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Category:Overijssel

Twickel Castle

Twickel Castle is one of the largest private estates in Holland, covering more than 4,000 hectares. It’s situated in Delden in the province of Overijssel, just 15 kilometers from Enschede. To the locals, Twickel is often referred to as Twente’s Garden of Eden, which certainly feels appropriate once you’ve experience its grand open-plan gardens. They simply invite you to lose yourself in them.

  • Trace the roots of landscaping history via pristine, open-plan gardens that have been shaped over centuries.
  • Stroll through the estate’s vast park, reflecting a wilder English-landscape style.
  • In summertime, take a guided tour of Twickel Castle.

The parks and gardens of Twickel Castle

Impressive gardens surround Twickel Castle, retelling the history of landscaping all the way back to the Renaissance. North of the castle you’ll find a formal garden and orangery, which is still a winter shelter for many sub-tropical plants, as well as 300-year-old orange trees. Behind the castle is a vast park in an English-landscape style, showcasing mirror pools and many rhododendrons. The park has been developed and shaped over generations, making for lots of surprise discoveries as you wander through nature here. Next to the castle there is also a formal garden which reflects the French Baroque Revival style, and is home to a number of Art Nouveau sculptures.

Over the centuries, key (landscape) architects to influence the gardens have included J.D. Zocher, Edouard Petzold and Michael van Gessel. The final Lady of Twickel to live in the castle, Baroness van Heeckeren Van Wassenaer, personally designed the rock garden, in which she loved to work. She passed away in 1975.

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Visiting the castle and grounds

Descendants of the baroness live in Twickel Castle to this day, which is why the building itself is not regularly open to visitors. In summertime, however, you can join guided tours of the castle (or upon request for small groups). The gardens are open to the public from April through October, but the broader park and estate are open all year round. Throughout the estate there are numerous spots to wine and dine, be it lunch, dinner or just a coffee and cake break, as well as a number of hotels.

Opening times

The gardens are open April through October, Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00-17:00. The park and estate are open to visitors all year. The castle is not permanently open to visitors due to its residential status. However, guided tours take place at set times in summertime (or upon request for small groups). Entry to the gardens is €5 for adults; free for children (under 17).

Accessibility

The paths throughout the gardens are accessible to wheelchair users and visitors with impaired mobility.

We recommend: Experience the wild nature of Noordoost-Twente, Holland’s garden. The east of the Netherlands is a fantastic base for a family vacation, from which you can enjoy the best of Holland’s nature on foot, by bike, or even on horseback.

Find more information here.

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