The Baarnsche Sanatorium1, also known as Badhotel, was a sanatorium built in 1885 on the Julianalaan in the Prins Hendrikpark in Baarn. The Baarn Sanatorium represented the second hydrotherapeutic institution established in the Netherlands.
In 1887, the initial section of the complex designed by architect H. P. Berlage was completed and prepared for opening. The full construction of the spa was finalized the following year, in 1888.
After 1888, the establishment maintained 68 guest rooms devoted to various forms of hydrotherapeutic treatment under the direction of Dr. Henri Philippe Baudet, a noted specialist in nervous disorders, hence why the institution treated a wide range of neurological and psychosomatic conditions. Dr. Baudet’s approach reflected the broader late-19th-century medical interest in hydrotherapy as a means of restoring balance to the nervous system, aligning with contemporary European spa and sanatorium practices.
After a flourishing start, during which the institution attracted numerous guests seeking treatment, interest gradually declined in the early 20th century. Due to the growing number of long-term boarding guests, the institution’s name was changed after a few years to Badhotel, under which it continued to operate until the Second World War. In the postwar years, the building was renamed Grand Hotel Astoria-Châlet and served as a shelter for war victims and repatriates until 1949.
A tragic fire in 1975 destroyed much of the historic structure. During a major renovation in 1983, the central tower was preserved—although in a simplified form—while the remainder was demolished and replaced by two modern wings containing 36 luxury apartments.
Of particular historical note, Aletta Henriëtte Jacobs (1854–1929), widely regarded as the Netherlands’ most prominent feminist and the first woman to obtain a medical degree in the country, died at the Badhotel on 10 August 1929.
- Photo by Luca Borghi ti.supmacinu|ihgrob.l#| (August 2025) and page layout by Mirella Spinozzi (October 2025)
- Locate the item on this Google Map