Castle De Haar / De Haar- one of the oldest and at the same time the most modern castles in the kingdom in neo-gothic style. It is located near the city of Utrecht, near the village of Haarzuilens. The first mention of the De Haar castle dates back to the 14th century, but during its existence it was conquered, destroyed, rebuilt many times. In 1482, almost ruins remained of the castle.
At the end of the 19th century lock succeeded Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nievelt van de Haar. In connection with his advantageous marriage to Baroness Helena Betty Louise Caroline de Rothschild(to a socialite, writer, from the family of famous bankers Rothschild) he had the opportunity to restore the family nest, turning to the famous architect P. Kneipers for help.
One of the legends says that the restoration of the castle was a wedding gift Helena to her husband. The restoration of the castle and its renovation lasted for several years - from 1892 to 1912. The village of Haarzuilens, which existed near the walls of the castle for hundreds of years, was decided to move a few hundred meters further.
Today, De Haar Castle looks like a real castle - towers, turrets, suspension bridges, moats around the perimeter. Architect P.Knipers He was engaged not only in the architecture of the castle, but also in the restoration of interiors in the spirit of the Middle Ages. The interior design exudes luxury and splendor of the baronial family: architect P. Knipers designed all kinds of furniture and decorations for the castle. Helena herself did not stand aside from the creation of interiors, actively furnishing the premises with furniture of different styles, produced by the English company Maple&Co. In the castle There are also innovations: lift, hot/cold running water and central heating. The castle was used mainly as a place for receiving guests and summer residence.
The family today still enjoys all this luxury for only one month a year. Every September they come, stay at the castle and invite guests to join them in this luxurious atmosphere. The castle's 200 rooms display many works of art, a collection of masterpieces that Baron Etienne and Baroness Helene brought home from all over the world on their travels.
Part of the overall ensemble is luxury park. The baron did not want to wait for the trees to grow to the right size, so they were brought here as adults from all over the province (about 7 thousand trees), the age of the trees was at least 40 years old to give the impression of an old park. The park and gardens cover more than 135 acres of land: Rose Garden, Romanesque Garden, ponds and canals, many bridges, alleys and walking paths.
The park consists of 3 parts:
1. Baroque gardens in combination with other garden styles.
2. North Park (Nordepark), which is a combination of baroque and English landscape park. The Grand Canal is surrounded by winding lanes.
3. South Park (Zuidpark) - a real English landscape park. De Haar Castle Park is often referred to as Little Versailles.
As in any castle, there was a ghost - wandering in the castle the ghost of the knight Conrad, one of its former owners, drowned in the moat of his own castle.
Helene Betty Louise Caroline de Rothschild- the only child, the daughter of Salomon James de Rothschild, was disinherited because she married a Catholic. Etienne and Helena had two sons: Helin van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1888-1912) and Egmont van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1890-1960). Etienne was fond of motor racing, was one of the first champions and chairman of the Automobile Club de France. The Baron organized several car rallies, and his wife Helena became the first woman to get a driver's license and even participated under the pseudonym "Snail" in the Paris-Amsterdam-Paris rally in 1898. The Baron and his sons became addicted to motorism. Son Helin died in a car accident near Antwerp, at the age of 24. Parents were inconsolable, this tragic event is dedicated to the rose garden and the white marble column at the intersection of paths.
After the death of Baron Etienne (1934) the castle was inherited by the second son Egmont, who was a diplomat, traveled a lot, married in Egypt to Margaret Nametal. They were born three children: Marie-Helene van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1927-1996), Baroness Sybil van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1929-1939) and Thierry van Zuylen van Nievelt van de Haar(Baron, 1932-2011), who was the keeper of the castle until January 2011, Baron Thierry invested heavily in the restoration and maintenance of the castle. In 2007, Thierry invested all the proceeds from the sale of the car collection to the National Museum in the restoration of the gardens and the park. He died at the age of 78 and was buried in the castle church, in the last days the whole village of Harzeyulens accompanied him.
Under Thierry Famous people visited the castle: one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century. Maria Callas; film actor, screenwriter, producer, performer of the role of James Bond Roger Moore; British actor, two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine; American actor, one of the most sought-after Hollywood stars of the 1940s-1960s Gregory Pack; French singer, film actress, fashion model and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot; Dutch footballer Marco van Basten.
