Utrecht castle tour

The Vechtstreek around Utrecht is a beautiful nature reserve that is famous for its many castles and country estates. If you are in Utrecht and want to explore the region in which the nobility used to live, we definitely recommend the Vecht tour.

Cycle from castle to castle.
Take a moment to enjoy the enchanting scenery along the way.
Deep dive into history.

Starting point: castle De Haar

You will start your tour at castle De Haar. From here, you will ride towards Gunterstein castle, which dates from 1300. You will then turn towards Maarssen. Along the way you will see beautiful mansions and country estates (‘hofstede’) like Boom en Bosch (the park is open to the public) and Beeckoever villa. Further south is Nijenrode castle (which today is a university).

Cromwijck

Even further south is what used to be the knights’ gathering town of Oudaen, which dates from the 13th century. Continue on to Slangevegt (named ‘snake Vecht’ after the river Vecht that snakes through the landscape). The next country estate you will reach is Cromwijck. From here you will ride towards the stately country estate of Ganzenhoef, which was built in 1655.

't Wapen van Haarzuylen

When you enter the town of Maarssen you will see country estate Doornburg, a national monument dating from the 17th century. If you want to rest your legs and have a drink and a meal after all these wonderful views between Maarssen and Breukelen, we recommend 't Wapen van Haarzuylen.

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Holland’s castles and country houses

Come face to face with history and grandeur in Holland’s castles and country houses.