Loevestein Castle
Loevestein Castle things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Two weekends ago I visited the Loevestein Castle, also known as Slot Loevestein, with local friends from Holland. As we pulled into the parking area, you can see wild horses and other wildlife in the fields surrounding the castle. It is about a 300 meter walk from the parking area to reach the entrance to the castle and you can purchase tickets at the entrance for a self-tour or guided tour. We chose the guided tour option which was an additional twenty euros or so, but definitely well worth it. Before our guided tour, which left at a particular time, we toured the Loevestein Castle Museum. Admission is included in the price of the self-tour or guided tour. We also sat in the café at Loevestein Castle which offered self-service coffee, drinks and snacks. The guided tour was led by a tour guide and was conducted in Dutch as our group of approximately 20 people were primarily from Holland (however, inside there are placards in both English and Dutch if you take the self-tour). The guided tour took about an hour, and our guide was extremely knowledgeable as we made approximately 15 or so stops inside and around the castle. At each stop, he would spend some time explaining the history behind the castle and a lot about the famous escape from the castle of political prisoner Hugo de Groot in a wooden book box. After the tour, we explored the grounds which include the gunpowder storage area, the lookout points and an interactive shooting exercise at targets out in the field (no bullets it is all with lasers). All in all, we spent about 2.5 hours at the castle and enjoyed walking the entire grounds 360 degrees around the castle.
Austin Rosenthal
00
Great castle to spend a weekend! We took a day trip from Rotterdam. Reaching it was easy and fast. Most ferries depart from Gorimchem but they will drop you at Woudrichem if you are off season, and from there you can walk for a bit and take a motor boat that will take you almost to the castle. Prices are alright, about 2 euros each boat ride. It’s not on the website, but the castle is free for those with the museumkaart! So DON’T buy your ticket online if you have it! The castle area has a simple restaurant with some quick-Dutch-style dishes like sandwiches, soup and salads. Also some bakery items. There’s a museum where the barracks were and then you can walk all around the fortress to see other highlights like the gunpowder tower, the arsenal room and of course the castle itself. There are also other entertainment and interactive things for kids. The castle inside has most descriptions not just in Dutch but also in English. The key that you get at the entrance will also play the boxes in English. Descriptions in English are unfortunately missing on the top floors and temporary exhibitions.
Lucas Kovács
00
More than the castle, the location is what makes this place more attractive. The castle on a river bank adds a lot of walking space to relax and enjoy. Definitely, an excellent place to spend time with your friends and family. We didn't take the guided tour, but I have a feeling that it would have been worth it. There is a good amount of space to get into and a fair amount of stairs to climb. Inside the Castle is not wheelchair or child stroller friendly. If kids with you can walk and climb stairs with help its gonna be an adventure for them. There is adequete walking space around the castle with good views to the river as well as to the nature around. The silence is very pristine. Perhaps we were lucky that it was not crowded at all on the day of the visit. There is also a tavern and exhibition hall in the compound along with other amenities. And a play area for kids too. All in all you can spend a day easily over there if you drag time. I would recommend consider spending half a day. Combining with a river cruise with water taxi or the regular service will also be an additional cheer.
Ravikrishnan R Nair
00
This >650 year old Castle is very well preserved and has a lot of history. Built in the middle ages at the point where 2 main rivers come together, it was also strategically located between 2 areas in near constant war. In addition there were some conflicts between the owner of the castle, and the nobleman living there to keep things in check. Amongst other things these included the illegal charging of toll to passing ships. Later on the castle was in use as prison keeping political and religious prisoners (and their families), often sentenced to life. Finally the castle was made part of the Dutch waterline, a wide area of land that would be flooded (on purpose) to prevent foreign armies reaching the big cities. With the invention of airplanes in the 20th century that final use was no longer effective, and now this castle serves as a very nice, nostalgic and educational tourist attraction. The castle can be visited using a self guided tour with interactive audio and video props in multiple languages (English and Dutch for sure, but more available I think). Definitely worth a visit!
Caspar van der Sar
00
Visited Loevestein several times. The castle is robust and feels truly medieval. Location between the rivers is really nice, especially when you get there with a riverbus or rivertaxi, call Riveer for this service. The exhibition by Amnesty International was impressive, particularly the isolation cell of Mr Navalny. The castle tour is done through your phone or with a guide. It takes about 1.5-2 hours to go around the castle and ita surroundings. A walk in the fortress walls is recommended. As is a walk in the land between the rivers outside the castle. Just take a bit more time and make your 10K steps for the day there. Café with lunch options on site. Not really suitable for very young kids. Also hard to climb the stairs with a pram or wheelchair. Worth a visit.
Christy Duijvelaar
00
BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS! We were so enchanted by the area around the castle - the fields, water and magnificent horses on the hiking trail came as such a wonderful surprise! We will definitely bring our bicycles next time to explore even more. The castle itself is well taken care of and the staff is super friendly and helpful. We visited the castle late on a Saturday afternoon so we were unfortunately not able to visit the restaurant (also on the the list to do next time!) They have some fun summer holiday activities for the kids as well as castle tours. We spent about 2 hours on the premises - it wasn't busy at all. A very pleasant outing!
Zetske De Beer
00
Nearby Restaurants Of Loevestein Castle
De Pannekoekenbakker - Woudrichem
Fort Vuren
Restaurant Vurig
De Pannekoekenbakker - Woudrichem
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Fort Vuren
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Restaurant Vurig
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Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Loevestein 1, 5307 TG Poederoijen, Netherlands
Map
Phone
+31 183 447 171
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Website
slotloevestein.nl
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Overview
4.4
(2.2K reviews)
Ratings & Description
cultural
outdoor
family friendly
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Description
Loevestein Castle is a medieval castle in the municipality of Zaltbommel, Gelderland, the Netherlands. The castle was built by the knight Dirk Loef of Horne between 1357 and 1397.
attractions: , restaurants: De Pannekoekenbakker - Woudrichem, Fort Vuren, Restaurant Vurig
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