De Haar Castle was completely closed to tourists for a long time, and only after the Second World War, at first the park. Then the castle was opened to the public, and in 2000 it was completely transferred to a specially created fund. The family reserved the right to spend 1 month a year in the castle, therefore, in September it is closed to the public. There is a restaurant in the former stables at the castle.
The address:
Kasteel de Haar Utrecht
Kasteellaan 1
3455 RR Haarzuilens
Opening hours: daily 10.00-17.00
De Haar Castle can only be reached with a guide!
Photography inside the castle is FORBIDDEN!
Entry tickets: children under 3 years old free of charge, from 4 to 12 - 9 EUR, adults 12.50 EUR.
The ticket includes admission to the castle and the park.
Directions: by train from Amsterdam CS to Utrecht Centraal Station, then bus 127 towards Breukelen/Kockengen.
(departs once an hour, on Sundays every two hours).
Get off at Haarzuilens at the stop "Kasteel" or "Brink". Then about 15 minutes on foot.
Materials used
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9l%C3%A8ne_van_Zuylen
http://www.jewage.org/wiki/ru
http://www.kasteeldehaar.nl/english-summary/
Castle De Haar clearly illustrates the story of a happy and profitable marriage. The ruins, inherited by Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nijevelt van de Haar, turned into a beautiful castle thanks to his wife, Baroness Hélène de Rothschild (Hélène Betty Louise Caroline de Rothschild (born 1863) - daughter of Salomon James de Rothschild and Adèle Hannah Charlotte Rothschild). The profitability of marriage is easily explained by the name of the bride, according to legend, investments in the restoration of the castle were her wedding gift to her husband. They say that no historical monument in Europe has seen such a volume of restoration work.
The history of the castle goes back to the ancient Middle Ages, when a fortified residence was built on a tributary of the Rhine River (the first mention of the castle was recorded in 1391). At that time, the castle belonged to the Van de Haar family, hence its name, which has survived to this day. The founder of the castle served with the Bishop of Utrecht and could afford a solid fortified dwelling. At the beginning of the 15th century, Josyna van de Haar marries Dirk van Zuylen, thus de Haar becomes the property of the Van Zuylen family, who own it to this day. In 1482 the castle was destroyed during a quarrel between the bishop and the city of Utrecht. Later it was restored and expanded - the castle got a fifth corner (the former quadrangular fortified residence turns into a pentagonal castle).
However, the misadventures of the de Haar castle do not end there. It is destroyed for the second time, during the French occupation (1672-1673). After that, the castle stands completely abandoned and forgotten, falling into ever greater decline. It is interesting that the descendants of Josyna van de Haar and Dirk van Zuylen did not remain by the 17th century, and the castle, or rather the ruins of the castle, was inherited by the Van Stembor family. However, the van Zuylen name returned to the castle when one of Van Stembor's daughters married van Zuylen van Nijevel. The pentagonal base of the castle from the 15th century and the ruins of the walls formed the basis of the restored castle that can be seen today, you can still notice the difference in the bricks if you look closely at the walls of the castle.
Now severe eagles guard the castle
And in the stained glass window above the entrance, too, eagles
The castle lived in desolation for a little more than two centuries. Only in 1890, after the death of his father, Baron Etienne took up the restoration of the family castle. From childhood he was interested in family history and dreamed of reviving the former glory of the family estate. By marrying Helena, the baron found not only a wife, but also the financial opportunity to make his dream come true. The baron wanted the castle to look exactly like in the 15th century, but at the same time be comfortable for life. For the restoration of the castle, which went from 1892 to 1912, they hired the architect Pierre Cuypers, already well-known at that time (in Russian, he is called by his first name - Peter Cuypers), who by that time had Rijksmuesum and the central railway station in Amsterdam in his service record .
This is how the castle went to Kuipers
1893, banquet in honor of the beginning of the restoration, in the ruins of the castle
And this is what the castle looks like now
Here you can clearly see different brickwork.
If the bricks of the 15th century lie at the base of the castle, then the park and gardens near the castle are a completely new building. When the castle began to be restored, the village of Haarzuilens nestled tightly against it, where 150 people still lived. Without hesitation, the owners decide to demolish the village and relocate the people to a newly built village 1.5 km away. from the castle. This new Haarzuilens still exists, and to this day all the shutters on the windows are painted white and red, the family colors of the Van Zuylen family (the village is still part of the Van Zuylen family property).
