Soest, Netherlands

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Soest
Municipality
Church in Soest
Church in Soest
Flag of Soest
Flag
Coat of arms of Soest
Coat of arms
Location in Utrecht
Location in Utrecht
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Country Netherlands
Province Utrecht
Government[1]
 • Body Municipal council
 • Mayor Rob Metz (VVD)
Area[2]
 • Total 46.43 km2 (17.93 sq mi)
 • Land 46.25 km2 (17.86 sq mi)
 • Water 0.18 km2 (0.07 sq mi)
Elevation[3] 13 m (43 ft)
Population (May 2014)[4]
 • Total 45,435
 • Density 982/km2 (2,540/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Soestenaar, Soesder
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode 3760–3769
Area code 035
Website www.soest.nl
File:Gem-Soest-OpenTopo.jpg
Dutch Topographic map of Soest, June 2015

Soest [sust] is a municipality and a town in the central Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. It is located 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.

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

Transport

Soest has three railway stations:

Soest can be reached by train from Utrecht (every half hour, xx:05 and xx:35) and Baarn (xx:23 and xx:53); all trains stop at the three stations. The station of Soestduinen situated on the railroad between Utrecht and Amersfoort was closed in 1998, after being in use for 135 years.

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 21 and 22 are local buses that do not leave Soest. Line 70 and 74, however, travel both directions to Amersfoort and Hilversum, and also includes Leusden.

International relations

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Twin towns — Sister cities

Soest, Netherlands is twinned with:

References

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External links

  • Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
  • Official Website