Visiting Muiderslot Castle has been on my “Things To Do in Amsterdam” list for quite some time.
Unfortunately, visiting Muiderslot Castle during the late fall and winter, when I have had extra time on my trips, was never possible as the castle is only open on weekends and I had only been there on weekdays. Two weeks ago, however, I finally got my chance!
Waking up on Sunday morning, I ventured over to the Amsterdam Central Station and hopped on the subway line to Amstel Station (direction Westwijk). Exiting the rear of the station to the bus stops, I waited for bus 322 (direction Almere Parkwijk via Muiden P&R). Bus 320 can also be taken from this location depending on your arrival time at Amstel Station and both are about a 20 minute ride to the bus stop P+R Terrein.
Arriving in Muiden, take your time during the 10-15 minute picturesque walk thru the town towards the castle. Admire the locks and boats parked in the River Vecht and the typical Dutch homes that line the route. The course is well marked, however, if you find yourself distracted and make a wrong turn, the Dutch locals will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.
Once you have arrived at Muiderslot and purchased your ticket to the castle, first take in the stronghold’s beauty and then proceed to the booking terminal near the bridge. Scanning your ticket, you will receive a coupon with an admittance time for the next guided tour.
Walk across the bridge, taking time for a few selfies (of course) and proceed through the entryway into the courtyard. Here, you will meet your guide for the tour, which lasts approximately one hour. If you have time before the tour begins, you can visit the dungeon, walk along the ramparts or grab a snack in the tavern.
Disappointingly, tours are conducted in Dutch only, although our tour guide also spoke English. We were given printed guides with which we were instructed to follow along as we entered each room. Most information was very straightforward, however, there were some things that we did not understand and had to wait until the tour guide had a minute to answer our questions. That being said, the main benefit of taking the tour is that you are allowed in parts of the castle, only accessible while on the tour.
After, the tour is complete, there are many parts of the castle that you can visit as well as many static and interactive displays. Especially entertaining are the displays that you can stand behind with only your face showing. Ever wanted to be a jester? Here’s your chance!
Most impressive was the multitude of things that are strictly for children’s enjoyment. If you’ve ever hauled your children somewhere on vacation, thinking the history would be good for them, only to have them tell you that “this is boring!”, this will not be the case here! With all of the fun activities available, your children will be begging you not to leave!
Surrounding the castle are beautiful gardens and views. Time should be set aside to walk around and enjoy the outside of the castle after your exit.
For your return to Amsterdam, return to the area in which you were dropped off and backtrack one block. Here, you can catch one of the buses on their return to Amstel Station.
Muiderslot Castle
- Adults € 13,50
- Children 4-11 € 9,00
- Children under 4 Free
- Museumkaart Free
- http://www.muiderslot.nl
Note: When purchasing an OV chip card (€ 7,50+additional cash loaded onto the card), and using this card for travel, the fares will be lower than mentioned above.
Travel
- Subway fare (one way) € 2,90
- Bus fare (one way) € 5,00
Check out more pictures on my Facebook page, Snapping the Globe.