The spiffed-up version of the fortress you see now is how it was believed to look around 1500, but equipped with all the creature comforts available in the late 19th century, such as electric lighting and running water. To visit the castle you must join one of the hourly guided tours.
The restoration project by PJ Cuypers was so extensive that the church and the nearby hamlet of Haarzuilens became involved. The castle's owner, Baron Etienne van Zuylen, spared little expense and had the entire village moved so there'd be adequate space for the park and hunting grounds.
The castle is surrounded by a large English landscaped garden with broad paths, canal-like stretches of pond and statues throughout. The French baroque garden near the entrance bears the stamp of Héléne de Rothschild, the baron's wife and heir of the renowned Rothschild banking family – it was her fortune that paid for the 19th-century restoration.
