Muiderslot 
Herengracht 1 1398 AA Muiden
Surrounded by a splendid castle moat and a wall walk on large arches on two sides, is furnished and decorated with art and everyday objects from the time of Pieter Cornelis Hooft, a dutch poet and writer. The castle is open to visitors for a great part of the year. The herb garden too, is worth a visit. It was built in 1280 by Count Floris V. The view to what used to be called the Zuiderzee is still magnificient. Stroll through the old harbour and experience a taste of medieval Holland.
Type : Castle & PalaceTelephone : 0031-0294-256262
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A 14th-century, fairy-tale castle with a moat, turrets, and stout walls with crenellations, Muiderslot perches on the bank of the Vecht River, just outside the small IJsselmeer harbor town of Muiden, 13km (8 miles) southeast of Amsterdam. Count Floris V of Holland, who in 1275 granted toll privileges to the vibrant new settlement of Aemstelledamme (Amsterdam), built the castle around 1280, and was murdered here by rival nobles in 1296. Muiderslot is also where poet P. C. Hooft found both a home and employment -- and inspiration for romantic and lofty phraseology -- when he served here as castle steward and local bailiff for 40 years in the early 17th century. The castle is furnished essentially as Hooft and his artistic friends, known in Dutch literary history as the Muiderkring (Muiden Circle), knew it. You'll find distinctly Dutch carved cupboard beds, heavy chests, fireside benches, and mantelpieces.