Slot Zuylen

Zuylen Castle is a castle in the village of Oud-Zuilen near the city of Utrecht. It is located at the beginning of the Vechtstreek region, seen from Utrecht. The history of the castle already begins in the 13th century.In the 13th century, a keep was built by the Lord of Suilen and Anholt. Not much is known about this residential tower.In the 14th century, the keep was expanded with a hall house. The Van Zuylen family divided into various branches: the Van Zuylen family remained the ruler of the castle until the 14th century. In 1422, Frank van Borssele inherited the castle through marriage. The castle was razed to the ground in the same year during the Hoekse and Kabeljauwse wars by the Utrecht Hoeken.
Source: Wikipedia

One of the castle's most famous residents was writer Belle van Zuylen (1740-1805).The castle is located in a 1.5-hectare park with a 120-metre-long serpentine wall. The castle also includes moats with the following special national monuments: quay walls, a culvert, bridge, gatehouse, corner tower, coach house, gardener's house, castle farm, wood storage and wagon shed, playhouse, iron fencing and a vegetable garden.Between the castle and the Vecht is a church that was rebuilt after a fire in 1848. The church is a national monument and previously there was a chapel here. Under the church floor is a gravestone of Willem van Rennenberg. About half a kilometre from the castle is the Oud-Zuilen cemetery, which serves as a burial place for the Van Tuyll van Serooskerken family, among others. Source and more info: Wikipedia

It was not until 1510 that the reconstruction of Zuylen Castle began by the nobleman Willem van Rennenberg. Shortly after it was put into use, it was recognized as a knight's court. His descendants, including George van Lalaing, and the Egmond family owned it until it was sold to the Amsterdam merchant Jasper Quinget in 1611. His fellow citizen Adam van Lockhorst became the next owner six years later. Around 1620, Admiral Steven van der Hagen was a resident of the castle. The castle eventually came into the possession of the Van Tuyll van Serooskerken family through inheritance in 1656. Thanks to their contacts, Zuylen Castle remained unaffected in the Disaster Year of 1672.[2]The 120-meter serpentine wall was built in 1742. The castle was last extensively renovated in 1751-1752. The castle was given a U-shape: the defensive wall was demolished and the associated moat filled in, so that the courtyard became a forecourt. In order to achieve a symmetrical whole, a left wing was added.
Source and more info: Wikipedia