Castles near Amsterdam - Muiderslot Castle

Particularly for visitors from North America, Amsterdam already feels like a museum with its perfectly preserved 17th Century architecture filling the city center, but those wanting to take it a step further might be happy to know that they can visit a real castle that dates back to the year 1280 just at the edge of the suburbs. There are actually several hundred castles remaining in the Netherlands, and many of those aren’t too far from the capital, but Muiderslot Castle is the closest and best set up for a quick day trip from Amsterdam.

What you’ll see

The current castle actually had to be rebuilt starting in the late 14th Century, and it’s gone through a long series of private owners over the years, including Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, who was the 17th Century poet and playwright for whom Amsterdam’s ritziest shopping street was named. It had fallen into disrepair by the late 19th Century when it was purchased by the government to be restored and opened as a tourist attraction. It’s recently celebrated 125 years in this role, and the castle is still filled with furnishings, artifacts, armor, and weapons from its 17th Century heyday. Even just from the outside the Muiderslot Castle sitting inside its picturesque moat is a worthwhile attraction and photo opportunity for those who’ve not yet been to many European castles. There are also impressive gardens just outside the castle, which are quite nice in season.

Guided tours

The official Muiderslot Castle website is in both Dutch & English, as well as German, French, and Spanish. Guided tours of the castle are available in English, when English speakers turn up (many of the tours may also be in Dutch, but if there are English speakers there the tour will be bilingual at the very least). Tours leave about twice per hour and last about 45 minutes before depositing you in the gift shop. Once an additional cost to the entry fee, tours of the castle are now included in the price of your admission - the tours are well worth it on your first visit as they are the only way to access many of the upstairs areas.

Self-guided tours

There are two different self-guided tour routes within the castle grounds. The Tower Route and the Knight Route are available on free maps for those adventurous enough or impatient enough to skip the guided tours. An audio tour in English or Dutch is now included in the admission price.

Hours

From April through October the castle is open daily, and from November through March it’s open every day except Monday (as of 2026).

April to October
Daily 10am to 5pm

November to March
Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm

Admission

As of 2026, on the official site:
Adults: €19.50
Ages 4 to 11: €7.50

Getting to Muiderslot Castle

The castle is located in the village of Muiden just on the Ijmeer Lake, about 15 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam’s city center.

Driving - Take the A1/E231 toward Almere/Amersfoort and take Exit 3 and follow the signs for the castle.

Bus - The easiest way these days is the train from Centraal Station to Weesp, then bus 110 to the Muiden Centrum stop, which is about a 10-minute walk from the castle. The other option starts at Amstel Station, which is about 2 kilometers south of the Waterlooplein Flea Market and Rembrandtplein, near the east bank of the Amstel River. Many trams and buses go there, as does the Metro on the 3rd stop past Waterlooplein or the 5th stop from Centraal Station. From Amstel Station, buses 320, 322 and 327 run to P+R Muiden, and from there you can walk about 30 minutes or change to bus 110. The castle’s own directions page has the details.

For specifics on how the buses and fares work see the main Amsterdam public transportation page. The old strip tickets are long gone, so you pay by checking in and out with an OV-chipkaart or a contactless bank card.

Map of Muiderslot Castle and Amsterdam city center

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