City guide

Amersfoort

Mondrian, wall houses and a boulder dragged into town.

4 museums
Photo: By FrDr - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109762234

The story of Amersfoort

Piet Mondrian was born in Amersfoort. The medieval centre is almost round, with houses built into the old town wall and a tower that is the zero point of the Dutch national map grid.

Amersfoort is approx. 15 minutes by train from Utrecht and approx. 35 minutes from Amsterdam. From the station you walk into the old town in ten minutes. Start at the Mondriaan House, the painter's birthplace, then follow the Muurhuizen to the Koppelpoort, a gate over the water. Museum Flehite tells the town's history, and Kunsthal KAdE shows modern art and design. Just outside the centre is the Dutch Cavalry Museum, about horses, tanks and soldiers. Everywhere you look, the Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren rises above the roofs.

  • 1259Amersfoort receives town rights
  • 1872Piet Mondrian is born here
  • Approx. 98 mheight of the Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren

Your museum day in Amersfoort

One day, four moments. How to get the most out of your visit.

  1. 10:00MUSEUM
    Mondriaan House Where the painter of red, yellow and blue began.
  2. 12:30EAT
    Lunch on the Hof The big square in the old town, with terraces and a Saturday market.
  3. 14:00SHOP
    Langestraat and Krommestraat Shopping between medieval facades.
  4. 19:00SLEEP
    Hotel in the old town Stay inside the old ring, with the tower in view.

Amersfoort in six moments

  1. 1259Amersfoort receives town rights from the Bishop of Utrecht.
  2. Approx. 1400The Koppelpoort is built as a land and water gate.
  3. 1470The Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren is completed.
  4. 1661The Amersfoort boulder is dragged into town.
  5. 1787The church next to the tower is destroyed by an explosion; the tower survives.
  6. 1872Piet Mondrian is born on the Kortegracht.

What to do in Amersfoort

Six places to complete your museum day.

  1. 01

    Mondriaan House →

    Piet Mondrian's birthplace. See how he moved from landscapes to his famous planes and lines.

    Kortegracht1 hour
  2. 02

    Museum Flehite →

    The town museum about Amersfoort and its region, from the Middle Ages to today, by the old town wall.

    Westsingel1 to 2 hours
  3. 03

    Kunsthal KAdE →

    Exhibitions on art, design and architecture in an old warehouse on the Eemplein.

    Eemplein1 to 2 hours
  4. 04

    Dutch Cavalry Museum →

    The museum of the Dutch cavalry, with uniforms, carriages and armoured vehicles.

    Bernhardkazerne1 to 2 hours
  5. 05

    Koppelpoort and Muurhuizen

    The Koppelpoort is a combined land and water gate from around 1400. The Muurhuizen were built where the first town wall stood.

    Old town1 hour
  6. 06

    Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren

    The tower is the reference point of the Dutch national grid used on Dutch maps. Climbs are possible with a guide.

    Lieve Vrouwekerkhof1 hour

On the map

All museums in Amersfoort. Click a museum for the route.

Plan your trip to Amersfoort ↗
Hidden story

The Amersfoort boulder

Hundreds of people dragged a boulder weighing tonnes into town, for a pretzel and a mug of beer.

Read the storyHide the story

In 1661 a huge glacial boulder lay on the heath outside Amersfoort. A local nobleman, Everard Meyster, bet that he could get it into town. Hundreds of townspeople hauled it in along sandy roads, rewarded with pretzels and beer. The rest of the country laughed, and for a long time people from Amersfoort were mocked as "boulder draggers". The town was so embarrassed that the boulder was later buried. In 1903 it was dug up again and given its own spot on the Stadsring, where it still lies.

Where: Stadsring, Amersfoort

Beyond the city

Amersfoort sits between the Utrecht Hill Ridge and the Veluwe. Palaces, forests and Utrecht are close.

Train to Baarn, approx. 10 min, then walk

Groeneveld Castle and Baarn

A country estate with a park and exhibitions about nature and landscape.

Route by public transport ↗

Travel times are indicative. Live times on 9292.nl ↗.

SLEEP

Stay in Amersfoort, in the middle of the country

Amersfoort has hotels for every budget, some in historic buildings. It is a major rail hub: Utrecht, Amsterdam, Apeldoorn and Zwolle are close. In the evening the old town is lively around the Hof and the canals.

Find your hotel →