De Haar Castle

International jet set

Castle De Haar may look Medieval, but was actually built in the early twentieth century. The famous Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers built it between 1892 and 1912 on the ruins of the old, derelict castle that stood there, on commission from Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nijevelt. In the 60s, it became a place where the Van Zuylen van Nijevelt family received the international jet set, from Brigitte Bardot and Coco Chanel to Maria Callas and Roger Moore. A visit to Castle De Haar feels like a trip back in time to the glory days of the twentieth century.

Spectacular gardens

The architect Pierre Cuypers was closely involved in the design of the gardens and the park, together with garden architect Hendrik Copijn. The gardens had to be at least as spectacular as the castle itself. Stroll past the bodies of water, kitchen gardens and aviaries and discover the various different French style gardens.

In 1912, Hélin, Etienne van Zuylen van Nijevelt's eldest son, perished in a traffic accident at the age of 24. The Rose Garden, with over 1200 roses in 79 different species, commemorates his life and is especially worth a visit in the summer, when the flowers are in full bloom.

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