Netherlands > Castle Eerde near Ommen

Breakfast tastes great again today. A good way to start the day with a delicious meal. After breakfast, we pack our things and check out of the prison. We leave Almelo and drive toward Ommen. This afternoon, we will join a guided tour of Eerde Castle. Before that, we take a forest walk around the castle. In three hours, we walk past the tenant farms on the castle estate. At the De Meulenhorst farm, we can help ourselves to coffee. We put the money in a little box. At half past one, we’re back at the castle. The gate is still closed. Meanwhile, more people gather for the tour. Just before two o’clock, we are allowed inside. The group is split in two. We start the tour in the castle. Ida shows us the different rooms and tells us about the history of the building. The castle is not really a castle.

Netherlands - Eerde Castle built in 1715

It was built in 1715 as a hunting lodge for the Van Pallandt family. The hanging staircase in the hall is special and is the only one of its kind in the Netherlands. The rest of the castle is completely symmetrical. Even the marble floor tiles in the hall are cut from a single block and laid out in a mirrored pattern. On the grounds is also the International School Eerde. The school’s administration is located in the castle. Because of this, we can only visit the ground floor. The recent restoration looks beautiful. The tour ends with a walk around the castle and the international school. The sun has already disappeared and it’s cold. Ida decides to keep the tour short. She finishes at the gate. We thank her and quickly get in the car. We turn on the heater and drive back home.