Every time we visit a castle somewhere in Europe we can see it from afar, but this is not the case of castles in the Netherlands. As the Dutch say, the country is 'plat als een pannenkoek' or as flat as a pancake, so the castles are usually hidden behind trees and you only see them when you arrive at the parking area/location. It wasn't any different when we visited the castle Doorwerth. It was nowhere to be seen until we suddenly saw it in its full glory only a few meters in front of us.
Doorwerth is located in the eastern part of the Netherlands called The Gelderland, hidden in the forest not so far from Arnhem. This area is well known as there is a huge open-air museum as well as a zoo. It wasn't our first time in Gelderland, but we didn't know about this castle, so when I heard about it I couldn't wait to explore it.
We came in the afternoon, so we enjoyed the sunset too, but let's explore the castle first before they close it for the day, and I'll show you the sunset later!
We booked the tickets for the entrance at 3 PM and we were running to the castle as we were a little bit late and didn't want to miss the tour. When we arrived it turned out that there was no organized tour, but the tickets are sold for certain time slots to avoid crowds and spread the visitors over the opening hours. When we learned that, we went back outside to take some photos as suddenly there was no hurry anymore 😊
The castle dates back to the 13th century when it was constructed as a simple fortified tower. It evolved over the centuries into a grand castle as we see it today. Of course, it wasn't without its complications and the castle was damaged and reconstructed several times.
The castle is surrounded by a moat which was partly frozen when we visited. Oh yes, it was freezing!
You can enter the castle by a wooden drawbridge which will lead you to the courtyard.
Already from the outside we could see that the castle is a mix of architectural styles, reflecting the various periods of its construction and renovations. The representative chambers date back to the 17th century - it's the part in the back.
The original tower from the 13th century still stands tall and strong. It's impressive to walk through it to the courtyard when you realize how old it is. As we say in Slovakia - if the walls could talk...
I was surprised to see that there are multiple buildings as it looks like one construction from outside of the castle walls. Today, we will visit the main castle (no idea if it's really called like this though). There is also a restaurant in the gatehouse, stables and castle gardens.
The castle plays an important part in the history of the Netherlands. It was owned by several noble families, it survived conflicts and wars, and it's a symbol of the country's medieval heritage. The architecture of the main castle reminds me of other noble houses across the country.
We're already crossed a small bridge connecting the main castle with the courtyard, so let's go inside.
The inner courtyard is rather small in size, but still very impressive. Tall walls are towering high above our heads, and the various levels make it so interesting. The tiny tiles on the facade are my favorite architectural touch of the houses in the Netherlands. They are so cute!
The entrance fee is 14.5 EUR per person and it took us about 1 hour to walk around the castle.
We received a map of the castle with some explanations and were ready to go. We walked in the direction of the tour, but we noticed many families just followed their kids, not bothering with the right sequence of the rooms.
We started in the kitchen located on the ground floor. There was a tiny window bringing just enough light in the room, and we guessed that it was a dessert time as there were many desserts ready on the table 😊
This is like a reminder to go to the restaurant for a cake after the tour...
Next to the kitchen was a small storage room, and I wonder why they needed that small window next to the door...
The heart of the castle is The Great Hall. It's the largest hall in the castle where the inhabitants would gather for feasts, celebrations, and important gatherings. I have noticed that it's probably the only room in the castle with decent daylight. Other rooms were dark and somehow gloomy.
The fireplace is adorned with coats of arms - the one in the middle is the coat of arms of Doorwerth.
From the Great Hall we went directly to the bedroom which for some reason has a dining table too.
All rooms are furnished with period furniture and artifacts. These chambers offer a glimpse into the castle life, showcasing the comfort and luxury enjoyed by the noble families. We could see the difference in decoration if we compared Doorwerth to other castle as here we saw the luxurious life too, but it was not as grand as what we saw in the castles owned by the Habsburgs (as an example).
I assume they didn't make their bed in the morning, and this is why they closed it 😊
My favorite room was the dining room with beautifully decorated walls, paintings, white table cloth and the chandelier.
I have noticed that all chambers have stone floors, so it must have been difficult to warm the space up. This is probably why there is a fireplace in every chamber.
The Knights Hall has been converted into the playground. There are still some artifacts, but also many parts of the armor were placed on a side table to try them on. My husband wanted to try one, but there was a group of kids who were so excited and were trying all of them, so he didn't get to do it.
This sitting are was designed to spend time with each other playing games and talking. I was more interested in the pillow in front of the windows as this is where I saw myself sitting and reading a book.
The Gentlemen's Room was exactly what you would expect from a room with such purpose. The chandeliers are made out of hunting trophies, the walls are decorated with wood, the leather chairs are surrounding the large table, and the only thing that was missing was an ashtray, but maybe I just didn't see one.
From the representative and private chambers we moved to the museum part which showcased weaponry, various tools, archaeological findings, and some historical details.
Here, I learned something new about the history of the Netherlands. Apparently, about two hundreds years ago most of the land was used up. There were lots of degraded forests, sand drifts and swamps that couldn't be used to produce anything. In the 19th century it was decided to change these lands into forests and farming fields, and here we can see the tools that were used for agriculture at that time.
Willow pollards or Knotwilgen in Dutch are such interesting trees that I have only seen in the Netherlands. If I understand it correctly, they are the national trees of the South Holland. They are also used as the carnival name of a village close to the place where my in-laws live.
Here we can see the archaeological items which were found during the last restoration of the castle after the war.
The castle Doorwerth was damaged, and then occupied by German soldiers at the end of the World War II. Here we can see how it looked like at that time. The restoration took almost 40 years! Even though it was damaged, it is still the most complete medieval castle in the Netherlands.
Today, the castle is owned by The Friends of the Castles of Gelderland foundation, and thanks to them we can visit the castle as a museum.
Let's look out of the windows before we go out to walk around the castle grounds...
And here we are! We start in the castle gardens which must be beautiful in summer. There was a bit of snow which is unusual for the Netherlands, and it was magical.
Can you see the moon?
We walked over the small bridge to get to the park surrounding the castle...
And the sunset - it was beautiful...
Today, the castle serves as a cultural center with many events and exhibitions organized each year. Many of these exhibitions are related to the castle's history or the history of the region, so they are visited by schoolchildren too. It gives them a unique opportunity to learn about the medieval history in an interactive manner.
The castle Doorwerth is situated in the greenery of The Veluwezoom National Park which makes it an ideal destination for nature lovers. There are plenty of hiking and biking trails, and you can explore the natural beauty of the region, enjoying the views on the way. I guess we were lucky as we enjoyed the sunset too!
It doesn't take too long to walk around the castle, but we couldn't get back to the car fast enough as it was so cold! I have the best husband as he didn't complain even once when I was taking photos to share with you. On the other hand, I always have to wait for him, so he could do it once too 😊
We had a great time in Doorwerth, but it was time to go back as my mother-in-law was waiting with delicious Indonesian dinner! I'm so lucky to be married into an Indonesian family 😊
I hope you have enjoyed another day with us.
Thank you for reading!
Cheers!
Martina