Baarn Station is now officially the first Buitenpoort of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park. Travelers arriving by train are immediately introduced to the landscape of the Heuvelrug. Large nature photos, deer tracks, and an overview of walking and cycling routes invite visitors to explore the area on foot, by bike, or by public transport.
With the Buitenpoort, Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug aims to encourage sustainable recreation and make nature more accessible without a car. The realization was made possible thanks to a collaboration between NS, Province of Utrecht, ProRail, Municipality of Baarn, Staatsbosbeheer, and Dentsu. The Buitenpoort is part of the MONA project, an international collaboration project within the Interreg North-West Europe program, in which Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug is one of the Dutch partners.
Along various national parks in the Netherlands, several Buitenpoorten have already been developed or are in progress. In Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland, Santpoort Noord station was the official pilot in 2019. After the six-month pilot, the adjustments at the station were removed, and the results were evaluated. The knowledge has been compiled in the Buitenpoorten Manual, which outlines the components of a Buitenpoort and how a station can be developed according to a step-by-step plan. In Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen, various 'Park Gates' are being developed, including Hart van Meijendel in Wassenaar and Ockenburgh in The Hague.
