Leusden Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Leusden

Municipality

Highrise building

Park Wildenburg

St. Jozefkerk

Kooikersgracht

Residential tower

Biezenkamp

Flag	Coat of arms

Location in Utrecht

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

58.89 km² (22.74 sq mi)

• Land

58.63 km² (22.64 sq mi)

• Water

0.26 km² (0.10 sq mi)

Elevation

3 m (10 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

29,005

• Density

495/km² (1,280/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Leusdenaar

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

3830–3835

Area code

033

Dutch Topographic map of Leusden, June 2015

Leusden is a town and a municipality in the Netherlands. It is located in the province of Utrecht. Leusden is about 3 kilometers southeast of Amersfoort.

The western part of Leusden is on the Utrecht Hill Ridge. This area has many forests and heathlands. The eastern parts are in the Gelderse Valley. These areas are mostly used for farming.

A former Amersfoort concentration camp is located near the northern border of Leusden. It is shared with the city of Amersfoort.

Villages and Hamlets in Leusden
The Town of Leusden: A Brief History
Leusden's Past Events
Shopping in Leusden
Famous People from Leusden
Images for kids
See also

Villages and Hamlets in Leusden

Map of the municipality, showing towns and villages.

The municipality of Leusden includes four main villages:

Leusden (originally called "Hamersveld")
Leusden-Zuid (formerly "Leusbroek")
Achterveld
Stoutenburg

There are also several smaller communities called hamlets:

Asschat
Den Treek
De Ruif
Jannendorp
Musschendorp
Oud-Leusden
Snorrenhoef

The Town of Leusden: A Brief History

The area now known as Leusden was first mentioned a long time ago in the year 777. It was called Villa Lisiduna. This was likely a large farm complex with some defenses. We don't know the exact spot of this old settlement.

Some people think the old village of Oud-Leusden might have been the original Villa Lisiduna. However, digs in the 1980s did not find proof. The church tower in Oud-Leusden is very old. It dates back to at least the 11th century AD.

Near Leusden, there was once a monastery called Heiligenberg. It was started around the year 1000 by Bishop Ansfridus of Utrecht. He passed away there in 1010.

In the 1970s, two farming villages, Leusbroek and Hamersveld, grew together. They became a larger town where many people live. Hamersveld is now called Leusden-Centrum, or just Leusden. Leusbroek became Leusden-Zuid.

The first plans were for Leusden to grow to about 46,000 people. But after the first growth, people living there did not want it to get much bigger. So, some of the later plans for expansion were stopped.

Leusden's Past Events

In 1924, a big meeting called the "Pinksterlanddagen" took place in Leusden. It was also known as "Land-day for anarchist youth." This event happened on land near the 'dode weg'.

Shopping in Leusden

Leusden has three main places where you can go shopping:

De Hamershof: This is in the center of town, close to the town hall. It has almost 90 stores. The first part of this shopping area opened in 1980. It was updated in 2018.

De Biezenkamp: This area is north of Hamershof and has about 20 shops. The biggest market in Leusden happens here every Tuesday. This area was modernized starting in 2016. New apartments were also built there.

De Zuidhoek: This shopping area opened in 2012 in Leusden-Zuid. It was built to serve the people living in the new neighborhood called "de Tabaksteeg."

Famous People from Leusden

Gerrit Achterberg, 1936

Many interesting people have connections to Leusden:

Gerrit Achterberg (1905-1962 in Leusden) was a famous poet.
Arleen Auger (1939-1993 in Leusden) was an American singer known for her beautiful soprano voice.
Robby Valentine (born 1968 in Leusden) is a singer and plays many instruments.
Marieke Wijsman (born 1975 in Leusden) is a former speed-skater. She competed in the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics.
Marike Jager (born 1979) is a Dutch singer-songwriter and TV presenter. She grew up in Leusden.
Haike van Stralen (born 1983 in Leusden) is a former Dutch freestyle swimmer. She competed in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.