Waardenburg Castle, Waardenburg, Netherlands

Waardenburg Castle dates from the 13th century. Only half of the original building remains: the south wing was destroyed in the Eighty Years’ War and was never rebuilt. Legend has it that the infamous Doctor Faust lived in the castle. At the end of his pact with the devil he was said to have been thrown from the castle tower.

The precise construction date of medieval castles is seldom known yet in this case, Waardenburg is an exception. On 2nd August 1265, Count Otto II of Guelders pledged the manor of Waardenburg to the knight Rudolph de Cock. Knight Rudolph first built a wooden tower, which was soon replaced by a stone tower. His son and grandson turned the keep into a round castle with three connecting wings, a circular wall, towers, fortified bailey and a moat.

According to a legend in the Geldersche Volksalmanak (Gelderland’s Folk almanac) dating from 1842, the infamous Doctor Faust lived in Waardenburg Castle. Faust had made a pact with the devil and in exchange for his soul, he could have all of the knowledge from all of the world for seven years. After seven years of abusing this power, the devil came to take his soul. He dragged Faust by his hair out of the castle tower and the indelible blood stains can still be seen on the pavement to this day.Johann Georg Faust did actually exist and he was imprisoned in Batenburg Castle for several years.

In the Eighty Years’ War the castle’s occupant, Catharina van Gelder, sided with the Spaniards, which did not please William of Orange. He besieged the castle in 1574 destroying the south side of the castle and the fortified bailey which were never rebuilt. This explains why the castle is now shaped like a horseshoe. The rest of the castle was renovated in the 17th century and was home to various noble families. The building has recently been thoroughly restored and now houses an office. Access to the castle is limited.

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Exciting History

Jan Hus Memorial

The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.

Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.

Bashar Al Katrib (2 years ago)
We went there last weekend. Doors close, private territory. People walking their dogs told us it is closed and only opened in the monuments day.

Pete Pete (3 years ago)
Beautiful castle

Anita Bahia-Brasil (3 years ago)
Beautiful place!

Steven (4 years ago)
We went here to see the castle didnt know it was a private parking. The owner or someone that had something to say about it came to tell us, upon checking the sign it was necessary to make some extra remarks. Truth be told we missed the sign. My totally subjective opinion in dutch I would say "snobby".

Willem (4 years ago)
Amazing place for a Walk

Waardenburg Castle

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