The most beautifully illuminated palace in the Netherlands
From 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, feast your eyes on a festival of lights and decorations. The monumental tree in the stable yard will be illuminated and the avenue from the stables to the palace is lined with Christmas trees. The palace and the forecourt will also be beautifully lit, and the National Christmas Tree will stand in all its glory in front of the palace!
Come to Het Loo Winter Palace. Bring your family and friends, and discover the magic of light. Indoors and out. There’s plenty for everyone to enjoy.
Evening opening
On Saturdays and Sundays during the Christmas holidays (excluding public holidays), the Winter Palace is open until 7.00 pm.
Evening opening dates: Saturday 19 December and Sunday 20 December, Sunday 27 December, Saturday 2 January and Sunday 3 January.
Experience the palace after dark in a warm and atmospheric evening setting.
Paleis Het Loo during the holidays
The palace is decorated with greenery, as was customary in the days of our royal residents. The 17th-century rooms (the apartments of Willem and Mary) are decorated mainly with evergreens and flowering plants, as there were no Christmas trees at that time. There are also mistletoe wreaths, symbolising friendship, love and eternal life. Later, Christmas decorations became more opulent.
The silver has been polished and the china is gleaming. The tables are set with royal dinner services and unique table decorations that the Dutch royals used at dinners, lunches and balls. There are also some rare pieces on loan from the Royal Collections, including – for the first time at Paleis Het Loo – a table decoration featuring Prince Maurits on horseback, and the impressive centrepiece that King Willem III and Queen Emma received as a wedding gift from the city of Amsterdam.
Royal Collections
The table settings at the Winter Palace have been created in close collaboration with The Royal Collections of the Netherlands in The Hague.
It was not until the 19th century that Christmas trees were first seen in the palace. They therefore feature on the Wilhelmina palace tour. The earliest decorations consisted of candles, dough wreaths, ribbons and red apples or mandarins.
