Slangenburg Castle

Doetinchem, Netherlands

Slangenburg Castle was constructed in the Late Medieval period. In the 17th century the castle became the property of General Frederik Johan van Baer, also known as General Slangenburg, who rebuilt it for residential purposes.

The last private owners were a German family called Passmann, who are buried in a private cemetery next to the moat. After the World War II all German properties were confiscated by the Dutch government, who thus acquired the castle, which, with the surrounding terrain and the buildings within the outer moat, now forms part of the portfolio of the Rijksgebouwendienst ('Royal Buildings Service'), while the surrounding area falls under the care of the Dutch environmental agency, the Staatsbosbeheer.

At present the castle is used as a guesthouse by the nearby Benedictine monastery, St. Willibrord's Abbey, a newly built structure of the 1950s situated on a part of the castle's former estate. The original monastic community, from Oosterhout Abbey, was initially accommodated in the castle itself in the years immediately following the war.

The estate and the monastery chapel are open to the public. The estate, roughly trapezoid in shape, features a system of lanes which is centuries old.

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Founded: 1354
Category: Castles and fortifications in Netherlands

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

ODDBALL SOK (2 years ago)
History: SS Obergruppenführer Bittrich of the 1944 Arnhem battle had his command post here.. (I haven’t slept here yet, hence4 stars)
Anna Shcherbakova (2 years ago)
A cute castle in a silent place. Good for a walk. Parking, walking routs.
Oleksandr Karbunar (2 years ago)
Very nice place!!!!
Sasha Babkin (3 years ago)
Super
Mark van Limburg (4 years ago)
It is a pretty place to have a walk. The nearby forest is relaxing.
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