Muiderslot Castle - Castle Muiden
Castle Muiderslot is an incredible medieval palace which is located in the small town of Muiden in the Netherlands. From there the capital of Amsterdam is only a few kilometers northwest. Castle Muiderslot is beautifully situated at the mouth of the river passing Vecht, exactly where it flows into the Zuiderzee.
Castle Muiderslot is probably the most visited of all palace complexes on the territory of the Netherlands, which automatically makes it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. Muiderslot Castle is inextricably linked with the history of the Netherlands, which is one reason why there are continuously organized school visits. Moreover, its proximity to most of Amsterdam means that there are a lot of tourists that go to see the medieval building.
The name of the castle comes from the old German word "muid", which translates to mouth. The first building at the location of where the Castle Muiderslot is today appeared in 1280 by Count Floris V. The purpose of Muiderslot Castle was to protect the estuary and count as charges levied on vessels passing by there.
In 1296 the count was captured by the rebellious nobles and was locked in the dungeon as a prisoner of his own castle. Nobles freed the count by threat of the local authorities, Utrecht, but while fleeing they killed Count Floris. Since he had no direct heir to assume his estate, Muiderslot then fell into the hands of the local bishop.
Castle Muiderslot was built in the form in which you see today in 1370 by the Dutch Duke Albrecht.
The castle was designed in a square shape with each corner rising a watchtower. Muiderslot had no firewalls, but on behalf had a ditch filled with water, which playd a protective function. The thickness of the walls are up to 1.70 m and the whole structure covers an area of 32x35 m.
In the early and mid 17th century in Castle Muiderslot lived the famous Dutch writer, poet and historian who for several decades became in place of the death of many intellectuals and artists. In the early 19th century the palace went to ruin and it was decided it was to be destroyed. King William I however managed to save it from demolition and in 1895 the Castle Muiderslot was fully restored.
