Zeist

Zeist is a city and municipality in Utrecht.

The municipality of Zeist contains four towns aside from Zeist itself, these being Austerlitz, Bosch en Duin, Den Dolder and Huis ter Velde.

Zeist is known to have existed since 838. Zeist has been severely influenced in its development by its castle. Zeist grew steadily over time, and by the nineteenth century, when trains started allowing the rich to travel to the countryside, and build their estates and summer retreats there, Zeist started housing many of these people, and many estates and country retreats were built. Many of these were demolished in the twentieth century in favour of housing development.

Austerlitz is the more noteworthy of the town. It was founded in 1805, when Auguste de Marmont, general under Napoleon Bonaparte, let half of his army, some 18.000 men strong, assemble here, in what they referred to as Kamp d'Utrecht (Encampment at Utrecht). Many traders came from all over the country to trade with the encamped men. The army left at some point, but the traders stayed. During their say, the soldiers constructed the 36m tall Pyramid of Austerlitz. When Napoleon won the Battle of Austerlitz on December second, 1805, his brother, the later king of the Netherlands, Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, decided to name the pyramid after the town where the battle had been fought; Austerlitz (modern day Slavkov u Brna, near Brno, Czech Republic). The town soon adapted this name too. Louis Napoléon wanted to turn Austerlitz into a proper city, but never got around to doing so. Napoléon made the town a part of Zeist in January of 1812.

• Pyramid of Austerlitz, Zeisterweg 98, Woudenberg (Follow the N224 out of town, after about five kilometres, the road to the Pyramid will appear to your left., +31 302 205 534.

Pyramid of Austerlitz, Zeisterweg 98, Woudenberg (Follow the N224 out of town, after about five kilometres, the road to the Pyramid will appear to your left., +31 302 205 534.

• HFSLG, Vossenlaan 28, Bosch en Duin, +31 302 251 051.
• De Egelantier, Dolderseweg 146, Den Dolder, +31 302 280 113. Tue-Fri: From 10:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun: 12:00 - 21:00.

HFSLG, Vossenlaan 28, Bosch en Duin, +31 302 251 051.

De Egelantier, Dolderseweg 146, Den Dolder, +31 302 280 113. Tue-Fri: From 10:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun: 12:00 - 21:00.