You Can't Skip this Netherlands Castle When You Visit Amsterdam

woman looks behind her standing on a fairytale bridge covered with green vines at kasteel de haar in the netherlands

Amsterdam Castle Netherlands

Even if you’re just visiting Amsterdam for a couple of days instead of a full Netherlands tour, you absolutely need to carve out half a day to visit this castle!

Located just a Bolt ride away from Utrecht, Kasteel de Haar (or Castle de Haar) is what fairytales are made of. The grounds themselves are incredibly expansive, featuring reflection pools, gardens, reindeer, and a wishing well.

You can get tickets for a tour of the castle, although if you have toddlers, you may want to take the palace tour in turns as there are a lot of breakable artifacts and stairs. The tour takes about an hour, whereas a self-guided tour of the grounds could take hours if you want to see everything.

woman looks out over a bridge at kasteel de haar in the netherlands

couple embraces on the kastle de haar grounds

Fairytale Netherlands Wedding

Located just 20 minutes from Utrecht Central, Kasteel de Haar would be a great location for a fairytale Amsterdam wedding, or engagement announcements in the Netherlands. The castle does require a photography fee, so make sure to budget for about €200 extra when booking a photographer.

I took these at the very beginning of my photography journey when we were visiting the Netherlands before our move to Amsterdam, so the couple you see here are actually not together at all and just friends that graciously let me pose them as a couple.

Amsterdam Mommy and Me Outings

Seriously, stop what you’re doing and put on your favorite princess dress, because Kasteel de Haar is the perfect outing for you and your daughter. Bring a picnic lunch and have tea on the grounds. It’ll be an outing she’ll never forget!