Castle De Haar

Castle de Haar is a breathtaking destination that seamlessly blends modern restoration with historical grandeur. The architecture is stunning, with intricate details that transport you to another era. While getting here may take some effort, it’s absolutely worth it. The gardens are beautifully maintained, offering a peaceful and picturesque setting. Inside, the castle is filled with antiques from different periods and remarkable artworks that add to its charm. One of the highlights of the visit is the knowledgeable and friendly guides. They are incredibly patient and eager to answer any questions, making the experience even more enjoyable. Highly recommended for history lovers, architecture enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a magical experience in the Netherlands!

Interesting historical place. You immerse yourself in history when you see how people lived 700 years ago. Things are preserved with care and love. Everything is very interesting. Large park for walks. Unforgettable impressions.

You have to make a trip and walk around the castle and castle grounds. It's like WOW. The details inside the castle are absolutely amazing. There is so much to see. I was there during the month of January, so it was a bit gloomy but so incredibly beautiful, so I can just imagine during the spring. The staff is so knowledgeable and friendly, ask them questions and thay are more than happy to tell you all about it. There is staff in most of the rooms. Take your time so you are able to check all the rooms. It's pretty cool to think famous people were there at some point, just lounging. They do have a little gift store at the end, and they have a restaurant as well. Don't forget to do the maze! Cheers!

Castle De Haar is the largest castle in the Netherlands and thankfully is accessible to the public. you can choose a ticket for just the gardens or combine it with a castle ticket also. allow a good few hours to explore both and take in the rich history. Plenty of breath taking rooms to explore and understand the famous history and have a chat with the very well educated and passionate guides. The blend of history, architecture and culture at Castle De Haar make it something not to miss. We visited on a winery late January day but that only added to the magic. Pre purchased tickets before hand with no line and very small crowd numbers on our visit through the castle and grounds.

Kasteel de Haar is absolutely stunning and truly a must-visit! As the largest castle in the Netherlands, it’s a magnificent blend of history, architecture, and breathtaking surroundings. From the moment we arrived, everything was well-organized—from parking to ticket checking, the process was seamless and stress-free. We visited on December 25, and it was the perfect setting for a memorable Christmas day with my kids. The castle was enchanting, with its grand halls, intricate details, and picturesque gardens. After exploring, we had a delightful Christmas lunch at Koetshuis de Haar, which was the perfect way to end our visit. Kasteel de Haar offers a magical experience that’s worth every moment. Highly recommended for a family outing or anyone who appreciates history and beauty!

Castle De Haar is definitely worth a visit, but... it takes a bit of effort to get there (from Utrecht, it takes a train, a bus and a 30 minute walk) but I recommend a taxi at least from the train station. It was about 11€ and saved at least 45 minutes. The place is magnificent and well maintained. My reason for 4 stars: a little expensive, took a bit to get there, and most importantly it is not an actual castle. Or it is not actually an old castle. Historic sure, but not old by European standards. It was built on the ruins of a medieval castle around 1900 by a rich guy to have friends and important people visit and party there. Sort of like Biltmore house in the USA. Super grand and fancy and historic, just not a legitimate castle.

Its magnificent. Since it was built in late 1800s it is quite modern, but also merges old charm in its construction. The guided tour was very good but unfortunately only in Dutch. My friend helped me by translating but it would be great if they also had English tours.

Beautiful castle and well-worth a visit. We visited the temporary 'Luminous Nights' and it was spectacular. Not all sound was working, which took a bit of the magic away, but it were amazing projections on the tents and castle walls. Might visit again next year!

We've seen our share of castles (and planning on seeing many more), but this one here must be one of the most impressive that we've ever encountered. Not only the building, the castle itself. But also the park, the garden and the massive landscape surrounding it. It's nothing short of amazing and breathtaking. We had our Bulldog with, so we just came for the outside section and the park. Only 7 Euros a person. And really cool that dogs are allowed. Parking for 6 Euros (no time limit) is fair as well. Pay at the counter or get a ticket at the machine (a lot faster). The castle itself is a stunning piece of architecture and is now in this state the biggest castle in the Netherlands. There was a castle here dating back to 1391. But not as big as the current one. Renovations and restorations took place over the centuries. Between 1892 and 1912 the castle as is it today was built. It's a lot younger than one might think. The garden and park in front of the castle are as impressive as the castle itselft. Perfectly taken care of and maintained. That takes a lot of hours and man/women power. Don't miss out on the Kruisvijver behind the castle - a large body of water. Beautiful. We would have never thought that the area is so big. East of the castle is a massive park and forest with countless trails it seems. We were walking around for 2-3 hours, always discovering new places and sight. It was beautiful to just roam around the castle grounds. Never have we seen so incredibly big surroundings by a castle. A wonderful way to spend a day. One almost wasn't enough. And our Bulldog loved it as well. There was some heavy rain sometimes, but we brought our bad-weather gear. Be sure to bring some in case the weather changes quickly. But even in the rain it was a wonderful experience. Castles - in my opinion - look even more magical and eerie on foggy, grey and rainy days. Loved everything about it. A must-do when in The Netherlands. Liked it here better than our time in Amsterdam. And for 7 Euros it's a steal. Image how many employees and how much work it takes to keep this place in shape. Worth your money and your time. Highly recommendable.

One of the most beautiful castle I've ever been. It has a beautiful garden and the scenery outside the castle is like a fairy tale. The location have a good vibes. Family friendly and yes this is my favorite spot in Holland.

Beautiful grounds, didn't even see all of it but it's beautiful. Great place to just go wander. They do have a restaurant on the grounds so you can grab a drink and a bite to eat if you so desire. It's also possible to view the inside of the castle and I believe the church if there isn't an event. The gardens are really a site to see though :D

A-mazing castle. Breathtakingly huge and beautiful, complete with huge storks nested on top of the giant chimneys. Took a self-guided tour around and we loved it. In the main hall, we were greeted by the best tour guide (Puck) we have ever encountered. Young, incredibly well-spoken in English, amazingly engaging with our kids - I wish she could have showed us around the whole place! The grounds, too, were impeccable. So glad we got to visit and we would absolutely come back again.

Wow, what a beautiful castle. I went there for the X'mas festival and it was incredible. There were plenty of vendors selling everything you can think of and you must eat at La Place. The food was very good! From their website: "De Haar Castle is the biggest and most luxurious castle of the Netherlands. With its towers, turrets, moats, gates and suspension bridges, De Haar Castle resembles a true medieval castle."

Spent the day here. What a great castle. Lots of areas to explore and lots of area to explore that is on the property as well . Good tour guides. We got access with the museum pass, don't know if the regular prices are worth it Quite a trek on public transport - had to take a train and then a fairly long bus

We visited for a wedding and everything was beautiful! It was unexpectedly hot, so the ceremony was moved from the rose garden to the chapel. It was uncomfortably hot in the chapel, but thats not their fault. We didn't find any air conditioning on the grounds. However, the workers did manage to find a few rotating fans for the reception. We had the opportunity to take a tour of the castle and we loved it! The downstairs kitchen was the most impressive to our group. Such a beautiful location for any special occasion or just a day to walk around and take great pictures.

This is a beautiful castle, but pretty expensive! I didn't appreciate that the entry fee for kids and adults is the same. In order to view the inside of the castle, you have to pay for a tour which isn't the most exciting for little ones. Walking around the grounds is nice, but there isn't much beyond a Maze for the kids. The Christmas markets sound like they would make up for the price of admission, but during early spring not much is going on there besides a lot of renovation. Tip: The cafe there is over priced and doesn't have the best service. Took forever to get a simple slice of Apple pie! I would eat somewhere outside the castle grounds.

Beautiful castle! Worth the trip. Very quiet, secluded and peaceful. The cafe in the castle is also really good. Check it out. The insides of the castle are remodeled but have a very good 19th century touch! And the canal and park around it makes you feel at rest. And there's a really cute picnic area! One of my favorite castles.

One of the best castles I have ever been to. The grounds are just as impressive and they'll let you stay past closing if you just let yourself out. Check out the labyrinth on the side. Great fun for all ages and a great way to break from the norm.

A wonderful way to spend an afternoon. We just walked the beautiful grounds and gardens and had a lovely picnic in the picnic area.

The walk up to the castle is through a long tree-lined path with cute cows lazily grazing to your left and I could feel myself already falling in love. We were staying out of town and made the trip by train to Utrecht and then by bus (though you can bike) to Haarzuilens just to explore for the day, and I'm glad we did. The highlight of the castle is its grounds. For that reason I strongly recommend choosing a day with nice weather for your visit so that you're able to explore the gardens and bridges at their best. I especially loved how few tourists were walking around because it gave it a special, serene vibe. It somehow manages to feel un-touristy and totally relaxing. To just enjoy the grounds is free of charge. To enter the Castle is 14€ per person and you must go on a guided tour in Dutch, though they have English audio available, but it is forbidden to take any photos within the castle. To enter the Chatelet, which is the actual living quarters of the family, is 7.50€ per person and you can walk around at your leisure. They have informative signs posted in Dutch and a little English packet available. We opted just to do the Chatelet. They didn't have an English map of the grounds available, but we made do. Within the square with the welcoming center is a cafe with outdoor seating available. We weren't expecting much but our lunch was really quite good with a nice sandwich selection and my favorite bitterballen of our whole trip. You are also welcome to bring your own picnic. I originally found out about Kasteel de Haar on pinterest through its popular photo of what's known on pinterest as "the bridge of romance." When we asked the staff they had never heard of it, lol, but we did find it right behind the chapel to the left and it was just as beautiful as it looks on pinterest. The reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because the Chatelet was under renovation while we were there (April 2015) and touring the unfinished interior didn't feel worth the ticket price. I also don't like that photos aren't permitted inside the castle, and I like to be left to see places at my own pace, not on a mandatory group tour in a language I don't understand. The lovely grounds, lovely lunch, and lovely staff made for a very lovely day. Edited to add ticket prices.

Fell in love with this place! The grounds, the buildings, the personnel. All excellent. Our English-speaking guide was amazing. Bought a museum card here so I can enjoy even more great places during my vacation.

What an amazing place, wonderful tour for the price 15 euros which is spoken in Dutch but they have audio tours available in different languages for 1 euro extra. The grounds and gardens are absolutely gorgeous! Allow yourself plenty of time to roam. Would be awesome to have a picnic on a nice day. We ate at Koetshuis de Haar which had really great sandwiches.

the castle was beautiful and it was really worth the trip! I wish they have an English-speaking tour guide though.