Tour Utrechtse Heuvelrug

The Pyramid of Austerlitz [ KNP 2 - 15 ]
At the highest point of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug you can see the Pyramid of Austerlitz, a real eye-catcher.
When the French general Marmont had Kamp Zeist built on the heath in 1804, he also ordered his soldiers to build a pyramid mound of sand and turf, topped with an obelisk. The pyramid is a tribute to Napoléon Bonaparte.
The village of Austerlitz soon emerged near the army camp.
The name of this village also refers to the glory of the French emperor:
Austerlitz is a former Czech town where Napoleon won an important battle in 1805. 

Quatre Bras Country House [KNP 15 - 6]
The house, which has a striking tower, stands on a wooded plot of more than five hectares. On this site there is also a chalet, a coach house that has been converted into a residence and a dilapidated forester's house. The country house, which is reasonably well maintained (2005), still has many original details, such as old tiles, authentic paneling, fireplaces and a beautiful oak spiral staircase.
The house consists of a basement, a first floor and two floors. In the
basement we find the hall, a large storage room, an attractive kitchen and the
scullery.

House't Stort [ KNP 6]
Huize't Stort and the associated coach house were built in 1903. The house has been renovated several times and has been owned by different owners.

Maarsbergen Castle [ KNP 7 ]
The oldest parts of the rectangular building block date from around 1500.
The estate is located at the foot of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, on the edge of the Gelderse Vallei.
The Utrechtse Heuvelrug is a moraine that originated in the second to last ice age. 150,000 years ago, the Gelderse Vallei was the basin of a glacier that pushed up sand and clay to a height of almost 70 metres.
Knight Fulk chose this place 1000 years ago to build a defense in the wasteland: his back against the hill and a wide view over the valley.
One day he got into a heavy fight and fled.
He came to the river Meuse and saw no other option than to jump into the river with his horse and full armor.
The knight prayed to the virgin Mary and promised to donate his possessions to the church if he reached the other side alive. He made it across and he kept his word. Maarsbergen became a deanery of Berne Abbey.
In 1650, the Amsterdam merchant Samuel de Marez bought Maarsbergen.
With his family, he was the first private resident. He only lived in the house in the summer. In the winter it was too cold here and he lived in Amsterdam. In the summer it was too hot and too dirty in the city and he came to Maarsbergen.
In the 19th century, Jan Andries Dubois left his mark on Maarsbergen and the surrounding area. He adapted the park around the house to his time and started afforestation.
In 1882 Karel Antonie Godin de Beaufort bought the Huis Maarsbergen with surrounding lands. The current owners and occupants of the House are his descendants.

Gatehouse Ruiterberg Castle [ KNP 70 - 71 ]
This country estate is located in the middle of the Kaapse Bossen. The country house dates back to 1950 and is surrounded by an impressive, geometrically landscaped garden.
In the original area, a distinction was made between an outside and an inside area.
The gate house (Maarsbergseweg 4), the ice cellar, the hunting lodge and the farm are located on the outside area. The inner area occupies a more or less diamond-shaped plot with the aforementioned sight axis and partly intact, symmetrically arranged terraces.
This artificial construction contrasts with the dense surrounding forest.
From the house, views run south over the sloping landscape to the surrounding countryside.
In 1916 the construction of the new country estate De Ruiterberg was started on behalf of owner J. Wilmink. This country estate is the last to be founded in Doorn. Wilmink commissioned architect JC Wentink and garden architect PH Wattez for the design.
In 1917, construction began on the house, the gatehouse, a square-shaped farmhouse (in the southeast corner of the site), a hunting lodge with a small orangery and an ice cellar (to the left of the driveway). Wattez divided the terrain with plateau\\\'s; the manor was situated on the highest plateau.
After being destroyed in the Second World War, the house was rebuilt in 1950 in Delft School style, after a design by the Sutterland architectural firm.

The Hoogstraat Mansion [ KNP 70 - 71 ]
The Hoogstraat is located in the woods north of Leersum, on the northwest flank of the Darthuizerberg. Over the years, the country house has undergone a number of major renovations and extensions, due to its use as a rehabilitation center in the second half of the 20th century.
The neoclassical country house is therefore no longer the main building of the complex. De Hoogstraat is currently being used as an asylum seekers centre.
Remnants of the landscaping are visible, including the central central axis in the forest. The detached gatehouse has also been preserved.
In the first quarter of the 19th century, WH van Nellesteyn had a country house built in neoclassical style on the site of a long-standing homestead.
Professor J. van Hall, owner since 1835, had a park built around the manor and expanded the landholding.
In 1877, the country estate was split into a part south of Rijksstraatweg and a part north of it.
In 1881 or 1885, the country house on the southern part was demolished and this part was planted with forest. The northern part was then already forested.
In 1914-1915, P. Smidt van Gelder had a new country house, De Hoogstraat, and a gatehouse (De Hoogstraat 6) built here, designed by architect JC Wentink. Smidt van Gelder also had a garden laid out in a new architectural style and expanded the grounds around the country house.
Castle Amerongen [ KNP 17 ]
Amerongen Castle has a history that dates back to 1286.
From 1557, that history is linked to the Van Reede family and the Van Aldenburg Bentinck family. When you visit the castle, you will learn all about the eventful lives of these families and the historic interior.
You will also come across the name Wilhelm II again. Before he left for Huis Doorn, he lived at Amerongen Castle for a year and a half. Here he signed the form by which he officially abdicated his imperial position. 

Estate Zuylestein Estate [ KNP 17 - 18 ]
This estate used to be a knight's court town, but it was almost completely destroyed in the Second World War.
In 1980 a new country house was built and the gatehouse and orangery were restored. 

Museum Huis Doorn [ near Doorn (follow VVV Utrechtse Heuvelrug ) between KNP 8 - 5 ]
After the First World War, the German Emperor Wilhelm II fled to the Netherlands.
From 1920 until his death in 1941 he lived in Huis Doorn.
The beautiful house is now a museum where you can get a picture of his imperial way of life.
You will also find an exhibition about the significance of the First World War for the neutral Netherlands.