The vacated territories are being turned into a park. All that remains of the old village is a small church, which is located very close to the castle, it contains family burials. An interesting fact is that the baron did not want to wait until his new park matured - mature trees were planted there, which were transported from other parts of Holland under cover of night (it is believed that then about 7 thousand trees were planted in the park, at least 40 years old ). Now the park looks like it is 200 years old.
Pierre Cuypers not only led the architectural restoration, but also took a great part in the restoration of interiors, he wanted to restore medieval traditions in the manufacture of interior decoration. At the same time, he was not afraid to mix modern materials and his own ideas with a medieval basis. For example, the castle was equipped with an elevator, plumbing with hot and cold water, and central heating. Moreover, Kuipers sold so much that he even designed a dinner service and cutlery specifically for the de Haar castle. Inside the castle, you can see the halls decorated by Kuipers, but the hostess, for the most part, took over the bedrooms, since the style of Kuipers seemed to her too gothic and gloomy. To help herself, Helena took the English company Maple & Co, which supplied ready-made bedroom sets in the style of neo-Louis XIV, neo-Renaissance, etc. The architect shuddered at the choice of the baroness and called this furniture “serial kitsch” (and now, by the way, everything looks quite decent :))
Family coats of arms at the crossings
Étienne and Helena had two sons: Hélin (1888-1912) and Egmont (1890-1960). Etienne was fond of motor racing and was even one of the first champions and chairman of the Automobile Club de France. The baron was the organizer of several rallies, and Helena became the first woman to receive a driver's license, according to a brochure issued by the castle. Baron and his sons addicted to motoring. Unfortunately, Hélin died in a car accident near Antwerp, he was 24 years old. The father was very sorry that he encouraged the passion for cars, and the mother was in despair. It is this tragic event that the rose garden and the white marble column standing at the intersection of the paths are dedicated to.
Angel from the rose garden.
Some juicy details about Helena's life are discovered in 1902, when the baroness meets the poetess Vivien (she was an Englishwoman, but wrote poetry in French), and despite having a husband and children, she falls in love with the poetess. They often traveled together and quietly loved each other away from prying eyes. In letters to her confidant, Vivien refers to the Baroness as his wife. They say that the poetess even published some of her poems under the name of Helena. The novel lasted almost 5 years, in 1907 Helena left for another woman.
Another curious detail is discovered earlier, in 1887, when Helena got married. Baron Etienne was a Catholic, and Helen was a Jew. They lived in two religions (even the beams in the knight's hall are decorated with family coats of arms and stars of David), this suited them, but did not suit Helena's mother, Adèle Hannah Charlotte Rothschild. Dying, she disinherited her only daughter and transferred her former residence, the luxurious Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild (11 rue Berryer, 8th arrondissement, Paris, France), to the possession of the city of Paris.
After the death of Baron Etienne, the castle passed to his second son Egmont, who worked as a diplomat, traveled a lot and even got married exotically - in Egypt, to the beautiful Marguerite Nametalla (unfortunately, I can’t find her photo), they had three children, including Thierry (Thierry Frédéric Etienne Helin Baron), who was the custodian of the castle until January of this year. When we were in the castle, we saw a lot of fresh wreaths - Thierry Frédéric Etienne Helin Baron van Zuylen van Nijevelt died in January of this year at the age of 78 and was buried in the castle church. The whole village gathered to see him on his last journey.
Under Thierry, famous people visited the castle: Maria Callas, Roger Moore, Michael Caine, Gregory Peck, Brigitte Bardot. After the Second World War, the castle was opened to the public, and in 2000 it was completely transferred to a specially created fund. The family reserved the right to spend 1 month a year in the castle, therefore, in September it is closed to the public. An interesting fact is that Baron Thierry made a considerable investment in the restoration of the castle even after its transfer to the foundation. In 2007, he invested all the proceeds from the sale of the collection of cars to the National Museum in the restoration of the park and gardens.
In the castle you can meet not only tourists, but also a happy baby who celebrates a birthday like a knight
Everything is real, with crowns and correct posture :)
Little princesses
In addition to little knights and princesses, you can meet deer in the castle, which are kept in the estate.
