn. By car, the journey takes fractionally longer and will involve navigating the ring roads around Amsterdam before hitting the A1. Eindhoven Airport caters more to the low cost airlines, and though the train journey to Apeldoorn from Eindhoven is roughly doubled (see below), the journey by car (if hiring) via the A50 motorway is straightforward and under 1,30 hours. By car From Amsterdam, Apeldoorn can be reached via the A1 motorway in a little more than an hour, traffic permitting. The city is located at the intersection of the A1(east-west) and A50 (north-south) motorways, and is very central in relation to the rest of the country. This makes it easily accessible from anywhere. By train Direct intercity services connect Apeldoorn to both Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport. In both cases the journey will take roughly one hour. Apeldoorn is situated on the main line between Berlin and Amsterdam. Twice hourly international trains in both directions can be boarded and used for national and cross border travel purposes. For international tickets, book online at the NS international website. From Eindhoven, you should head to Utrecht, changing there for either a direct train to Apeldoorn, or depending on the schedule you may find it quicker to head to Amersfoort from Utrecht, changing again for more frequent services to Apeldoorn. This journey is likely to take around 2 hours. Alight at Apeldoorn for the regional Apeldoorn-Zutphen route that stops at various smaller settlements in the picturesque countryside, terminating at the historic town of Zutphen. During the summer, a steam locomotive is operated from Apeldoorn central station, running to Dieren some 20km to the south. Get around You can rent a bicycle at the railway station. The local bus service is a very efficient way to get around. All local buses meet at the central station where you can switch buses at :16 and :46. During day time additional services run at :01 and :31 on most lines. Regional buses also run form the station out of town; however, they can be used for local transport also. Just remember that connection times will be slightly worse at the bus station for the regional lines. During tourist season an extra bus service (line 16) departs from the station towards major tourist attractions, all located in the western part of Apeldoorn. See Apenheul male Bonobo Just northwest of the city is the 17th century palace "Het Loo", where William and Mary (King and Queen of England) used to live. Be sure to include a visit to its famed gardens, said to rival those of Versailles. The "Apenheul", a zoo specialising in monkeys and great apes. Some of the species are free to roam amongst the visitors, and the design of the park is renown for its excellent animal habitats. For Architecture/urban enthusiasts, the original Structuralist "Centraal Beheer" building by Herman Herzberger is located 5minutes walk west from the central train station. Just a little further down the road, a more recent project of his has been realised ("De witte wolken"), and may be interesting for comparison. Yet further still, and slightly to the north, the large "Walterboschcomplex" tax offices (by acclaimed architects Neutelings-Riedijk) can be viewed, representing some of the Netherlands' finest modern office architecture. Do Rent yourself a mountain bike and discover the forests just outside town (approx. 20 minutes by bike from the city center) Jazz in the woods: one of the largest festivities in town. Every year on the last friday-evening and Saturday in may, the city center is one big party with live music and entertainment. Omnisportcentrum (Velodrome): Regular national and international sport events centered around Cycling, athletics, Volleyball and Tennis. Skydiving: Teuge airport is situated on the outskirts of the city and enjoys a direct bus link (15mins) with Apeldoorn central station. It is one of the best places in the Netherlands to learn to skydive/parachute jump. Flying lessons and helicopter/airplane chartering is also available. [1] Koningin Juliana Toren [2], a popular family theme park - especially great for a children's day out. Orpheus national theater [3] For world class theater, musicals, cabaret and ballet. Buy The city's main shopping area is formed by the Hoofdstraat and adjacent streets. Being a regional shopping destination, Apeldoorn boasts a wide range of typical brand name shops and places to eat. The "Oranjerie", a modern mall, takes centre stage in Apeldoorns' retail proffer. The city is also home to a range of more unique shops (antique, bric-a-brac, art, organic), mainly located on the 'Asselsestraat' and a few of the smaller offshoots from the highstreet. Eat Apeldoorn offers a wide range of good places to eat out, catering for all budgets. The main concentration is found in the city centre, but some of the priciest places are dotted around the outskirts of town. Here is a tiny selection: This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink: Budget Under €10 Mid-range €10-30 Splurge Over €30 Budget (Apeldoorn also has 2 McDonalds, 2 Subways, a KFC, Domino's, New York Pizza and scores of dutch style chip shops, if fastfood is required) Tevfiks place, Tevfiks Place Nieuwstraat 68 7311 BT Apeldoorn, ☎ Telefoon: 055-522 55 90. Turkish Kebab restaurant. Nearly all the neighbours are Kebab restaurants too, and price wars occur regularly, so take your pick! Under €5.  edit Mid-Range Restaurant Moon Sky, Hoofdstraat 1595, 7311 AW Apeldoorn, Netherlands +, ☎ 31 55 301 5722, [4]. Great Indian food in a small but cosy location. Closed mondays. €15 - €20 per person.  edit Wokcentre, Brinklaan 32, 7311 LB Apeldoorn, Netherlands, ☎ +31 55 576 729, [5]. All you can eat asian buffet. 3rd prize 2011 best national wok restaurant. 2 hour all inclusive buffet: €26,90 per person.  edit Restaurant Poppe, Paslaan, [6]. Averages at €20 for a main course.  edit Grand Café 'De Notaris', 1 Raadhuisplein, ☎ 055-5785887, [7]. Averages €15 per main course.  edit Splurge De Echoput, Hotel Gastronomique de Echoput Amersfoortseweg 86 7346 AA Hoog Soeren, ☎ +31 (0)55-5191248, [8]. High end, Michelin star, out of town location (only reachable by car or intercity bus). Prices range from €30-€45 for a main course, or up to €72 for a 5 course meal. Specialises in Wild, fresh from the surrounding forest.  edit Sakura, Sakura Apeldoorn, van Kinsbergenstraat 12 7311BM Apeldoorn, ☎ 055-5760608, [9]. Japanese restaurant and sushi bar. Ranging from €40-€85 for a meal. Closed mondays.  edit Drink The main nightlife in Apeldoorn is focussed in the 'Caterplein' square. Many bars and restaurants, as well as the new (2012) cinema complex, can be found here. A slightly quieter area can be found a few blocks away at the 'Leienplein'. Also en route between the two squares are plenty of places to eat and drink. Here is a small selection of some of the most well known watering holes: Finnegan's Irish Pub, Hoofdstraat 176, 7311 BD Apeldoorn, Netherlands, ☎ +31 55 576 8630. Located in the middle of the nightlife area.  edit Café Kierewiet, Hoofdstraat 192 7311 BE Apeldoorn, Netherlands, ☎ 055 5224692. Good Dutch pub in the heart of Apeldoorns' nightlife area.  edit Het Nieuws van Apeldoorn, Leienplein 12, 7311 EE Apeldoorn, Netherlands, ☎ +31 55 522 0566. Located at the 'Leienplein', a nice secondary area for nightlife in Apeldoorn.  edit Sleep Apeldoorn and the surrounding area plays host to the highest concentration of campsites and bungalow/greenparks in the country. The city itself boast quite a wide range of relatively expensive hotels and B&B's. Check the local couchsurfing community for backpacking opportunities. Best Western Hotel het Loo, 556 Loolaan, ☎ 055-5791255 (fax: 055-5763249), [10]. € 73.  edit Stay Okay (Apeldoorn), Asselsestraat 330, ☎ +31(0)55 355 31 18 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, [11]. checkin: 15.00 - 21.00; checkout: 07.00 - 10.00. hostel - very nice surroundings near some of the cities "must - sees" and yet easy to get to the centre of town  edit Hotel de Cantharel, Van Golsteinlaan 20, 7339 GT Apeldoorn, Netherlands, ☎ +31 55 541 4455 ‎, [12]. Located just off the A1 motorway. High end accommodation, restaurant and business facilities.  edit Get out The city lies on the eastern fringe of the Veluwe, the country's largest and most unspoilt area of natural beauty. It has forests that are home to deer, wild boar and other wild animals, as well as large, desert-like sandy areas. Seasonal wild is prepared at various local restaurants, some of which have earned Michelin stars. The Kröller-Müller Museum, with its impressive collection of Vincent van Gogh paintings, is also located on the Veluwe. If you want a guide to show you around town and visit places even some of the locals do not know: get in touch with Apeldoorn Gidsencollectief: link Apeldoorn Cityguides [13] The picturesque old cities of Deventer and Zutphen are just 15 km from Apeldoorn and are easily reachable by road or public transport. Routes through Apeldoorn Amsterdam ← Barneveld ←  W  E  → Deventer → Enschede Zwolle ←  N  S  → Arnhem → Eindhoven This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!