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Welcome to Soest

The municipality of Soest has a population of over 45,000 people and is located in the middle of the country. Soest offers a remarkable diversity in natural beauty.

Soest is situated amidst farmlands, meadows, woods, dunes and a total of 17 hectares of what was once a single vast heath but is now divided amongst nine different locations. Industry, service professions and agricultural are the main sources of income.

Soest is approximately 20 km from Utrecht, 7 km from Amersfoort and 10 km from Hilversum, with excellent train and bus service to each of these.

Taking an aerial view of the municipality, which covers 46 square kilometres, two different major developed areas stand out clearly. Both are surrounded by woods, farmlands or meadows. Soest is the larger of the two, and comprises Soestdijk, the original village of Soest and Soest-Zuid. These three developments appear to be connected by the Utrecht-Baarn railway line and each has its own station. As a result of new construction, these developments have gradually extended towards the outlying district of Hees, which is situated along the border of the Soesterveen nature sanctuary and the Pijnenburg woods.

The other, smaller development is Soesterberg, which is located on the other side of the Soester 'mountain' and the Soesterberg airfield. The modest district of Soestduinen lies between the two, surrounded entirely by woods.

Soest-Zuid is home to the Soester woods and dunes, a reserve of about 500 hectares that stretches from the woods of Birkhoven (Amersfoort) to Pijnenburg. The sand flats in the Soester natural dunes create an inviting, slightly hilly area that is very popular day trip destination.

The woods of Pijnenburg are likewise a magnet for visitors seeking peace and quiet in the great outdoors. Nearby Soesterveen has two small nature preserves which are a very important area to study for botanists.

Soest is twinned with the city of Soest in (Westfalen-Germany). Every year, a sports exchange is held.