3x most beautiful Dutch castles in winter

Our first stop during this day of castle hopping, is Amerongen Castle. An imposing building with a rich family history going back some 700 years. Between then and now, the building has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The last time was in 1673, when it was burnt down in the Franco-Dutch war. On the old foundations, the castle we step into today has been rebuilt.

We walk through the large castle garden straight to the bridge that brings us to the entrance of Amerongen Castle. It is cold outside and not much warmer inside, but fortunately the thick walls keep the wind at bay. It is like stepping back in time for a moment. Indeed, the interior of the castle is still exactly as the residents left it in 1977. And in fact, not much has changed since 1940, after the death of Count van Aldenburg Bentinck.

Impressive details

The gallery hall in particular impresses me. The high walls are full of portraits of the former owners. From a great height, they stare at us as we parade through their castle. The men on one side of the hall, the women on the other.

An employee points out another nice detail: the elegant curtains that decorate the rooms are still as the original after all these years. A group of volunteers nicknamed 'the angels', sew every frill and loose thread back into place with angelic patience. This preserves the authentic look of Amerongen Castle.

We continue our route to the second castle of the day: Slot Zuylen. By the way, a castle, lock and fortress are the same thing, namely a fortified residence of a noble family or group of people.

Volunteer Jan takes us through the many rooms in the building. With passion, he tells us about the history of Slot Zuylen, which goes back more than 750 years. The story of Belle van Zuylen particularly appeals to me. Belle lived in the castle in the 18th century and, among other things, wrote satirical books about the ingrained habits of the aristocratic milieu. Her enlightened ideas often clashed with her family, which held more traditional views.

'Her father wanted Belle to get married so badly that he offered her 100,000 guilders, but Belle refused,' Jan says as we walk through the woman's former room. I like that Belle.

We continue walking through the castle and eventually arrive at a room where a 144-piece Delft Blue service is displayed. 'After all these years, the service is still complete,' says Jan proudly. 'The maids were not allowed to touch it. The lady of the house washed everything herself!' With my second-hand kitchen stock, I can't imagine eating from such precious crockery, let alone washing it.

Our last stop is the most impressive castle of the day: Kasteel de Haar. In appearance the most impressive castle in the whole of the Netherlands, I dare say. The castle has a high Disney quality.

It is still a relatively new castle. Around 1890, Baron Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar inherited the ruins of an old castle. He was married to one of the richest women in Europe, Baroness Hélène de Rothschild, and with that money they built this imposing holiday home together. Architect Pièrre Cuypers, also known for building Amsterdam Central Station and the Rijksmuseum, took on the design and you can see how it turned out during a visit.

In any case, my mouth dropped open when entering Kasteel de Haar. The hall is immense and full of small details. The Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations made it look like a fairytale. Though no doubt it will be just as magical without these decorations.

As we walk through the castle's many rooms, our guide Meghan tells us fun facts and points out little details. For example, about the baroness and how she had many relationships with women. The Baroness's room is also extra special, decorated in a totally different style from the rest of the castle. French 19th-century influences splash out in the salmon-pink, chic room.