De Haar Castle in Utrecht is deservedly considered one of the most popular and visited places in the Netherlands. It is also the largest building of its kind in the country. The castle has an ancient history and attracts tourists with its original architecture and beautiful parkland. In addition, it hosts annual jousting tournaments, fairs and other events that acquaint people with the traditions of medieval culture.
History of De Haar Castle
The first mention of a huge medieval castle located in the middle of the lake dates back to 1391. It is known that representatives of the de Haar family were its owners for 50 years. All this time, the area around the castle was constantly expanding. In 1449, the property passed to the van Zuylen family, in whose possession De Haar was for many centuries in a row.
During the entire period of its existence, the castle was repeatedly subjected to serious destruction. It suffered especially hard during the "Hook and Cod War" in 1482, as well as after a powerful tornado that swept over the country in 1674. As a result, by the end of the 19th century, the castle was almost complete ruins.
In 1890, De Haar Castle became the property of Baron Etienne van Zeulen van Neuevelt van De Haar. He entered into a successful marriage with the heiress of the Rothschilds and became the owner of an impressive capital. The baron decided to invest most of the funds in the reconstruction of the ancient castle. To do this, he invited the famous Dutch architect Peter Kuipers and his son, Joseph Kuipers. It was these people who largely determined what De Haar Castle looks like today. Large-scale repair work continued for 20 years. As a result, they not only restored the original appearance of the castle, but also made it comfortable for living. Thanks to this, the owners of the renovated fortress were able to come here for some time every year.
Today, the castle no longer belongs to the van Zeulens. In 2000, the entire architectural ensemble, as well as the park and nearby land of 55 hectares, became the property of the Association for the Protection of Natural Monuments. The building itself contains many valuable works of art, which the van Zeulen heirs donated to the Chateau de Haar Foundation.
Panorama inside de Haar castle
Architecture and interiors
Despite the fact that De Haar Castle was often rebuilt, today it is a complete architectural ensemble. The construction inherited all the most important features of a medieval fortress, made in neo-Gothic style. It is perfectly complemented by a huge park, which is located right next to the castle walls. It is made in the traditional English style and impresses with a variety of flora. The park includes a flower garden, a number of artificial reservoirs, rare varieties of shrubs and trees.
De Haar Castle became famous primarily for its luxurious interiors. The interior decoration of each room impresses with its grandeur and richness of decoration. When creating the interior, mainly neo-Gothic style techniques were used. They are displayed in carved architectural elements, stained-glass windows, sculptures, decoration of window openings.
In the rooms you can see many luxury items: ancient sculptures, Japanese and Chinese antique ceramics, paintings, tapestries of the 16th century. Every, even the smallest detail, which is inside the castle, is a real work of art. In addition, the decoration of the rooms keeps a lot of evidence of those to whom it belonged: the family mottos of the Rothschilds, the van de Haar and van de Zeulen families.
Schedule
- The entrance to the castle is open from Monday to Sunday, from 11:00 to 17:00. You can get inside no later than 16:15.
- Ticket office hours: from 09:00 to 16:30.
- It is allowed to stay in the park from 09:00 to 17:00.
Weekends and holidays:
- April 2, April 27, November 18, December 31 - the castle is closed to visitors
- April 13 and 14, May 24, 25 and 26, June 19, from November 19 to 24 - opening hours and entrance fees change
- On October 9, the castle closes at 14:00. Entrance is open until 13:15.
You can always find up-to-date information about the work schedule of De Haar Castle on the official website.
Ticket prices in 2019
Cost of visiting De Haar Castle:
- Adults - 17 €.
- Children from 4 to 12 years old - 11 €.
- Children under 4 years old - free of charge.
Prices for group tours start at 13.50 € for adults and 8.5 € for children.
The cost of visiting the park:
- Adults - 6 €.
- Children 4 - 12 years old - 4 €.
- Children under 4 years old - free of charge.
