Travel Tips

Arnhem and it's surroundings have many castles. In medieval time knights, (war)lords and counts/dukes roamed the neighborhood from their fortificated houses. Later aristocrates liked to have their mansions in the foresty Arnhem vicinity for huntingpleasures. In this travelogue I will show you some of them, to begin with one of my favourites: the castle of Doorwerth on the Northern bank of the river Rhine, just a beautiful bicycle-drive away from Arnhem centre.

Do you know the fairytale of the "Sleeping Beauty". The name of this castle and village, just 15 km. South of Arnhem could have been the one. Doornenbrug (Thorn-brough). The castle dates back to 900 a.D. and is the oldest remaining of it's kind in The Netherlands.

Just East of Arnhem, in the neighboring Velp, is the castle of Biljoen. This is still home of a aristocratic family that often with Christmas opens it's doors for visitors. The house is then dressed up in style and perfect for a romantic evening trip.

In the centre of Arnhem, in the Sonsbeek park, lies on top of a green hill the Sonsbeek Villa. Now-a-days an art-exposition-space. Former home of the Baron of Sweelinck, the city bought it and sold it (for the symbolic price of one guilder!) to the art-exhibition-centre.

A walk through the Sonsbeek- and Zijpendaal-park (from the just mentioned Villa of Sonsbeek) brings you to the castle of Zijpendaal. This former residence of the Queen's Provincial Commissionar is now the seat of the Gelderland Landscape-foundation.

In the wonderful landscapegarden with special elements "De Bedriegertjes" (= little "things" that fool you) is the castle of Rosendael. Just a few kilometres North-East of Arnhem one can also get a tour through the authentic interior of the former huntingcastle of the Dutch royal family.
More information about castle in the province of Gelderland. See the webpage of "Het Gelders Landschap" in association with "Vereniging Gelderse Kastelen" http:\\www.hgl-vgk.nl