An Anniversary date at a Dutch castle: Kasteel de Haar

28.07.2026

We had been discussing for quite some time the day before about where to celebrate our "first meet" anniversary. Finally, my husband suggested visiting a castle and its gardens. However, having seen plenty of castles in Europe, I wasn't entirely convinced. Instead, I had envisioned a charming farm with sheep on a faraway island.

When the day arrived, we wrapped up lunch and realized it was already too late to make it to the island. So a split-second decision later, off we went to this unfamiliar castle - at least unfamiliar to me. And I must say, I wouldn't be writing this blog if my husband had made the wrong choice. Because the castle was more than what one would expect out of a lovely date evening. It even had hidden surprises that any girl would love to have. Hubby 1, me 0. Or did we both win?

The drive to the castle was beautiful in itself. We were routed by google maps to this quaint Dutch village called Harmelen with canals and brick houses, and quite fancy cars for such a small settlement.

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In a very short time, we reached the castle gates, and parked our car in a paid parking lot right in front of the castle. At the castle entrance, we purchased tickets for both the castle grounds and the car park.

The beauty of the castle gardens hadn't quite hit me when we first stepped inside. We initially saw a tall spire and some landscaping done at the front. It was only as we wandered deeper inside that I realised just how sprawling the grounds were, with small pathways winding in all directions and in that moment, you could be a princess in her long gown running down those steps into the forest to read a book under a quiet nook, for there were many.

The castle itself was magnificent, showcasing the characteristics of Dutch architecture. Its small, brightly painted red glass windows and intricate brickwork were particularly striking. It was overall a very picturesque setting.

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We walked around the gardens soaking in the beauty, and after a while, we chanced upon a deer sanctuary. I could not believe my eyes, and let out a small shriek, after all, I had wanted to see sheep, and in replacement, I got to get up close to some very pretty deer. There were lots of them, surrounded by a fence, lazily sleeping on the ground and munching on grass.

This was not something I expected out of this castle visit, and it completely brightened up my day.

We found a quiet bench overlooking the deer park and simply sat there for a while, enjoying the breeze and watching people wander through the grounds. It was one of those places that quietly makes you slow down.

All in all, it was a perfect day and a perfect place. And we hope to come back here someday again but this time with a delicious picnic basket!