Parking cost — 6 €
How to get to De Haar Castle in the Netherlands
De Haar Castle is located near the village of Harzeilens, in the town of Utrecht. It is approximately 34 kilometers from the Dutch capital. Therefore, for everyone who decides to visit Amsterdam, it will not be difficult to get to this attraction. There are two main travel options:
- From Amsterdam Station, take the Intercity train to Utrecht and get off at Utrecht Centraal station. Change to the Sprinter train and get off at the stop called Vleuten. At the station of the same name, you need to take bus number 127 and get off at the station Haarzuilens, Eikslaan. Castle De Haar will be located 955 meters from the indicated stop.
- Take the Intercity train to Utrecht. At the station Utrecht, CS Jaarbeurszijde, change to bus number 9 and get off at the stop Haarzuilens, Kasteel De Haar.
In addition to the methods listed above, a taxi can take tourists to the castle-De Haar directly from Amsterdam. The cost of such a trip will cost about 80-100 euros. You can order a taxi using the mobile applications Uber, TCA Taxi, My Taxi Centrale and others. In addition, there is always the possibility to rent a car.
De Haar Castle on Google Panoramas
Public transport scheme from Amsterdam to De Haar Castle
Video: De Haar Castle from above
Castle De Haar looks like a fabulous medieval building with towers, a drawbridge and battlements. Behind these impressive high walls lies a world of luxury that the Van Seilen family has lived in since the early 20th century.
The castle is located in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. It is one of the oldest and at the same time the most modern castles in the kingdom.
The current complex was built on the site of the original fortress over a period of 20 years (from 1892 to 1912), in neo-Gothic style, under the direction of the Dutch architect Pieter Cuypers and financed by Baron Rothschild. And the first mention of the castle dates back to the 14th century.
In 1391, the De Haar family received the castle and surrounding lands as a fiefdom from Hendrik van Werden. The castle remained in the ownership of the De Haar family until 1440. The heir died childless. The castle then passed to the Van Seilen family. In 1482, the castle was burned down and the walls were demolished, except for the parts that had a defensive function. It was rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century. However, after 1641, when the next heir, Johan van Seilen van de Haar, died childless, the castle gradually began to turn into ruins. The construction did not escape complete destruction by the French during the "Year of Disasters" in 1672. The castle lived in desolation for a little more than two centuries.
In 1890, the castle was inherited by Jean-Jacques (grandson of Étienne Gustave Frederic Baron van Zeylen van Neuvelt van de Haar), who married Baroness Helene de Rothschild.
The castle can only be visited with a guide and only in Dutch. If necessary, you can get an audio guide in English. Taking pictures and videos inside is prohibited.
There are also guided tours for children, during which every child can feel like a knight or princess.
And in the park after a preliminary reservation, you can hold a wedding ceremony. We hit one. Of course, they didn’t let us get close, but from the outside everything looked very beautiful.
Castles and palaces of the Netherlands: Neo-Gothic castle De Haar
Castle De Haar is akin to a Phoenix bird. He is just as beautiful and has risen from the ashes a huge number of times. Today, you will not find a more luxurious and picturesque castle not only in Utrecht, where it is located, but throughout Holland.
All that can be seen in the castle today is the creation of the famous architect Peter Kuipers, who restored the lion's share of architectural monuments in Holland. In 1892, the Rothschild family invested a fabulous sum in the reconstruction of the castle, and the ruins turned into an example of the neo-Gothic style. The history of the castle is dramatic. In 1391, the stone fortress became the patrimony of the De Haar family. But the castle belonged to this noble family for a short time.
The first written mention of the castle in documents was dated in 1391. The place was a fortified tower on the territory surrounded by a moat with water. At this time, according to documents, the territory with the buildings was in feudal possession of Hendrik van Vianen (Hendrik van Vianen). The tower was located near the now disappeared tributary of the Rhine River. Over the years, the castle was built to increase the territory occupied by the fortification. The castle at that time belonged to the De Haar family for about 50 years. The last owner had no children and no heir.
1646
After the marriage of Josina van de Haar to Dirk van Zuylen van Harmelen, the castle and grounds came into the possession of the Van Zuylen family in 1449, and this family has owned the castle to this day. . During its early history, the castle was subjected to numerous attacks and destruction. In 1482, the building was seriously damaged during the Hook and Cod War. Heaviest damage was also done to the castle and grounds during a tornado in 1674, which also damaged the main cathedral in Utrecht.
