Elite sports

Olympic Training Centre Papendal is the largest elite sports training centre in the Netherlands. Today, about 400 elite athletes use our top facilities on a daily basis. Papendal has been used as a training location for elite sports since the seventies. Princess Beatrix opened the Olympic Training Centre officially in 1971. In the years that followed, Papendal has changed tremendously. The past ten years have particularly been a period of rapid development for the Olympic Training Centre. Discover our property via the interactive map or take a look at the overview of our sports accommodations.

Papendal is a TeamNL Centre. The largest of four in the Netherlands. At a TeamNL Centre, the best talents and elite athletes train in full-time training programmes. Under the direction of the sports federation. This means training, living and studying at one location. With limited travel time. Required support and facilities are all within reach for the elite athletes. From weight training to life skill coaching and from housing to nutritional support.

We have an innovative Elite sports restaurant @Papendal. Where we critically look at recipes. And reformulate them into healthy meals and snacks. So that fats, proteins and carbohydrates are always in balance. Various innovations have emerged from this, such as sports quark and sports bars. Nutrition and science join together. However, there is always one key motto: “Food must be tasty”.

Standing still is moving backwards. If you want to belong to the best, you have to continue to develop. This means improving, challenging, growing and innovating. In all areas. Papendal is a Sports Innovator Centre. A high-quality meeting place where researchers, entrepreneurs, governments and sports organisations cooperate on the development of profitable innovations. Read more about what we do in the area of innovation.