Castles route Utrecht: De Haar, Harmelen and Zuylen

After a cup of coffee at Carlton President Hotel, you cycle through Oud-Zuilen, where you come across Slot Zuylen. You also pass the 600-year-old Landgoed Haarzuilens, with a beautiful village. And of course Kasteel de Haar, the largest castle in the Netherlands. The castle originally dates from the fourteenth century, the current castle was rebuilt in 1892 in neo-Gothic style. Near Harmelen you cycle through orchards and past the fairytale Vijverbos. Just like Kasteel de Haar, Kasteel Harmelen could not escape reconstruction, albeit on a somewhat more modest scale. The original fortress was built at the end of the thirteenth century. In 1720, the castle was demolished, only the cellars remained. In the twentieth century, the house was rebuilt several times, most recently in 1949.