The rights to the castle and the surrounding land went to the Catholic branch of the Van Zuylen van Nievelt family, which was located in South Holland and Bruges. The last Dutch owner of the castle, Anton-Martinus van Zuylen van Nijevelt (1708-1801), was single.
Due to the absence of an heir, he transferred the ownership of the Castle de Haar to the mayor of Bruges and member of parliament in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, Jean-Jacques van Zeulen van Neuevelt (1752-1846). He and his heirs remained the owners of the castle, which was not inhabited and fell into decay. By the end of the 19th century, the castle was only ruins.
In 1890, Baron Étienne Van Zeulen Van Neuevelt Van De Haar (1860–1934) inherited the ruins of the castle from his father, Gustav Van Zeulen. On August 16, 1887, in Paris, Etienne Van Zuylen married Baroness Helene de Rothschild (1863-1947), heiress of the French branch of the Rothschilds.
Thanks to this event, Baron Etienne Van Zuylen received a huge fortune and was able to invest in the grandiose restoration and rebuilding of the castle de Haar. For the reconstruction of the castle, the famous architect Pierre Cuypers was invited, who took up the project in collaboration with his son. The work took 20 years (from 1892 to 1912)
Despite the fact that the baron and baroness did not plan to permanently reside in the castle, impressive tasks were set for the architect. The castle must be equipped with all the amenities available in Europe in the 19th century. What was needed was a majestic appearance, comfort for staying in the castle and opportunities for visiting and entertaining guests in September.
It was designed and installed electric lighting with its own generator, central steam heating. The castle kitchen was also very modern for that time and still has a large collection of copper utensils and utensils and is equipped with a huge Drouet charcoal stove. The kitchen is decorated with tiles featuring the coats of arms of the Van de Haar and Van Zuylen families, specially made by the Van Hulst factory in Harlingen.
The tradition of the owners to visit the castle in September continues today with the children and grandchildren of the family. The last owner, Thierry van Zeulen van Neuevelt van de Haar (1932-2011), lived in the castle every September with his family, guests and staff. At this time, the castle, traditionally, was closed to the public.
Castle de Haar no longer belongs to the Van Zeulen family. The castle itself and the territory with a park and reservoirs (55 hectares), plus the surrounding territory and the village of Haarzuilens (Haarzuilens) (350 hectares) since 2000 became the property of the Association for the Protection of Natural Monuments in the Netherlands. The Van Zuylen family still owns a chalet in the castle complex
.
The Van Zeulen family also remained for some time the owners of the furniture in the castle and an extensive collection of works of art. The value of the collection is estimated to exceed 10 million Euros. But after the death of Thierry Van Zeulen in 2011, his daughters felt that the best solution would be to create the Castle de Haar Foundation and transfer the entire collection to the ownership of this foundation.
This event took place on November 7, 2012 with the support of BankGiro Loterij, Rembrandt Association, VSB Foundation, Prince Bernard Cultural Foundation, K.F. Heinfonds, the Mondrian Foundation, the National Art Foundation, the SNS REAAL Foundation and with the participation of the province and city of Utrecht. The transfer of works of art to the foundation was intended to keep the entire collection in its entirety in one place - in the de Haar castle.
The castle retains the appearance of a medieval monument, but in fact it is a mansion, equipped with modern developments. Kuipers conducted electricity, steam heating. The castle has its own generator, designed by the architect, which both illuminates and heats the gigantic room. The castle has elevators. The architect made all industrial innovations invisible. For example, huge six-meter stoves, which are heated with peat and coal, have been preserved in the kitchen.
The interior of the castle is stunning in size and luxury finishes. The main part of the premises is made in the Neo-Gothic style. Key details such as limestone sculptures, oak carvings, stained glass and enamel, wrought iron elements are made in the workshops in Roermond and by craftsmen who worked with the architect Kuipers.
In the interior of the central hall there are Gothic window openings, rosettes, carved architectural elements that are designed to resemble the interior of Catholic churches. In addition to the castle itself, gates, bridges and outbuildings, the architect Kuypers designed a dining table and sets of chairs, benches, crockery and cutlery. All together forms a unique ensemble.
In the castle, you can see details indicating the Jewish origin of the Rothschild family. These are the stars of David on the beams in the knight's hall and the family coat of arms, a hand with five arrows above the door between the large hall and the library.
