Soest
Municipality
Church in Soest
Church in Soest
Flag of Soest
Flag
Coat of arms of Soest
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Soest in a municipal map of Utrecht
Location in Utrecht
Coordinates: 52°11′N 5°18′E / 52.183°N 5.300°E / 52.183; 5.300
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceUtrecht
Government
[1]
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorRob Metz (VVD)
Area
[2]
 • Total46.43 km2 (17.93 sq mi)
 • Land46.24 km2 (17.85 sq mi)
 • Water0.19 km2 (0.07 sq mi)
Elevation
[3]
13 m (43 ft)
Population
 (January 2021)[4]
 • Total46,906
 • Density1,014/km2 (2,630/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Soestenaar, Soester
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
3760–3769
Area code035
Websitewww.soest.nl
Dutch Topographic map of Soest, June 2015

Soest (Dutch pronunciation: [sust] ⓘ) is a municipality and a town in the central Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. It is about 6 km (4 mi) west of Amersfoort.

Population centres

The town of Soest

The oldest documents mentioning Soest (then written as Zoys) date from 1029. Its oldest church (the Oude Kerk, meaning Old Church), which is still in use today, dates from the fifteenth century. Traces of earlier habitation are found though. The area of "Hees", now at the outskirts of Soest may date in to the Early Middle Ages, and prehistoric burial mounds in the Soesterduinen point to early habitation in this area.

Agricultural activity is still visible as there is much farmland within Soest. The biggest area is in the center of the town, on a hill, and are called 'de Engh'. A small street is het Kerkpad (literally, the Church Path). The Soesterduinen (sand dunes), is a popular area for recreation.

Numerous churches depict the Calvinist/Catholic tradition of Soest and the region. Christengemeente Soest, Wilhelmina Kerk Soest, Gereformeerde Kerk Vrijgemaakt, Emmakerk and the Evangelische Kerk Soest are the main churches.

Soest Duinen, meaning Soest Dunes, a small town between Soest and Soesterberg contains acres upon acres of sand dunes named the Lange Duinen (meaning the long dunes).

Currently some 50,000 inhabitants live in Soest, consisting mainly of commuters.

Transport

Soest has three railway stations:

The biggest of the three is Soest Zuid.

Soest can be reached by train from Utrecht (every half-hour, xx:06 and xx:36) and Baarn (xx:22 and xx:52); all trains stop at the three stations. The station of Soestduinen, situated between Utrecht Centraal and Amersfoort Centraal, was closed in 1998, after being in use for 135 years. It is now a restaurant.

The stations that can be reached directly from Soest are:

Soest has a number of bus stops and three bus lines, all of which leave from the bus station at Soest Zuid exactly at the half-hour. Line 70 however, travel both directions to Amersfoort and Hilversum. Line 74 travels within the town of Soest. And multiple others travel through Soest. (272 Bunschoten-Spakenburg to Uithof, Utrecht vv. More info found at 9292ov.nl for all the public transport connections

Notable people

Dirk Jan de Geer, 1930
Janine Lansen

Sport

Sport

There are four football clubs in Soest: SEC, VV Hees, SO Soest and VVZ '49. Soesterberg has its own football club, VV 't Vliegdorp.

Twin towns – sister cities

Soest is twinned with:[7]

  • Germany Soest, Germany, since 2004

See also

References

  1. ↑ "R.T. Metz" (in Dutch). Gemeente Soest. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ↑ "Postcodetool for 3762AV". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. ↑ IMDb Database retrieved 29 April 2019
  6. ↑ IMDb Database retrieved 29 April 2019
  7. ↑ "Stedenband Soest". Gemeente Soest. 6 June 2006. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
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