Castles are not in our area, so it's always nice when you encounter during a hike.
Slangenburg is first mentioned in 1354 as property of Maes (Thomas) Baer. In the 17th century the castle was owned by the commander Frederik Johan van Baer (1645-1713), who converted to live there. It came in the 18th century in the possession of the family Steengracht and inherited in 1781 by the Van der Goltz family, [2] in the latter family it remained until 1863 after which Van der Goltz heirs sold it in 1895.
The last private owners, since 1895 the family Passmann, were Germans. Members of this family are buried in the special cemetery beside the moat. After the war, all German possessions confiscated and so the castle was owned by the Dutch state. The castle and the grounds and buildings within the outer moat are part of the portfolio of RGD; the surrounding estate is under the care of Forestry.
Today the castle is used as a guest house of the abbey. The estate and the chapel of the monastery are open to the public. The ancient lane system on the estate is special. It is laid out in the shape of a trapezium.