Utrecht Castle Route

The Castles Route leads through a beautiful and historic part of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park.

The national park is a predominantly hilly area of about 6000 hectares (60 km²). It currently encompasses the southeastern part of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and consists of forests, heathlands, sand drift areas, and meadows. On the southern side lie the floodplains of the Lower Rhine. The northern boundary is formed by the A12 motorway. On the northern side, the Utrechtse Heuvelrug merges into Het Gooi. The separation between the Heuvelrug and Het Gooi is marked by the Laagte of Pijnenburg.

Due to the forests and estates, the Heuvelrug had become an attractive environment for city dwellers from the west since the 17th century. Accessibility increased in 1815 with the fortification of the road from De Bilt to Rhenen. Since that time, there has been a strong increase in the number of country estates; there are still about 80 locations in the national park area that are recognizable as country estates.

Especially at the end of the 18th century, many wealthy Dutch people settled in this part of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and established beautiful country estates, where they typically spent a few months each year. Surrounding the castles, country houses, and estates, gardens and parks were often created, where we can observe a development of various styles. Most of these country estates are located along today's N225. Nowadays, many country estates are owned by companies that have set up their offices there. Some have fallen into disrepair and even been demolished.

Since the beginning of the 19th century, this part of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug has been known as 'The Stichtse Lustwarande'.