Rijksmuseum Muiderslot - Muiden

No one knows for sure when Muiderslot was built but there are some who believe it to be 1280. Count Floris V bought or built the castle, which was strategically located where the river Vecht flowed into the Zuiderzee (now the IJmeer). Because Muiden has a harbor and the castle lies at the mouth of the harbour, Count Floris could impose tolls on passing ships. On 27 June 1296, an infamous incident took place here in which Count Floris V was captured by some nobles during a falconry hunt and locked up in the castle. He was caught trying to escape and died from multiple stab wounds inflicted by Gerard van Velsen. Some time later, the castle was destroyed by Bishop Willem van Mechelen. A new castle was built seventy years later by Count Albrecht van Beieren on the remains of the old castle and still stands today. However, some historians dispute whether the destruction of the original castle ever happened.

During the 17th century, the famous Muiderkring meetings took place here and it was inhabited by the high bailiff of Muiden. During French rule, the castle was used as a barracks and there was a period of decline. The property was offered for sale in 1825 in order to be demolished. The state retained possession of the land, but the buyer could get rid of all the demolished material and sell it at his own expense. After a lot of protests, King William I withdrew the announced sale and the Ministry of War turned over the castle to the Ministry of the Interior, who had it restored in 1895. This restoration was under the direction of the then famous architect Pierre Cuypers. Muiderslot and the surrounding fortress belong to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Visit the best-preserved medieval castle in the Netherlands and experience real history. With medieval routes, a guided tour through the Golden Age, an atmospheric castle square with a cosy terrace at the Taveerne and lovely historic gardens.