Beverweed Castle

Netherlands. Beverweed is a 13th century castle located on an island along the River Rhine in the village of Verhoeven, in the Dutch province of Utrecht. At the moment, the castle is empty and not accessible for general inspection, but the gardens and park around it can be visited by tourists and curious citizens.

The oldest known inhabitant of the castle, the knight Zveder van Zülen, has lived there since its foundation. In 1563, the castle was owned by William Philip, the eldest son of William of Orange. Also, for quite some time, the castle was the property of the Nassau family. In the centuries that followed, the castle was owned by many aristocratic families, until 1898, when it was sold to a school of the Quaker religious community. The school lasted until 1997, after which the castle was bought by the Vegetarian Society in 2005. The society planned to build apartments in it for its members, but due to lack of money, the plans were never implemented.

The oldest part of the castle, its rectangular tower, dates back to the 13th century. In the 16th century, most of the castle was significantly enlarged, and a little later, its courtyard was also enlarged. The total area of the castle manor is 400 hectares.