Hernen castle - Hernen

On the edge of the village of Hernen, in the far west of the Rijk van Nijmegen region, lies Castle Hernen. The castle began around 1350 as a simple residential tower or donjon. Over the following centuries, it was gradually expanded into a closed castle complex, with the courtyard becoming increasingly built up.

However, the original tower no longer exists: in the 18th century it collapsed and disappeared permanently from the castle’s silhouette. Inside, a scale model shows what the castle looked like with the tower still standing. Today, the story of the collapsed tower is brought back to life with light and sound effects, allowing visitors to experience just how large and impressive the complex once was.

Castle Hernen is exceptionally well preserved, partly because it has not been lived in since the 17th century and was never besieged. It is even the only castle in the Netherlands with fully covered wall walks still intact. Visitors can take an interactive tour with a talking lantern and a lord of the castle who shares the history. A fun fact for fans: in 1968, Hernen was also the filming location for the Dutch TV series Floris.