Palace Stories
Visitors can choose from three different stories during their time at the palace (audio via an app or paid audio device for €2,50 in Dutch, English and German). Different characters take you back in time when the royal residents lived in the palace. The new underground foyer welcomes the visitor underneath the glass bottom fountain and gives access to the palace and museum galleries.
Willem and Marry: Meet the first occupants of Paleis Het Loo. The storey of Willem III and Mary is a dramatic mix of power, family and religion. When the young couple became king and queen of England, Paleis Het Loo became the centre of power in Europe. Count Hans Willem Bentinck – Willem III’s best friend – will tell you all about 17th-century politics and the secrets of the palace.
Wilhelmina’s Home: Wilhelmina, King Willem-Alexander’s great-grandmother, lived here at Paleis Het Loo, her favourite palace. Guides Ziarah and Mark will take you into her world, with stories about life at the palace in the 19th and 20th centuries. Get to know them a little better in the place they called home.
At Home with the Royals: A palace is just like your home. What does home feel like? It’s not just a house to live in, or – if you’re king or queen – to work in. The palace is full of expensive furniture and old paintings. But is it also nice and cosy?
Palace Roof
This is where Queen Mary drank her tea. From the roof of the castle you have a wide view of the park. You can also see the symmetry and the patterns of the baroque gardens very well from above.
Exhibition The House of Orange-Nassau
The collection of works of art, objects and photos of the royal family will take you on a journey through the history of the Dutch monarchy and gives an insight into the private life of the House of Orange-Nassau.
Palace Gardens
Willem and Mary created a large baroque garden. It shows their power and wealth in full glory, with high fountains, impressive statues and fragrant flowers and plants. The garden is exactly as the first inhabitants of Paleis Het Loo had it laid out.
Stables Square
The stables square has a 20th-century feel – the time of Queen Wilhelmina and her husband Prince Hendrik. The building housing the ‘Prins Hendrik Garage’ restaurant was where he kept his cars. These days the cars are in the coach houses, where you can also see sleighs, carriages and other special vehicles, which the Dutch royal family used for important events. Part of the stable block is now used by the king’s Royal Stables and it still houses horses.
Orange Trail
Behind the palace gardens is a romantic landscaped garden full of winding paths and a variety of trees. This part was created in the early 19th century. The atmosphere is entirely different from the baroque palace gardens. The Orange Trail provides a glimpse into the personal lives of the Dutch royal family.
Please note that the photo’s used on this page are owned by Paleis Het Loo.