Theehuis Heidestein

Tucked away in the woods near Zeist is the Heidestein estate. The environment has a fairy-tale feel to it, due to the combination of ponds, forest, heathland, walking tunnels and the characteristic teahouse. Here the story is told of the De Wetstein Pfister family, who built the chalet-style teahouse in 1912. The house, originally consisting of a garden house, water tank and icehouse, stands high above the pond of the historic Heidestein estate. Initially it towered over everything, but now it is more hidden among the trees. Yet the view you have of the surrounding area is phenomenal.

The Heidestein estate has been owned by Utrechts Landschap since 1974. Together with the Bornia and Noordhout estates, it forms a large nature reserve between Zeist and Driebergen-Rijsenburg on the Utrecht Hill Ridge. Most impressive here are the vast heathlands. A flock of Drenthe sheep graze the heathland there. The Heidestein Estate is a very suitable nature reserve for hikers. For example, you can walk the marked 4.5-kilometer hiking trail. This leads past the most beautiful places in the area. Prefer to go out with an expert? There are regular walking excursions on the theme of the cultural history of the area.

The Heidestein Tea House is of cultural-historical value, partly because of its unique architecture. During the restoration, authentic elements were preserved, such as the wooden rod windows and the spiral staircase to the ice cellar. The former water tank, where you enter the vacation home, now serves as a kitchen, a bathroom and toilet. A staircase takes you upstairs to the former garden house. The living room is now here, with an adjacent roof terrace. From the terrace there is a great view of the adjacent pond. A spiral staircase leads to the former ice cellar, where there is now a quadruple bedroom with 1 double bed and 2 single beds. From the bedroom there is a nice view through the tunnel to the pond. Due to the presence of the steep spiral staircase, this vacation home is therefore less suitable for people who are less mobile and very young children. Outside is a shed for storing and charging (electric) bicycles.

Is Theehuis Heidestein occupied or do you want to explore the Utrechtse Heuvelrug from a different place? Then look at the Moersbergen vacation home and the 't Veld vacation home which are both also situated in the province of Utrecht.