Apeldoorn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Apeldoorn Apeldoorne  (Veluws)
City and Municipality
Oranjepark in Apeldoorn
Flag Coat of arms
Location in Gelderland
Apeldoorn Location in Netherlands Show map of Netherlands Apeldoorn Location in Europe Show map of Europe
Country	Netherlands
Province	Gelderland
Government
• Body	Municipal council
Area
• Municipality	341.15 km2 (131.72 sq mi)
• Land	339.91 km2 (131.24 sq mi)
• Water	1.24 km2 (0.48 sq mi)
Elevation	16 m (52 ft)
Population  (Municipality, May 2014)
• Municipality	157,679
• Density	464/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
• Urban	157,679
• Metro	213,899
Demonyms	Apeldoornaar, Apeldoorner, Apeldorenaar
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	3888, 7300–7381
Area code	055, 0577
Click on the map for a fullscreen view

Apeldoorn in the 17th century by Jacob van Ruisdael

Omnisport Velodrome Apeldoorn

Apeldoorn is a city and municipality in the province of Gelderland in the central part of the Netherlands. It's located on the Veluwe ridge and in the IJssel valley. As of December 2021, the municipality of Apeldoorn, including nearby villages like Beekbergen and Hoenderloo, had over 165,000 residents.

Discovering the City of Apeldoorn

Paleis Het Loo, spring 2012

Apenheul ape zoo, male Bonobo

Apartment buildings along the canal

City hall

Apeldoorn is a city with a long history. The first time it was mentioned, under the name Appoldro, was in the 8th century. It grew where old roads from Amersfoort to Deventer and from Arnhem to Zwolle crossed paths.

Royal Connections: Het Loo Palace

A very special place near Apeldoorn is Het Loo Palace. It used to be a hunting lodge for the dukes of Gelderland. Later, William III of England, who was a Dutch leader, rebuilt it in the late 1600s. It became a favorite country home for the Dutch royal family. Today, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, a younger sister of former Queen Beatrix, lives close to the palace.

Apeldoorn's Growth and Importance

Apeldoorn was a small town for a long time. It grew much bigger after the 19th century and especially after World War II. Many important buildings were built or restored, like the Protestant church and the Roman Catholic Mariakerk.

Apeldoorn is a major center for jobs in the eastern Netherlands. It has large paper mills and many company offices, including the insurance company Centraal Beheer and government services like the Dutch Tax services. The city also has hospitals and nursing homes.

Education and Learning in Apeldoorn

The city is home to several important schools and universities. These include the Saxion University of Applied Sciences, which teaches hotel and facility management, and the Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences. There's also the Netherlands Police Academy and the Theological University of Apeldoorn.

Why is Apeldoorn Good for Business?

Apeldoorn is a great place for companies that handle shipping and distribution. This is because it's located near where two major Dutch highways meet. The A1 goes from Amsterdam to the German border, leading towards Hannover and Berlin. The A50 connects the north and south of the Netherlands.

Apeldoorn was once known for making paper and washing clothes. This was because of the clean groundwater in the area. While some paper production has changed, new companies like Trioworld and Loparex B.V. now use the industrial areas.

The city also has a large meat processing industry with companies like Vion NV. Other important local businesses include Hanos international (for hotels and restaurants), Hamer B.V. (installations), and Remeha (heating boilers). In 2018, PostNL opened a big package sorting center, creating about 400 jobs.

Fun Places to Visit in Apeldoorn

Apenheul is a unique zoo where many types of apes and monkeys roam freely among visitors. It's on the west side of Apeldoorn and easy to reach by bus.

Another fun place is the Koningin Juliana Toren (Queen Juliana Tower) amusement park. It's near Apenheul and named after a tower built in 1910, which was later named after Queen Juliana.

The local hospital, Gelre Hospital "Lukas", provides healthcare for Apeldoorn and nearby towns.

Getting Around Apeldoorn

Apeldoorn railway station is a busy hub. Besides regular train services, it's the starting point for the Veluwse Stoomtrein Maatschappij. This is a preserved steam railway that takes you on a scenic trip to Dieren via Beekbergen.

In April 2009, Apeldoorn was in the news because of an incident during a Queen's Day celebration. A man drove his car into a parade, causing injuries and fatalities. The royal family was unharmed.

A part of the Hoge Veluwe National Park is located in the southwestern corner of the municipality. This park is a beautiful natural area.

The Royal House of Orange-Nassau and Het Loo Palace

Het Loo Palace shows the strong connection between the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau, and the Netherlands. The palace's main part and side buildings reveal how the House of Orange lived there for three centuries, from King William III of England to Queen Wilhelmina.

In 1684, Prince William III of Orange bought Het Loo. He wanted to build a grand hunting lodge. Construction began in 1685, and by 1686, the main building and gardens were finished. Het Loo became the favorite country home for William III and his wife, Princess Mary II. They kept adding to and decorating the palace.

When William III became King of England in 1689, Het Loo was made even larger. Between 1691 and 1694, new sections were added, including new apartments, a dining room, a long gallery, and a chapel. Queen Mary never saw these additions as she did not return to the Netherlands after 1689.

After King William III passed away in 1702, the palace eventually went to Willem IV in 1732. Both Willem IV and his son Willem V used Het Loo as a summer home in the 18th century.

People of Apeldoorn

As of 2020, Apeldoorn had a population of 163,818 people. Most residents are Dutch natives. The city also has a diverse population with people from various backgrounds, including Indonesia, Turkey, and other countries.

