Muiderslot: the stone guardian of the Vecht River (18 photos)

Around 1280, Count Floris V ordered a stone fortress to be built at a strategic location on the estuary of the Vecht River.





This fortress, known today as Muiderslot, is one of the best preserved castles in the Netherlands. Visiting it feels like stepping back through the ages.



Floris V. Image from 1663

Floris V was not just a ruler, but a figure who was both admired and hated. His policies often put him in opposition to other influential figures of his time, including the Bishop of Utrecht. One of them, William of Mechelen, considered the castle of Floris a thorn in the side, since it not only controlled the river, but also collected tolls from passing ships.





In 1296, the count was treacherously captured by his own courtiers during a hunt. He was imprisoned in the dungeon of his own castle. Rumors of this quickly spread, and the people's discontent grew into a real riot. But it was too late.



Statue of Floris V in the Katwijk community. 2001

While trying to escape, Floris slipped in the water. And then one of the conspirators, Gerard van Velsen, stabbed him with a sword. This act became a turning point in the history of the castle.



But revenge followed. After Floris's death, the Bishop of Utrecht attacked Muiderslot with the intention of razing it to the ground. Fortunately, the castle survived, although it was seriously damaged.

A Castle Full of Horrors



Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft

It took almost eighty years before Muiderslot began to live a full life again. It remained a fortress equipped with everything necessary for defense: 48 embrasures, three loopholes for throwing stones, hot oil and tar instead of greeting guests.



If someone decided to storm the castle, they were heading for certain death. The approaches were visible from afar, and the only entrance was through a drawbridge. And the castle itself was surrounded by water, creating a natural defense.

Trial and execution



Muiderslot was not just a fortress, but also an administrative center. There was a court here, where anyone who broke the law or insulted the authorities was punished. Those who killed Floris V were dealt with especially cruelly.



The participants in the murder were captured and subjected to terrible torture. Then they were beheaded in the square in front of the castle, and their heads were impaled on pikes at the gate as a warning to others.

Dungeons of Fear



The prison in the castle was a place where only those who were tortured for a confession ended up. Exceptions were pregnant women and children under 14. The most brutal instruments were used for interrogation: the rack, tongs, hot iron.



The Vergetkerk was especially terrifying - an underground pit accessed through a hatch in the floor. There was no light, air, or food. People left there lost their minds, hoping that they would someday be rescued.



If guilt was proven, then severe punishment followed. Spies had their eyes gouged out, thieves had their hands chopped off, counterfeiters had their thumbs cut off, foul-mouthed people had their tongues pierced, and murderers were expectedly sent to the scaffold.

Heretics and witches were burned alive, exiles were branded so that everyone would know their "status".



It is interesting that you could buy your way out of punishment. Corruption, alas, flourished even in the Middle Ages.

House of Celebrities



From 1280 to 1795, 55 guards changed in the castle. But among them there was a special one - Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, a famous poet and writer. He lived here for 38 years and wrote his tragedy "Gerard van Velsen" about the betrayal of Floris V.



Hooft claimed to have seen the spirit of the Count wandering through the rooms in search of justice. But he was not the only one who appeared in the castle...

The Ghosts of Muidersloot



Legends say that the castle is haunted by other ghosts than just Floris V, who mourns his untimely death. There is the spirit of Machteld van Velsen, a woman who was allegedly raped by the Count, a laughing Englishman, harmless but frightening, and a ghost with a blue hand, a traitor doomed to wander the eternal corridors.



And in the dungeons, it seems, the groans of restless souls can still be heard…



Now Muiderslot is open to visitors. You can walk around the castle, hear the story from a guide or choose an audio tour. You can even look into one of the dungeons and see the garden and the hall where Hooft wrote the tragedy about the murder of Floris.