Soest, Netherlands
Soest () is a municipality and a town in the central Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. It is about west of Amersfoort. 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 prehistoric burial mounds in the Soesterduinen point to early habitation in this area. Agricultural  activity is still visible as there is much 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. Christengemeente Soest, Wilhelmina Kerk Soest, Gereformeerde Kerk Vrijgemaakt, Emmakerk and the Evangelische Kerk Soest are the main churches. Soest Duinen, 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: The biggest of the three is Soest Zuid. Soest can be reached by train from 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, situated between Utrecht Centraal and 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: 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 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. Soest is twinned with: