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Zonnestraal is one of Duiker's architectural marvels, and among the best examples of the New Objectivity style. The estate was submitted to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites, and is on the tentative list. Zonnestraal was built as a tuberculosis sanatorium in the 1920s and 1930s. It consists of one large main building, two smaller pavilions and some additional buildings that were added later. The buildings are made of concrete and glass, in the colours white, black and a specific kind of light-blue called 'Duiker blue'. Start at Brasserie Zonnestraal (Loosdrechtse Bos 15, +31 35 538-5402), buy the walking guide there for €5 and follow the 4,5 km walking trail around the estate. If you want to see the interior of the building, you can only do so by taking the guided tour that is given every last Sunday of the month. You need to register for the tour beforehand by calling the listed phone number or by sending an e-mail. The tour starts at Brasserie Zonnestraal at 12:00 and 14:00, and costs €8, to be paid in cash to the tour guide. The tour takes 90 minutes.
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Although a church, it doesn't remotely look like one from the outside. It's a huge grey block made of glass, designed in 2000 by architects Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, who were also responsible for the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam. Glass was used so the inside and the outside of the building don't feel separated, and the inside retains its intimate atmosphere during religious ceremonies.
The Laapersveld was created in 1919 as a public works project. The sand extracted to create the pond has been used for its hilly terrain. The park is designed by W.M. Dudok and J.H. Meijer. Dudok's influence is most clearly seen in the design of the pumping station, which is in Amsterdam School style. It was used to drain rain and sewer water into the pond and from there to the Oude Haven. The park has a calm ambiance. You can relax, feed the geese or work out.
Between 1831 and 1841, painter Jan van Ravenswaay bought several farmlands west of Hilversum with financial support from friends in Amsterdam. Together with his cousin and hiking partner, the notary Albertus Perk, he created a leafy hiking trail from Hilversum to the forest area in the west. In 1848, the area of the trail was transferred to the municipality of Hilversum. It was one of the first public walking trails outside a town's built-up area. In the late 19th century, the Boombergwijk was constructed, and since then the trail is inside the town's built-up area. The Boombergwijk is among the wealthiest neighbourhoods of town with beautiful free-standing villas. Since 2006, the Boombergwijk, together with Trompenberg, has been declared a protected cityscape by the Ministry of Housing and the Environment. The park starts at the Rosarium, a rose garden with a monument dedicated to the victims of World War II, designed by V.P.S. Esser. The Boombergpark is best visited as a part of the Peerlkamproute hiking trail.
Now home to Museum Hilversum and the tourist office, the building used to function as Hilversum's town hall in the period 1881-1931. It's a typical 19th-century building in neo-renaissance style. The museum's permanent collection is about the history of Hilversum after 1850. They also have temporary exhibitions, usually about photography, modern architecture or the cultural history of the Gooi area.
The medieval tower of this church is the oldest remaining structure in Hilversum, as it originates from 1481. The base of the church was built in 1891 in neo-renaissance style. It has been a victim of fires a number of times. The last fire was in 1971, after which the church was completely restored. It can only be entered during religious ceremonies.
Completed in 1892, this Roman Catholic church devoted to Saint Vitus is one of the last works of P.J.H. Cuypers. It's one of the few buildings not touched by the modern architecture wave of the 1920s and kept its neogothic style. With a height of 98 metres, it is the tallest neogothic tower in the Netherlands. The previous church on this location, also called Sint-Vituskerk, did not have enough space for important ceremonies. The new church has a maximum capacity of 1800 people. Its acoustic quality has been praised and it was often used as a studio for television shows.