Spooky Dutch castles, mansions and former jails well worth a visit
The water taxi from Woudrichem, a town nearby, chugs along, then departs. Now, all that's left is the wind whistling around the castle, while the boards of the jetty creak below. The castle gate is tightly locked.
Sure, as a guest, you have a key - though doubts may arise as to whether it is really enough to open up the castle. But lo and behold, the gate moves and now, you're alone with the ghosts.
Behind closed doors
Waterfowl and wild cattle dot the landscape of ponds and flooded meadows, at the confluence of the Waal and Maas rivers, with the castle rising out of this solitude. It has hardly any windows, just bare, meter-thick walls.
It was once a prison for political prisoners, the most famous being Hugo Grotius. The father of modern international law became embroiled in a political power struggle in 1618 and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
He was held behind 13 locked and heavily guarded doors. Nevertheless, he managed to escape in 1621 with the help of his wife, Maria van Reigersberch. The scholar hid in an empty bookcase and the unsuspecting guards carried him out of the castle. By the time they realized what had happened, he was already on his way to Paris.
Today, you can have a much more pleasant stay in one of the 18th-century soldiers' cottages. And in the morning, in the annex, you can enjoy a lovingly prepared breakfast.
Buy your own prison
More known for tulips and windmills, the Netherlands also has plenty of castles and palaces. Muiden Castle, near Amsterdam, matches everyone's idea of a knight's castle with its four round turrets, moat and inner courtyard.
The castle is known as the setting for a medieval criminal case. When the Count of Holland, Floris V, acquired the walls in around 1285, he could not have imagined that he had bought his own prison. But in 1296 he was kidnapped by rival nobles and imprisoned in Muiden Castle before he was killed by being stabbed 20 times.
Another big draw in the world of Dutch castles is Doorn Manor. It's known for its interior, with furnishings dating back to German Emperor Wilhelm II, who resided there after his abdication and exile.
The emperor's old clothes
Wilhelm II lived in the manor house from 1919 until his death in 1941. His remains lie in a small mausoleum in the manor gardens, a few meters from the graves of his five dogs. In his will he stated that he could only be reburied on German soil upon restoration of the German monarchy.
When the emperor died, the house fell into a deep sleep, which is the reason why everything still looks as it did back then. The furnishings are mainly from the Berlin Palace, Bellevue Palace and the New Palace in Potsdam, Germany, and were transported to the neutral Netherlands on five different trains.
When he carried out his private correspondence, he did so in a horse's saddle screwed to a platform in front of his desk. The Wilhelmine slippers are still lying ready in the bedroom, one of his cigars is perched in an ashtray and the wardrobes are filled with the emperor's old clothes.
Denying history
His special fork is still lying on the dining table with a blade on the prong on the left so that the fork can be used for cutting. This was due to the fact that Wilhelm's left arm was shorter and paralyzed from birth.
You can even see the imperial toilet - although it doesn't look particularly luxurious by today's standards.
Perhaps as fans of popular TV series "Downton Abbey," today's visitors to Doorn Manor are also increasingly interested in the people from downstairs, the servants. Their living quarters in Doorn have also been completely preserved.
But see Doorn Manor as a denial of history, says curator Cornelis van der Bas. "The First World War doesn't occur here. Wilhelm II acted as if it had never happened and instead reenacted the 19th century."
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Newsweek
9 hours ago
- Newsweek
Woman Who Left US in 2017 Discovers Unexpected Consequence of Living Abroad
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A screenshot from a viral video posted by Rachel Warren (@sheislostinikea on TikTok), an American living in Denmark, talking about the long-term consequences of living abroad. A screenshot from a viral video posted by Rachel Warren (@sheislostinikea on TikTok), an American living in Denmark, talking about the long-term consequences of living abroad. @sheislostinikea on TikTok Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
National Geographic
a day ago
- National Geographic
Explore Azerbaijan's wine history—and its unexpected German past
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(Available in select countries only). WINE VINEYARDS FOOD FOOD HISTORY
NBC News
5 days ago
- NBC News
Going Dutch: LGBTQ Americans find Trump-free life in Netherlands
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'From the day after the election, my inbox began filling up with requests of U.S. citizens wanting to move to the Netherlands,' said lawyer Jonathan Bierback, adding that about a fifth came from the LGBTQ+ community. Three other lawyers in Amsterdam confirmed the trend in interviews with the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Jack Mercury, a trans adult performer from California, moved to Amsterdam almost a year and a half ago — 'literally the moment I knew Trump was going to be re-elected'. He said the DAFT visa was 'one of the few financially accessible visas' for him. He now lives in west Amsterdam with a partner and two cats. 'The words to describe the U.S. in the last 100 days are uncertainty and fear. For trans people, it's fear that they'll lose access to healthcare, rights like housing or the ability to work. And for gay people and lesbians, it's that they will become the next targets,' Mercury said. This year, more than 950 anti-trans bills were introduced in U.S. state legislatures, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker, of which 120 have passed, 647 failed, and 186 are still under consideration. 'I feel very lucky. I know many people who cannot afford to move, because they're not high earners, they are sick, have family or children,' said Mercury. His friend Topher Gross, a trans hair stylist from New York who has been in Amsterdam for four years, offered housing tips and recommended a lawyer. 'Everyone's exploring any possible way to get out,' said Gross. 'But not everyone can — many trans people of colour can't afford to leave. It's terrifying.' He noted that the climate of fear was exacerbated by deportations under Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. 'Basic rights are being stripped away.' Jess Drucker, an LGBTQ relocation expert with U.S.-based Rainbow Relocation, said many U.S. clients choose to go Dutch. 'People see how quickly rights can erode, with the global rise of right-wing extremism, and want to move somewhere where those rights are more likely to hold,' Drucker said. 'We've seen a major increase in requests for consultations. We are absolutely full.' Because not everyone can afford a DAFT visa, the Dutch NGO LGBT Asylum Support is urging the government to consider asylum options for LGBTQ Americans. Spokesperson Sandro Kortekaas said about 50 trans Americans had contacted the group since Trump's inauguration. In June, the group asked the government to reassess the status of the United States as a safe country for queer asylum seekers. However, Bierback does not expect success as such a shift would be seen 'as a provocation towards the U.S.' Spierenburg from the IND said there had been more asylum applications from the United States this year than last, although the numbers were still low — 33 against 9 in 2024. Lucy and Alex are grateful for their new life. 'When I came here, I felt more at home than I ever did. I have so much hope,' said Lucy. But she does worry that a future Dutch administration — a right-wing coalition collapsed in June — could kill off DAFT. 'I'm really concerned that the treaty is going to be damaged by current political agendas. And so I'm doing everything I can to make sure that I stay within the rules. I don't want to be extradited for any reason.'
