Sonsbeek Park - Arnhem

In the 18th century, Sonsbeek consisted of three separate areas: de Wildbaan, de Hartgersberg (Hartjesberg) and Sonsbeek. The latter name is said to be a corruption of the St. Jansbeek which runs through the area. On the Hartgersberg, the town carpenter Anthony Viervant built a house in 1742 that now forms the core of the current house. Later, the construction of a cupola room and the side wings followed. Theodorus Baron de Smeth merges the above three areas. Already initiated terrain changes to landscape style are further implemented and a grand park is created, with height differences, old groups of trees, open meadows, views, water features and water mills. To prevent further encroachment by property developers, the municipality of Arnhem acquired Sonsbeek in 1899.

Molenplaats Sonsbeek Visitor Centre is located on the edge of Sonsbeek Park: the place for information and inspiration about green and experiencing green in Arnhem.
At Molenplaats Sonsbeek, visitors can learn and discover all about green in the city and its importance. The visitor centre is the ideal starting point for an introduction to the beautiful parks and other nature areas in Arnhem. In addition to providing information about nature in and around Arnhem, the visitors' centre also organises numerous other activities in the fields of landscape, biodiversity and cultural history, as well as health and climate protection. The visitor centre has been part of Natuurcentrum Arnhem since January 2020. The 18th century windmill barn of the visitor centre houses the restaurant 'A Beautiful Mess', where you can enjoy coffee, tea and an Oriental lunch. In the adjacent historic Witte Watermolen (15th century), you can see how grain is ground into organic flour.