Ruins of Brederode

Brederode was built around 1280 by the lords of Brederode, one of the leading noble families of Holland, on the dune edge near Haarlem - a square moated castle with round corner towers and a gatehouse. Its southern part was wrecked in 1426 during the Hook and Cod civil wars, the north was allowed to be repaired in 1464, and in 1573, when the Spanish took Haarlem, it was plundered and set on fire, after which it was abandoned to the drifting sand of the dunes. It has belonged to the state since 1679, when the last lord of Brederode died, and in the nineteenth century it was one of the first buildings the government restored and became the first national monument of the Netherlands. What stands is walls, tower stumps, cellars and the moat, consolidated rather than rebuilt, in a wooded setting on the edge of the dunes.

History

William I van Brederode (1215-1285) founded the castle in the second half of the 13th century, at first little more than a tower, which Dirk II van Brederode replaced with a proper castle around 1300. The name refers to Brede Roede, "broad wood", a wooded area cleared to build it; after the last lord, Wolfert van Brederode, died in 1679, the ruins passed to the States of Holland and have been state property ever since (Wikipedia, Brederode Castle).

The main sights

• A moated square castle - walls, tower stumps and cellars from about 1280.
• Wrecked twice - in 1426 and again in 1573, then left to the dunes.
• The first national monument - state property since 1679, restored by the government in the nineteenth century.
• A dune-edge setting - woodland around the ruin below the Kennemer dunes.

When to go

April to October. Two hours.

Good to know

It is a consolidated ruin with no roofed interiors and modest interpretation. Seasonal opening with limited winter hours. An hour or two covers it.

Nearby

Haarlem is south; the Kennemer dunes and the coast are west.

Key facts