gemeente (municipality), east-central Netherlands. It lies east of the sandy and wooded Veluwe Hills, on the edge of the Soeren (Suren) Forest. Noted traditionally for its many gardens, paper mills, and laundries, Apeldoorn is a residential and industrial town that manufactures pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and refrigeration machinery. There are many sanitariums in the district, and the Hoge Veluwe National Park is 8 miles (13 km) southwest. On the town's northern outskirts is Het Loo, a royal palace built for William III in 1686 around a smaller castle. Apeldoorn is a junction for roads and railways and is connected by canal to Zwolle. Pop. (2007 est.) 155,564.