Netherlands > The Muiderslot Castle

It’s not easy to go away for a weekend during the corona crisis. Restaurants are closed, cafés are shut, and shops have their restrictions. Until last Wednesday, museums were also closed. Due to recently improved corona figures, the government lifted that measure. Nicolette and I have booked a Bed and Breakfast in Vreeland for this weekend. We made the reservation some time ago, before the partial lockdown was decided. Canceling our weekend was an option, but we decided to go ahead with it. Since no restaurants are open, we ordered food from a local restaurant. We can pick it up and eat it at our accommodation. Before driving to Vreeland, we head toward Muiden. We have booked a visit to Muiderslot Castle. We park the car just outside the old fortress of the town. We cross the drawbridge and walk into the old center. We pass the church, the town hall, and the sea locks. These locks connect the Vecht River with the IJmeer lake. In the distance, we can already see Muiderslot. Count Floris V had the Muiderslot built in the 13th century at this strategic location. Ships passing by had to pay toll—a lucrative source of income. Above the main entrance hangs a large banner of Sinterklaas. At this time of year, the castle offers the Saint a warm shelter. We cross the drawbridge again and enter the castle through the gate. It used to be harder to enter the castle. The bridge could be raised, and hot tar and stones could be dropped from gutters above the entrance to repel intruders. In the courtyard, we are kindly welcomed and given an audio tour. The employee clearly enjoys his job. He points out where the tower route begins. Up a narrow staircase, we enter one of the corner towers. Only when the audio tour mentions that the tower is not round do I notice its oval shape. This allowed a better view of the entrance gate and improved its defense. We proceed to the next tower via a modern walkway. In the past, routes deliberately ended in dead ends to trap possible invaders. The castle was never attacked or conquered. It did fall out of use in the 16th century. The castle walls could not withstand steel cannonballs.

Netherlands - The Muiderslot Castle in Muiden

The walls would not hold during an attack. In the early 1600s, the castle came into the hands of writer and poet Pieter Cornelisz Hooft. He wrote his books and poems in the castle and looked out on the plum orchard. Here lies the origin of the expression “tot in de pruimentijd” (until the plum season). The route ends at the third tower. “Please return the audio tour,” the small device says. Is this all there is to see of the castle? It turns out there is a second route. The still enthusiastic employee points us to the entrance. Besides the audio explanation about the prison cellar, Sinterklaas also welcomes us on a television screen. Tomorrow and the day after are dedicated to the Saint. Children can visit the castle where Sinterklaas stays. An employee of the castle explains that managing corona rules is a bit complicated. The helpers (Pieten) walk around in the castle, but Sinterklaas is only visible via video screens. A visit to Sinterklaas in person would involve too much risk. We leave the video screen in the cellar behind and follow the narrow spiral staircase upward. The stairs turn right and have uneven steps. This made it harder for intruders to climb. Upstairs, we enter the rooms of Count Floris V. From the window, on a clear day, the island of Pampus is visible. It feels a bit strange to walk among the Sinterklaas presents while simultaneously witnessing the history of the fortress. In the Knight’s Hall, justice was once served. This room was also used for receiving important guests. The king and queen have been guests here as well. Through the bedrooms, the Princes’ Chamber, and the kitchen, we return to the courtyard. Now the route really ends. We take one last walk around the castle and through the castle garden. Through the narrow streets of Muiden, we walk back. We pass the barracks, the casemates, and the monastery. Back at the car, we set the navigation for Vreeland. We decide not to take the highway but to drive through the countryside via Weesp and Nederhorst den Berg. Around half past four, we enter Vreeland. The village has an old center. As early as 1265, Vreeland received city rights. In the 16th century, these rights were revoked. Yet many Vreelanders still speak of “their city.” Our Bed and Breakfast is located in the middle of the old center along the Vecht River. It doesn’t seem hard to find. The center consists of just a few streets. To enter Raadhuisstraat, we have to wait for an oncoming car because the street is too narrow to pass each other.

Netherlands - The bridge over the Vecht in Vreeland

Voorstraat lies at the end, just before the drawbridge. It turns out it is not allowed to enter the street from this side; we can only turn right. We drive around the block to enter Voorstraat from the other side. Meanwhile, we get a good view of the characteristic and historic houses of Vreeland. We now stand in Voorstraat in front of the B&B. There is no parking space in the narrow street. A passerby advises us to cross the drawbridge. “There’s always space on the other side,” he says. “Be careful on the bridge,” he warns. To prevent heavy traffic, there are posts on both sides of the bridge. The passage is 1.80 meters wide. We carefully drive between the obstacles. The Bed and Breakfast ‘Jan’ is behind a residential house. Through a narrow gate, we arrive at the back house. This used to be a bakery, the owner’s daughter explains. It was used as a bakery until the early 2000s. It is chilly inside. She quickly turns up the heating. “It always warms up fast here,” she assures us. Downstairs is a kitchen and a dining table. Upstairs are two rooms. Due to corona, we are the only guests today. That’s nice. In our room, we pour a glass of wine. We really needed that. Around half past six, we walk to Lindengracht. There is the restaurant ‘Mevrouw Daalder.’ Our order is already ready. In our little kitchen, we warm the kale and meatball. Together with the salmon salad, it tastes great.