Nederland - Hoog Soeren, Het Aardhuis

Het Aardhuis was commissioned by King Willem III and designed by court architect Henri Camp in 1861. Originally, the chalet-like building was mainly used as a military meeting centre and as a place to rest after a hunt. Prince Hendrik also liked to stay in Het Aardhuis which he used while hunting. That is why it is mainly known as a hunting chalet.

Het Aardhuis is situated on the Aardmansberg (from which the name is derived), which at 102 metres is one of the highest points in the Veluwe. This location offered Willem III a magnificent view of the manoeuvres that the soldiers from a nearby camp were performing on the heathlands.

In 1972, Queen Juliana decided to give the impressive black wooden building a different purpose. From a hunting chalet, it became an information centre about nature and wildlife. Today, the ground floor of Het Aardhuis houses a café-restaurant. On the first floor, one of the rooms is still furnished as it was in the days of King Willem III and Prince Hendrik, with a lot of attention for hunting (PiP3). Another larger room serves as an information centre for Kroondomein Het Loo (Het Loo Royal Estate).