Editing Soest, Netherlands

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->| name                            = Soest
| settlement_type                 = [[Town]] and [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->| image_skyline                   = Soest-oudekerk-4816-rm34107.jpg
| image_alt                       = 
| image_caption                   = Church in Soest
| image_flag                      = Soest flag.svg
| flag_size                       = 100x67px
| flag_alt                        = 
| image_shield                    = Wapen van Soest (Nederland).svg
| shield_size                     = 100x80px
| shield_alt                      = <!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map                       = Map - NL - Municipality code 0342 (2009).svg
| map_alt                         = Highlighted position of Soest in a municipal map of Utrecht
| map_caption                     = Location in Utrecht
| coordinates                     = {{coord|52|11|N|5|18|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes           = 
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = [[Netherlands]]
| subdivision_type1               = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]]
| government_footnotes            = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.soest.nl/eCache/DEF/31/768.html
 |title       = R.T. Metz
 |language    = Dutch
 |publisher   = Gemeente Soest
 |accessdate  = 9 April 2014
 |url-status     = dead
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130406103621/http://www.soest.nl/eCache/DEF/31/768.html
 |archivedate = 6 April 2013
}}</ref>
| governing_body                  = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
| leader_party                    = [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]]
| leader_title                    = [[Burgomaster|Mayor]]
| leader_name                     = Rob Metz
<!-- Geographic information -->| unit_pref                       = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->| area_footnotes                  = <ref>{{Dutch municipality total area|dataref}}</ref>
<!-- square kilometers -->| area_total_km2                  = {{Dutch municipality total area|Soest}}
| area_land_km2                   = {{Dutch municipality land area|Soest}}
| area_water_km2                  = {{Dutch municipality water area|Soest}}
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web 
 |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
 |title = Postcodetool for 3762AV
 |trans-title=|language = Dutch
 |author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> 
 |date = 
 |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
 |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis
 |accessdate = 9 April 2014}}</ref>
| elevation_m                     = 13
| elevation_max_footnotes         = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_max_m                 = 
| elevation_min_footnotes         = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_min_m                 = <!-- Population, demographics -->
| population_footnotes            = <ref>{{Dutch municipality population|dataref}}</ref>
| population_total                = {{Dutch municipality population|Soest}}
| population_as_of                = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
| population_density_km2          = {{Dutch municipality population density|Soest}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
| population_demonym              = Soestenaar, Soester
<!-- Other information -->| timezone                        = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset                      = +1
| timezone_DST                    = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST                  = +2
| postal_code_type                = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
| postal_code                     = 3760–3769
| area_code_type                  = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code                       = 035
| website                         = {{URL|1=http://www.soest.nl}}
| footnotes                       = 
}}

'''Soest''' ({{IPA|nl|sust|-|281_Soest.ogg}}) is a [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] and town in the central [[Netherlands]], in the province of [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]]. It is about {{convert|6|km|0|abbr=on}} west of [[Amersfoort]].

== Population centres ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=12em|
*[[:nl:Boerenstreek_(Soest)|Boerenstreek]]
*[[:nl:De_Eng_Soest_Midden|De Eng Soest Midden]]
*[[Soestdijk|'t Hart Soestdijk]]
*[[Klaarwater_(Soest)|Klaarwater]]
*[[:nl:Overhees|Overhees]]
*[[:nl:Smitsveen_(Soest)|Smitsveen]]
*[[Soestduinen]]
*[[Soesterberg]]
*[[:nl:Soest-Zuid|Soest-Zuid]]
}}

== The town of Soest ==
The oldest documents mentioning Soest (then written as ''Zoys'') date from 1029. Its oldest church (the ''Oude Kerk'', meaning ''Old Church''), which is still in use today, dates from the fifteenth century. Traces of earlier habitation are found though. The area of "Hees", now at the outskirts of Soest may date in to the Early [[Middle Ages]], and [[prehistory|prehistoric]] [[burial mound]]s in the Soesterduinen point to early habitation in this area.

[[File:Gem-Soest-OpenTopo.jpg|upright=1.2|left|thumb|Topographic map of Soest]]
Agricultural activity is still visible as there is much [[Farmland (farming)|farmland]] within Soest. The biggest area is in the center of the town, on a hill, and are called 'de Engh'. A small street is ''het Kerkpad'' (literally, the Church Path). The Soesterduinen (sand dunes), is a popular area for recreation.

Numerous churches depict the Calvinist/Catholic tradition of Soest and the region. Wilhelmina Kerk Soest, Gereformeerde Kerk Vrijgemaakt, Emmakerk and the Evangelie Gemeente Soest (meets in church building Julianakerk) are the main churches.

Soestduinen, meaning Soest Dunes, a small town between Soest and Soesterberg contains acres upon acres of sand dunes named the [[Lange Duinen]] (meaning the long dunes). 

Currently some 50,000 inhabitants live in Soest, consisting mainly of commuters.

== Transport ==
Soest has three railway stations:
*[[Soestdijk railway station|Soestdijk]]
*[[Soest (Netherlands) railway station|Soest]]
*[[Soest Zuid railway station|Soest Zuid]]

The biggest of the three is [[Soest Zuid railway station|Soest Zuid]].

