Highlights
The palace is more than 300 years old.
People compare it to the palace at Versailles.
There are beautiful gardens and many fountains.
The palace is located about 80 km from the capital and it is a wonderful place for a weekend trip or a day trip from Amsterdam.
History
Het Loo Palace was built in the 17th century by order of King William lll and served a residence of the Dutch royal family until the death of Queen Wilhelmina in 1962. Before the palace Het Loo was built, there was a hunting lodge, which the king and his wife Marie ll used for relaxing. The plan of the building was created by a famous architect called Jacob Rohm. Between 1976 and 1982 the palace was under construction and since 1984, it is open to visitors.
The Palace
In the palace Het Loo, you can visit several exhibitions.
On the site of the stables, you can see a collection of cars and carriages of the Dutch royal family, and authentic clothing and accessories. There is a media room where you can see pictures or read more about the royal family.
There is also a ballroom, which is now a restaurant, in the main building.
Some floors of the palace are also open to visitors. You can visit the rooms where members of the Dutch royal family spent their days or to observe the wonderful gardens outside. There is a gift shop with a variety of souvenirs, postcards, books and silverware.
The Gardens of Het Loo
There is a corridor on the ground floor which takes you to the gardens of Het Loo. They were designed by Le Nôtre’s nephew, Claude Desgotz. There are flower beds and hedge labyrinths which represent beautiful figures, around the alleys. The flowers and plants are brought from all around the world. Of course, there are comfortable benches sprinkled all over the gardens so you can sit and enjoy the beautiful gardens.
The Fountains
There are numerous fountains in the gardens but surely the most impressive is the central fountain. It’s called The King Jump and it’s 13 meters height. On both sides of the central fountain are situated two smaller and unusual fountains. They represent two globes with golden spouts. We concluded that the spouts might symbolize all the places visited by the royal family.
Behind the King Jump fountain, you can see the Colonnade. There are stairs getting you to the terrace on the top of it. There you can enjoy the amazing panoramic view of the gardens and the Het Loo palace.
The Statues
All over the gardens are placed statues of gods and goddesses of Greek mythology, and here or there you can see cherubs, too. All of them are related to the growth and prosperity of the Het Loo gardens. They are honored because of creating this oasis of pleasure where once was dry heathland.
At the end of the gardens, there is a terrace with a small fountain and two marble benches. From there you can observe the beautiful Palace Park (Het Paleispark). The day ticket to the park costs € 2.
Useful information
Ticket prices for the Het Loo palace can be found here.
Children under 5 years enter free.
Keep in mind that the palace is closed on Mondays.
