Kasteel Doornenburg

Doornenburg has an unusual plan: a main castle and a separate fortified forecourt, each with its own moat, joined by a bridge - the voorburcht holds the farm, chapel and stables and the hoofdburcht the residential keep, which is a full medieval arrangement rarely surviving intact. It was built up from the thirteenth century. In March 1945 it was bombed and shelled almost to nothing during the fighting for the Betuwe, and the rebuilding, from 1947 to 1968 and beyond, was done largely by a volunteer foundation using surviving drawings and salvaged brick, which took decades of unpaid work. In 1969 the castle became known nationally as the setting for Floris, a television series with Rutger Hauer in his first role, which every Dutch person over fifty remembers. It is now a museum with guided tours through both wards.

What you actually see

• Two castles and a bridge - a fortified forecourt and keep, each with its own moat.
• Rebuilt from rubble - destroyed in 1945 and reconstructed largely by volunteers.
• A complete medieval arrangement - farm, chapel and stables separated from the residence.
• The Floris location - the 1969 television series filmed here.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Almost everything is postwar reconstruction. Guided tours only, seasonal, with set times. The Betuwe around it is orchard and motorway country. Book in summer.

Nearby

Millingerwaard and the Gelderse Poort are east; Nijmegen is south.