De Haar Castle

The current building of the Castle de Haar is located near Haarzuilens in the Netherlands. It was designed and erected in 1892 by architect Pierre J.H. Cuypers as a Neo-Gothic restoration project.

 

De Haar Castle is a beautiful castle with its towers, turrets, moats, gates and suspension bridges, it resembles a true medieval castle. De Haar Castle is the biggest and most luxurious castle of the Netherlands. This castle is located at the little villages Haarzuilens near Utrecht.

Baron Fredrich Van Zuylen Van de Haar married Helene Rothschild in 1892. It was Helene’s family that funded this reconstruction project which began then and was completed 15 years later.

De Haar Castle (Kasteel de Haar) has the look of a true medieval castle with a presence that’s quite unique. The castle itself dates to the 19th century , but was designed and constructed to be identical to the medieval ruins it’s built upon. The castle, was owned by the Van Zuylen and Rothschild families. The architect who designed the castle also designed the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam’s Centraal Station. One of the things that gives the castle its authentic medieval feel is the fact that everything was handmade in the techniques used in medieval times (even the silverware).

Once inside the castle grounds, the first building you enter is the stables where the horses were kept. But the building and its courtyard – which now serves as the café, gift shop, and visitors entrance – is so picturesque that at first you don’t even realize its historical function was for horses, not people!

There is a 135-acre park and gardens surrounding the castle that are well worth a visit in their own right.

 

 

 

 

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