Apeldoorn's Geography and Climate

Former city hall in 2012

Oranjepark during fall

Apeldoorn seen from Berg en Bos park

Apeldoorn has an oceanic climate, which means it has mild winters and cool summers, similar to most of the Netherlands.

Villages and Hamlets in Apeldoorn

Topographic map image of Apeldoorn (town), September 2014

The municipality of Apeldoorn includes several villages and small communities:

• Apeldoorn (the main city)
• Assel
• Beekbergen: a village about 6 km south of Apeldoorn.
• Beemte-Broekland, north of Apeldoorn.
• Engeland, west of Beekbergen.
• Groenendaal, along the A50 motorway.
• Hoenderloo, about 8 km southwest of Apeldoorn, near an entrance to the Hoge Veluwe National Park.
• Hoog Soeren, located in the middle of the Veluwe forest.
• Hooilanden
• Klarenbeek, partly in the municipality of Voorst.
• Lieren
• Loenen, a village with a castle ("Ter Horst") and an artificial "waterfall".
• Nieuw-Milligen, about 10 km towards Amersfoort, with an army training center.
• Oosterhuizen
• Radio Kootwijk
• Uddel, a farming village known for its traditional Protestant communities.
• Ugchelen, once a separate village, now part of Apeldoorn but still has its own feel.
• Wenum-Wiesel, with an old water-mill, made up of two villages.
• Woudhuizen, now on the eastern edge of Apeldoorn, with a small forest.
• Zilven, the northern part of Loenen.

Getting Around Apeldoorn: Public Transport

Apeldoorn has four railway stations, making it easy to travel by train:

• Apeldoorn (the main station)
• Apeldoorn De Maten
• Apeldoorn Osseveld
• Klarenbeek

Central station Apeldoorn

Station Apeldoorn De Maten

Station Apeldoorn Osseveld

Station Klarenbeek

Bus services in the city are provided by Keolis and cover 18 different routes.

A Map Of The Stadbus Plus Network

Apeldoorn Bus station

Apeldoorn Bus station

Culture and Entertainment in Apeldoorn

Museums to Explore

Two German locomotives of the VSM.

CODA museum

Entrance to the CODA museum.

• National Museum Het Loo Palace is a beautiful palace built by the House of Orange-Nassau.
• CODA is Apeldoorn's historical museum and central library.
• Museum van de Kanselarij van de Nederlandse Ridderorden is a museum about knightly orders.
• Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij (VSM) is a heritage railway with old steam trains.
• Memorial Centre het Apeldoornsche Bosch remembers a sad event from World War II.

Theaters and Cinemas

Theater Orpheus

• Theater Orpheus is one of the five largest theaters in the Netherlands, hosting many shows.
• Podium Gigant has a pop music stage and a cinema with three screens.
• Vue cinema has seven screens for watching movies.

Education in Apeldoorn

Schools for Learning

• Koninklijke Hogere Burgerschool, Apeldoorn
• Institute of Martinus Herman van Doorn

Universities for Higher Education

• Theological University of Apeldoorn

Sports in Apeldoorn

Apeldoorn is a city that loves sports!

The most successful sports club in Apeldoorn is the SV Dynamo volleyball team. They have won the Dutch A-League championship 15 times, most recently in 2023. Another strong volleyball club is Alterno.

To support the city's growing interest in sports, Apeldoorn built a new stadium called Omnisport Apeldoorn. It opened in 2008 and is used for volleyball, indoor athletics, and track cycling. It has hosted big events like the 2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the European Track Championships. In 2016, the city even hosted the start of the 2016 Giro d'Italia, a famous cycling race.

Apeldoorn is also home to several football (soccer) clubs:

• AGOVV
• Alexandria
• Apeldoornse Boys
• Columbia
• CSV Apeldoorn
• Groen−Wit '62
• Orderbos
• Robur et Velocitas
• Turkse Kracht Apeldoorn
• Victoria Boys
• WSV
• ZVV '56

Famous People from Apeldoorn

Piet de Jong, 1970

Thom Karremans, 1995

Waylon, 2014

Ans Schut, 1968

Many notable people have come from Apeldoorn, including:

Public Figures

• Piet de Jong (1915–2016) – A Dutch politician who was Prime Minister from 1967 to 1971.
• Pieter van Vollenhoven Jr. (born 1939) – The husband of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands.
• Fred de Graaf (born 1950) – A former Dutch politician and Mayor of Apeldoorn from 1999 to 2011.

Artists and Performers

• Patrick Bakker (1910–1932) – A Dutch artist known for his oil paintings and drawings.
• Willem Bijkerk (born 1980), known as Waylon – A Dutch singer.
• Julian Jordan (born 1995) – A Dutch DJ and music producer.

Sports Stars

• Nico de Wolf (1887–1967) – A Dutch amateur footballer who won a bronze medal at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
• Ans Schut (born 1944) – A former ice speed skater who won a gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics.
• Peter Bosz (born 1963) – A former Dutch footballer and current football manager.
• Demy de Zeeuw (born 1983) – A retired Dutch footballer.
• Steven Berghuis (born 1991) – A Dutch professional footballer.

Twin Towns – Sister Cities

Apeldoorn has special connections with other cities around the world, called "twin towns" or "sister cities":

• Burlington, Canada
• Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (Berlin), Germany
• Gagny, France

Images for kids

• 

  Grote Kerk at Loolaan

See also

In Spanish: Apeldoorn para niños