Slot Haamstede (Haamstede Castle)

Haamstede castle is located right in the centre of town, across from the church. It is a quintessential castle, complete with moat and is surrounded by a forest, a nature reserve and a sand dunes reserve known as ‘de Zeepeduinen’. The deciduous forest was planted as part of a park created on the castle’s grounds in the eighteenth century.

The forest is no longer being managed as a park, but there are still plenty of paths.

Over thirty species of birds have made the forest their home and bats now hibernate in the bunkers left over from the Second World War. Access to the area without a guide is limited, but we can recommend taking a guided tour to reveal its most some amazing spots. 

The castle’s history
The castle’s most famous resident was Witte van Haamstede, an illegitimate son of Count Floris V. The castle’s keep dates from the 13th century and was the only part of the original building to survive when the rest of the castle was destroyed in a fire in 1525. The castle was later rebuilt and then restored in 1973 and in 1981 when it came under the protection of the Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments (Vereniging Natuurmonumenten).