Booklet "Wander route of country estates Wassenaar and Voorschoten"

Booklet "Wander route of country estates Wassenaar and Voorschoten

Wassenaar and Voorschoten are both situated in the Landgoederenzone Zuid-Holland. The walking routes in this area lead past beautiful castles, country estates and country houses. Many of these estates are still green oases in the zone.
This booklet contains two special walks along the most beautiful estates; one through Voorschoten (10 km) and one through Wassenaar (12 km or shortened to 6.5 or 7.5 km).

Most of the country estates and country houses in Wassenaar came into being at the end of the 16th century. They were built on a higher part of the beach ridge and along the main through-route from The Hague to Haarlem, now the Rijksstraatweg. The walking route leads through a wooded area and past a series of beautiful country houses.
In some cases, the parks are freely accessible, such as at Rust en Vreugd and Voorlinden. Sometimes, the route takes you through the estates themselves, such as at De Paauw and Backershagen. A limited number of estates have their main house accessible at set times, such as De Paauw and Voorlinden.
Voorschoten's strategic location between Leiden and The Hague and its good accessibility by road and water make it an attractive place to settle. In the 17th and 18th centuries more than twenty country estates were founded by wealthy townspeople. Today, six of them remain. The walking route will lead you past five of these country houses, which are green oases of peace and quiet between the residential buildings. The route also passes the Burgemeester Berkhoutpark, constructed between 1936 and 1944.

The booklet has no less than 32 pages. It can be viewed free of charge (only in NL - see "downloads" button) and can be purchased for € 2.50
- at two VVVs in Wassenaar and Voorschoten and VVV Leiden
- and at the libraries in Wassenaar and Voorschoten.

If you would like to see more of our princely region, go here