Impressive past, warm welcome today
Welcome to the café-restaurant Schoonoord website. This is one the prominent places in Oosterbeek and a book could easily be written about it. But that is not why your here for. For you this can be a place to rest a while, to enjoy a drink, a snack or a delicious meal. We would though like to tell you a little of its history. Because so much has happened here and this establishment remains deep in the memories of so many people.
Schoonoord opened its doors as a hotel first in 1882. Oosterbeek was a very popular place thanks to its surroundings. But also due to its central location it was a favorite destination for the well to do. They sometimes stayed here for the entire summer. An example of one of these people is Jacob van Lennep, a famous Dutch writer who even was buried in the old cemetery near the Fangmanweg.
From friendly hotel to emergency field hospital
The war changed everything. Also for Schoonoord. During the battle for Arnhem - September 1944 - the building was taken over by the 1st English Airborne Division and used as an emergency field hospital. More than 500 wounded were admitted and treated to the best available medical care. In the same rooms that had previously served as a friendly holiday retreats the fight to save lives took place. As a result of the fierce fighting that took place the building sustained substantional damage. Schoonoord was however not demolished. After 1945 it was repaired and rebuild, but the glory that Schoonoord had known was never to be returned. But its impressive past remains even today.
Airborne Pub no. 1
Today, sixty vife years after the war, Schoonoord is known by the English veterans as Airborne Pub no. 1. This is the place where they meet each other every year, where stories are told and retold and memories are revisited. It is the ideal location for visiting the Airborne cemetery where there comrades lie. Airborne museum Hartenstein is but a walk away. For Schoonoord the yearly visit of the veterans and there families is an event we look forward to. They are received with great respect.
Warm welcome
A warm welcome awaits all our guests. That is what we strive to achieve each and every day. For a cup of coffee and a cake, a real English tea, a beer or something stronger, but also for a tasty lunch or a full diner. You can make a reservation and also á la carte dining is possible.
We hope to meet you in the nearby future.
Monique en John van der Heijden
