Utrecht and the surrounding area :- Part 10

Around the city and nearby:-

Kasteel de Haar is an imposing castle that was restored in a fit of nostalgia a little over a century ago. Long after its Gothic turrets had ceased to have any defensive purpose architect PJ Cuypers, of Rijksmuseum fame, decided to give it a makeover. The fortress that you see now is how it was believed to look around 1500. However, it is now equipped with all the creature comforts that were available in the late 19th century, such as electric lighting and running water.

If you want to visit the castle you must join one of the hourly guided tours. The restoration project was so extensive that the church and the nearby hamlet of Haarzuilens became involved. The castle' s owner, Baron Etienne van Zuylen, spared little expense and had the entire village moved so there' d be adequate space for the park and hunting grounds. The castle is surrounded by a large English landscaped garden with broad paths, canal-like stretches of pond and statues throughout. The French baroque garden near the entrance bears the stamp of Héléne de Rothschild, the baron' s wife and heir of the renowned Rothschild banking family. It was, of course, her fortune that paid for the 19th-century restoration.

Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park extends some 50km east of Utrecht city between the towns of Zeist and Rhenen, the national park is a 100 sq km expanse of low meadows and high dunes interspersed with forest. At least seven medieval castles stand in and south of Doorn. Started by noble houses in the 12th century as fortifications, they later lost their defensive function and became vast private estates. Cycling and hiking paths thread access this wealth of formerly private area which is now inhabited by foxes, badgers, pine martens and other wildlife.

Doorn is around 20km southeast of Utrecht and is a wealthy little burg with a claim to an oddment in 20th-century Dutch history which is the castle of Huis Doorn. This 14th-century castle has had numerous owners during its time. However, the most famous owner was Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who inhabited Huis Doorn in exile from 1920 until his death in 1941. There is a fine collection of German art that it seems the Kaiser brought with him from various German palaces. Afterwards, stroll the grounds and ponder the fate of the Kaiser, who had been allowed into exile by the Dutch as long as he remained under ‘house arrest’. Castle visits are by guided tour only so arrange this before you visit.

Kasteel Amerongen is a surreally cubic structure which is surrounded by wooded islands that make an idyllic stroll. You can view the sumptuous salons on a guided tour and afterwards admire the building from across the great lawn of the terrace cafe. The Kasteel Amerongen was a fortified castle built in the 13th century. It is located in the countryside outside the town of Amerongen on the Nederrijn River. After being burned by Louis XIV' s troops in the late 1600s, it was rebuilt to its present symmetrical appearance by an aristocratic family whose descendants occupied it for the next three centuries.

Continued in part 11