Soest can be reached by train from [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]] (every half-hour, xx:06 and xx:36) and [[Baarn]] (xx:22 and xx:52); all trains stop at the three stations. The station of
[[Soestduinen railway station|Soestduinen]], situated between [[Utrecht Centraal railway station|Utrecht Centraal]] and [[Amersfoort Centraal railway station|Amersfoort Centraal]], was closed in 1998, after being in use for 135 years. It is now a restaurant.

The stations that can be reached directly from Soest are:
*[[Baarn railway station|Baarn]]
*[[Den Dolder railway station|Den Dolder]]
*[[Bilthoven railway station|Bilthoven]]
*[[Utrecht Overvecht railway station|Utrecht Overvecht]]
*[[Utrecht Centraal railway station|Utrecht Centraal]]

Soest has a number of bus stops and three bus lines, all of which leave from the bus station at Soest Zuid exactly at the half-hour. Line 70 however, travel both directions to [[Amersfoort]] and [[Hilversum]]. Line 74 travels within the town of Soest. And multiple others travel through Soest. (272 Bunschoten-Spakenburg to Uithof, Utrecht vv. More info found at 9292ov.nl for all the public transport connections

== Notable people ==
[[File:Dirk Jan de Geer.jpg|140px|thumb|Dirk Jan de Geer, 1930]]
[[File:Janine jansen-1488706691.JPG|140px|thumb|Janine Jansen]]
* [[Gerard Soest]] ({{circa|1600}} – 1681) portrait painter who was active in England

* [[Prince Alexander of the Netherlands]] (1818–1848) second son to [[William II of the Netherlands|King William II]] and [[Anna Pavlovna of Russia|Queen Anna Paulovna]]
* [[Dirk Jan de Geer]] (1870–1960) politician, [[Prime Minister of the Netherlands]] 1926-1929 and 1939-1940 
* [[Frida Vogels]] (born 1930) writer, lives in [[Bologna]] 
* [[Ed van den Heuvel]] (born 1940) astronomer
* [[Marlous Fluitsma]] (born 1946) actress <ref> [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0283337/   IMDb Database] retrieved 29 April 2019 </ref>
* [[Peter Kooy]] (born 1954) bass singer specializing in baroque music
* [[Jack Wouterse]] (born 1957) actor <ref> [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0941914/   IMDb Database] retrieved 29 April 2019 </ref>
* [[Thomas von der Dunk]] (born 1961) cultural historian, writer and columnist
* [[Janine Jansen]] (born 1978) a violinist and violist
* [[Mirik Milan]] (born 1981), former Amsterdam Night Mayor 
* [[Els van Doesburg]] (born 1989), Mayor of Antwerp

=== Sport ===
* [[Robert Roest]] (born 1969) footballer
* [[Jolanda Elshof]] (born 1975) retired female volleyball player
* [[Bianca van den Hoek]] (born 1976) professional racing cyclist
* Richard van Zijtveld (born 1979) former darts player
* [[Daniël Stellwagen]] (born 1987) chess grandmaster 
* [[Daan Huizing]] (born 1990) professional golfer

=== Business ===
* [[Henryck Spierenburg]] (born 2000), Associate Consultant at [[OC&C Strategy Consultants]]

== Sport ==
There are four football clubs in Soest: SEC, VV Hees, SO Soest and VVZ '49. Soesterberg has its own football club, VV 't Vliegdorp.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Netherlands}}
Soest is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Stedenband Soest|work=Gemeente Soest|date=6 June 2006|url=http://www.stedenbanden.nl/detail_city.phtml?know_id=528|accessdate=28 April 2008|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724165913/http://www.stedenbanden.nl/detail_city.phtml?know_id=528|archivedate=24 July 2011}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Soest, Germany|Soest]], Germany, since 2004

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode=packed>
File:Museum Ald Soest 19.JPG|Museum Old Soest
File:Soest Wilhelminalinde 8.JPG|Soest Wilhelminalinde
File:Soest, Netherlands - autumn landscape 2015 (22743688092).jpg|Soest, Netherlands: autumn landscape
File:Soest - Waterpomp op de kruising van de Kerkstraat en de Eemstraat.jpg|Soest: Waterpomp op de kruising van de Kerkstraat en de Eemstraat
File:Hie zien we een gedeelte van Hees vanaf het kruispunt van de buurtschappen Wieksloot en Hees.jpg|Hie zien we een gedeelte van Hees vanaf het kruispunt van de buurtschappen Wieksloot en Hees
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Patientia Vincit Omnia]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline|Soest, Netherlands}}
*[https://www.soest.nl Official website]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Soest
 | North     = [[Baarn]]
 | East      = [[Amersfoort]]
 | South     = [[Soesterberg]]
 | West      = [[Lage Vuursche]]
}}
{{Utrecht Province}}
{{Dutch municipality Soest}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Soest, Netherlands| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Utrecht (province)]]
[[Category:Populated places in Utrecht (province)]]