Visitor center Land van Zuylen
The Visitor center Land van Zuylen is situated in the former carriage house of the Zuylen Castle. Walk in for VVV tourist information, information about the region, walking and biking tours and more.
Zuylen Castle
The Zuylen Castle lies directly next to the TOP Oud-Zuilen. This medieval castle was rebuilt as an estate in the 18th century. Its most famous inhabitant was the writer, Belle van Zuylen. The Zuylen Castle has been open to the public as a museum for over 60 years. Learn more about the Zuylen Castle with a guided tour or take a stroll through the castle garden.
Open: From March 15 to May 15 and Sept 15 to Nov 15: guided tours on Saturday and Sunday.
From May 10 to Sept 15: guided tours also on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
From Nov 15 to March 15: open to groups by appointment only.
The castle gardens are wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately, the castle itself is not.
Address: Tournooiveld 1, 3611 AS Oud-Zuilen
Information: www.slotzuylen.nl or tel. 030-2440255
The village of Oud Zuilen
Oud-Zuilen is nestled in a magnificent spot along the River Vecht, with ample nature and culture just around the corner. Nowhere else will you experience life on an estate as vividly as you will here, among the beautiful antiques and paintings. As if the last inhabitant might return at any moment. Unique sights to see in the village include the former Reformed Church and the 18th-century Zuylenburg and Swaenenvecht mansions. In the center of town, you find a characteristic bridge crossing the River Vecht, the J.C. Plomp Bridge from 1934. On the other side of the bridge, you can walk into the park belonging to the former Groenhoven estate. Here there is a spot set up for picnics. On the Groeneweg is one of the oldest public cemeteries of the Netherlands. It is here that the Family Van Tuyll van Serooskerken is buried.
The Buitenwegse and Westbroekse Windmills
The two windmills in Oud-Zuilen stand close to each other, but each functions in its own polder. The windmill of the Buitenweg polder is the smallest mill of the province of Utrecht. It stands next to the Westbroekse Mill, which is the largest mill of the province. Both windmills pump the excess water out of the polders and into the nearby River Vecht.
Estates along the Vecht
The Vecht region is famous for its estates. Around 200 of these monumental summer homes stand on the banks of the River Vecht, built by Amsterdam merchants who earned their fortune in commerce in the 17th century. A handful of these estates are open to the public, including the Zuylen Castle in Oud-Zuilen and Goudestein en Doornburgh in Maarssen.
Information: www.utrechtsebuitenplaatsen.nl
Zuylenburgh Planetarium
In the Zuylenburgh estate, located on the Dorpsstraat, you find the Zuylenburgh Planetarium. Since 2009, there is a ceiling planetarium here. This mechanical moving scale model of the solar system is the second of its kind in the Netherlands. The planetarium is in a private home and so can be visited only by appointment.
Information: www.planetariumzuylenburgh.com
Zuylen Castle- Arjan den Boer