Signs of the Van de Haar and Van Zuylen families contain much more details. They are present in almost the entire castle in the decor, on weapons.
You can also see the family mottos: "A majoribus et virtute" en "Non Titubans". The rooms of the castle are richly decorated with various masterpieces, antique Chinese and Japanese ceramics, tapestries of the 16th and 17th centuries, various paintings and panels with religious themes, etc.
Crockery is all old copper. The tiles on the walls are decorated with the coats of arms of the ancient family of De Haar and van Zoulen. Kuipers, using multi-colored bricks, smoothed out the border between the old and new walls, especially so that the remake would not be conspicuous. The interior of the castle is richly decorated with carvings in the Roman Catholic style. Kuipers even designed the ware for the castle himself. The Rothschilds moved many of their collections to De Haar, including antique porcelain from Japan and China, tapestries from Flemish and religious paintings.
An interesting detail is that Peter Kuipers captured his image in one of the statues on the first floor of the castle.
Chateau de Haar surrounds the park. It was specially designed by Henrik Kopijn in collaboration with the architect Peter Kuipers. About 7,000 mature trees and plants were purchased, delivered and planted for the park. The zoning of the park was carried out in the classic English style with ponds, groups of trees, romantic paths and bridges. Unlike the park, the flower garden was designed in the French style.
During the Second World War, the rose garden and the park did not receive proper care. During this period, vegetables were grown on its territory, and many trees were used as firewood for heating. In the post-war period, the gardens and the park were restored to their original form. The park was decorated with romantic pavilions, and the village was built in a pseudo-medieval style.
Every year, a fairy-tale illustration comes to life in the vicinity of the castle. Swords clash on the lists, spears break, sophisticated ladies listen to medieval poets, brisk merchants strive to sell their goods at a motley fair, vaudeville is played in booths. De Haar Castle hosts the largest open-air fantasy show in Europe - Elf Fantasy Fair.
Like any ancient castle, De Haar Castle has its own ghost - it is the ghost of the knight Konrad, who was the owner of the castle in the Middle Ages, but as the legend says, he drowned in the moat of his own castle. And since then, he tirelessly wanders the chambers of the castle, instilling fear and horror in its inhabitants.
Location: Kasteellaan 1, 3455 RR Haarzuilens
Open: A visit to the castle is possible only as part of excursions organized in the castle.
Season: from August 31 to November 22 inclusive. From Tuesday to Friday tours start at 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, and 15.00. On Saturdays and Sundays, one more excursion is added at 16.00. Tours are conducted in Dutch. An English-speaking tour is organized at 15.45 on Sundays only. From 17 to 25 October, tours of the castle are organized according to the schedule on Saturdays and Sundays
Closed: Mondays
Tickets: children under 3 years old free of charge, from 3 to 12 years old - 6 euros, adults 9.50 euros. The ticket includes a visit to the castle with an English-speaking guide and the park.
Parking: 3 euros
How to get there:
By car:
From Amsterdam towards Utrecht (A2)
1. Exit from the expressway at Breukelen (exit no. 5).
2. After the rotunda exit, drive straight ahead towards Kockengen.
3. After the next rotunda, drive towards Kockengen.
4. After exiting the N401, turn left at the rotunda after 2 km towards Haarzuilens.
Then follow the signs indicating the way to the castle.
By public transport:
From Amsterdam Centraal take the train to Utrecht Centraal
From Utrecht Centraal, take bus 127 towards Breukelen/Kockengen (leaves once an hour, every two hours on Sundays). Get off at Haarzuilens at the stop "Kasteel" or "Brink". From there it is approximately 15 minutes on foot.
Information sources:
H. Janssen en K. Loeff, De Haar, in: B. Olde Meierink, G. van Baaren en R.G. Bosch van Drakestein et al. (red) (1995), Kastelen en ridderhofsteden in Utrecht, Matrijs, Utrecht,
H. M. J. TROMP & R. A. B. TRUM, Gids voor Kasteel de Haar
Clive ASLET & Heimerick TROMP, Le château du Haar près d "Utrecht, Maisons d" hier et d "aujourd" hui, n° 66, 1985, pp. 3 a 21
Historique des vingt-quatre seigneurs du château du Haar 1165-1890 situé à Haarzuylens, Parijs, imprimerie Diéval, 1931
