Doornenburg Castle

Castle Doornenburg is a Dutch castle from the 13th century.

The castle is located in the eastern part of Gelderland, near the village of Doornenburg. It contains a front-castle and a main castle, which are connected through a small wooden bridge. It is one of the biggest and best preserved castles in the Netherlands.

Originally the castle was a fortified manor built in the 9th century, under the name Villa Dorenburc. In the 13th century it was converted into a modest castle. Through the centuries the castle was expanded further into the current form. The front-castle was built in the 15th century. The front-castle contains sleeping quarters, a chapel and a farm, the last being a unique feature for a Dutch castle.

Castle Doornenburg was occupied until the 19th century. After that it fell into neglect. In 1936 the Stichting tot Behoud van den Doornenburg (literally: Foundation for preservation of the Doornenburg) was created, which had the castle restored from 1937 to 1941. In the end of the Second World War the castle was almost completely destroyed. It was long thought the Germans had blown it up, but it turned out that the castle had been hit by a British bombardment in March 1945. The castle was completely rebuilt from 1947 to 1968.

In 1968 this castle, amongst others, was used as a set for the television serie Floris.