150 years of City Track and Orange Park festively opened

In 1876, Apeldoorn got its own railway station, thanks to King William III. He wanted to be able to travel faster from Het Loo Palace. The railway improved Apeldoorn's accessibility. A network of three railway lines emerged from Apeldoorn: the Koningslijn to Paleis Het Loo, the Baronnenlijn towards Zwolle and a connection to Deventer. This was good for trade, but Apeldoorn also became attractive for day trippers and visitors from other parts of the Netherlands. Many royal visitors travelled by rail. Apeldoorn grew from village to city with new inhabitants.

Also growth due to construction of Orange Park

Not only the railway caused development. The construction of the Orange Park also played a major role. In 1874, Hendrik Christiaan van der Houven van Oordt bought the De Pasch estate. He wanted to develop a park and a villa district here. On the same day that the railway was opened by King William III, the park was also officially opened by the king. With his permission, it was named Orange Park.

The park was designed in English landscape style, with winding paths, a pond with bridge and large lawns. It was intended as a public park, where people could walk and stay. At the same time, it made the surrounding land more attractive for new housing. This led to the development of De Parken villa district. To this day, Orange Park is a beautiful and lively place in the city. It is even a national monument.

150 days full of activities

On Sunday 10 May 2026, a festive celebration took place on and around the railway station and Oranjepark. The Erfgoedplatform Apeldoorn organised the day together with the Municipality of Apeldoorn, Dutch Railways, ProRail, the Royal Municipal Harmony and Apeldoorn Partners, among others.

A special moment was the arrival of a royal train at the station. Afterwards, the Royal Municipal Harmony performed, as it did 150 years ago. Thus past and present came together. There was also a unique ride on a Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij steam train. The train travelled from Apeldoorn to Stroe and back again.

Visitors can still count on a varied programme for the next 150 days. Throughout the year, numerous activities will be organised that tie in with 150 years of Spoor and Oranjepark. These include city walks, guided cycling tours, lectures, pop-up programmes in the city centre, and a special musical concert in Oranjepark. The anniversary year literally brings the story of rail and park into the city. Spread across locations, routes and neighbourhoods.

Read on UitinApeldoorn.nl more on the full programme.