Route with royal allure

This cycle route of more than forty kilometers takes you between Hilversum, Soest and Baarn over the Vuursche and Westerheide. This gently sloping nature reserve was formed during the ice ages. This area has been heavily inhabited throughout history. Many camps, ban separations, dead roads, urnfields and burial mounds characterize the area, which was also heavily inhabited in history. At Eethuis-Café De Generaal you can get ready for the bike ride. The monumental path has served as a station for years and the royal family even had its own waiting room here. Now De Generaal is a cozy establishment, where you can drink a delicious coffee before you start the route. Then you hop on your bike to cycle through nature to the first sight: castle De Hooge Vuursche. The Hooge Vuursche was built in 1912 by order of merchant navy officer Johannes Adrianus van den Bosch and his wife Baroness van Hardenbroek. The castle was designed by architect Eduard Cuypers, who also designed the station in's-Hertogenbosch. In 1939 the castle was used as a hotel-restaurant, but a fire damaged the building in January 1940. Shortly after a restoration and the Second World War, De Hoge Vuursche accommodated many high-ranking guests of the Royal House. In 1975 the castle was sold to Heineken. It then served as a so-called safe house for the now deceased Freddy Heineken. Since 2006, the castle has been owned by the Event Company and events are being organized in it again. Drakenstein Castle and Estate are located near the municipality of Baarn. The octagonal house, which dates from 1640, was recognized as a knight's court town. The knight who lived in the house built a church with parsonage, a school, a mill and an inn in the village of Lage Vuursche, which was founded at that time. In 1780 a renovation took place in which the Ionic columns of the house were removed. The castle was in the possession of the knight's family for more than 150 years, but fell into disrepair in the mid-twentieth century. In 2006 it was announced that the house would be renovated. The house and estate are not open to the public, because they are private property. There are many beautiful country estates on the edge of the Gooi, but Rustenhoven is one of the most beautiful. The beautiful country house was built around 1757 by order of the sheriff of Maartensdijk. The front part, from the 18th century, was built according to a mixture of Dutch Classicism and the Louis XV style. The center piece dates from the nineteenth century.