Kastel de Haar in Utrecht: What is it? How to get there from Amsterdam?

Posted on March 13, 2023March 13, 2023 by Amsterdam Guide

Kastel de Haar is one of the most visited attractions in the entire Netherlands. It is located near the city of Utrecht, one of the most popular and best cities in the Netherlands. The distance from Amsterdam Centraal to Kastel de Haar is approximately 40 kilometers. How is it possible to travel between Amsterdam and Kastel de Haar? Is it worth the trip?

Many people coming to the Netherlands have read and heard about Keukenhof. That is a place everyone should visit, but you should definitely visit the magnificent Kastel de Haar as well. Why is that?

Why visit Kastel de Haar?

Kasteel de Haar, also known as De Haar Castle, is a medieval-style castle located in the Netherlands, near the city of Utrecht. The castle was originally built in the 14th and 15th centuries, but it wasn’t taken good care of. In the end of the 19th century and in the start of the 20th century, the castle was restored and expanded by the wealthy van Zuylen family, who owned the property at the time.

Today, Kasteel de Haar is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands, attracting visitors from all over the world. The castle features a stunning array of medieval architecture, including turrets, towers, moats, and drawbridges. Inside, visitors can explore a variety of rooms and halls, including the grand ballroom, the library, and the kitchen.

The castle is surrounded by a large park and gardens, which feature a variety of sculptures, fountains, and other decorative elements. Visitors can take guided tours of the castle and its grounds, and there are also a number of events and activities held here throughout the year, including concerts, exhibitions, and festivals. As you visit the area, you can buy a ticket that allows you to visit the park only, or you can buy a ticket that will give you entrance to the castle itself, in addition to the park. No matter which option you choose, you will witness one of the most beautiful areas in all the Netherlands.

How to travel from Amsterdam to Kastel de Haar with public transportation?

The easiest way to visit Kastel de Haar is with a car. You can then drive straight to the castle, park your car, and enjoy the park, the castle, and the surroundings. But if you do not have a car and don’t want to pay for a taxi, then you can use public transportation. That is, however, a little bit complicated and quite time consuming, meaning you should consider joining an arranged trip instead.

If you still want to use public transportation, this is the best way to travel from Amsterdam (or other cities in the Netherlands) to Kastel de Haar.

Travel by train to Utrecht Centraal.
Travel from Utrecht Centraal to Vleuten by train.
Ride with bus 127 from Vleuten Station to “Haarzuilens, Eikslaan/Kasteel”.
Walk from the bus stop to the castle.

Haarzuilen is a beautiful little village next to the castle, so it is a perfect location for lunch, a cup of coffee, or for a delightful dinner.

The bus connecting Vleuten Station with Kastel de Haar doesn’t ride too often (normally once per hour), meaning that you should plan this beforehand if you don’t want to end up waiting unnecessarily. This is also true about your return ride to Vleuten Station as you finish your trip to Kastel de Haar.

What to eat near Kastel de Haar?

Are you looking for something to eat near Kastel de Haar? There are places within the castle-area where you can find something to eat and drink. Would you like to eat in something reminding more of a normal restaurant? You will find several restaurants a few hundred meters from the castle in the village of Haarzullens. This is a fantastic village with a great atmosphere, making it an ideal solution if you want to eat a warm lunch or a nice dinner.

If you want to eat a delightful Italian pizza instead, travel back to the center of Vleuten. Close to Vleuten Station you can find the Italian restaurant Cucina Elena. Here you can eat one of the best pizzas in the Netherlands (that is our subjective opinion) making it worth a stop if you are in the area.

Where to live near Kastel de Haar?

Are you looking for a place to live near Kastel de Haar? Here you have a few suggestions.

The Lodge: You don’t get closer to Kastel de Haar than this. This farm-like accommodation is approximately 1000 meters from the castle, making it an ideal solution for a fantastic sleep in a peaceful environment near the castle.
Brasserie de Brouverij: This accommodation is in the center of Vleuten. It is “only” 2.6km from Kastel de Haar. You can easily walk from this location to the castle in a peaceful environment making it a good solution if you want to live a bit more central than what you do at “The Lodge.” You will find grocery stores, restaurants, and the train station close to this accommodation.

Those were some suggestions if you want to spend the night in a hotel or something reminding you of a hotel near Kastel de Haar.

Do you have any further questions or comments? Write them below!

Can I watch HBO Max in the Netherlands?

Posted on January 14, 2021January 14, 2021 by Amsterdam Guide

Are you tired of COVID-19? Are you fed up with having be in lockdown? Are you looking for a great movie to stream, but you have seen everything available on Netflix in the Netherlands? Is there a way to get access to HBO Max and other streaming services in the United States while living in the Netherlands? Yes!

It is actually quite easy to watch HBO Max in the Netherlands. If you want a very easy guide showing you how it works, take a look at the following article in the IP Address Guide. There you can see it step by step how you can access HBO Max in the Netherlands and how you can pay for your HBO Max subscription without a payment card issued in the United States.

If you follow those instructions, you can also watch content on American Netflix (there are lots of TV series and movies available there that you cannot find on Netflix in the Netherlands), and you can even watch content on ITV and BBC in the United Kingdom, and free content on the websites of FOX, NBC, and CBS. Isn’t that cool? That should cheer you up a little bit, even if you are fed up with COVID and working from home.

Which is the best VPN for HBO Max?

To watch HBO Max in the Netherlands, you need to use a VPN. There are lots of VPN services on the market, but I believe the best might be ExpressVPN or SurfsharkVPN (based on this article). Check it out to find more information.

Let us just hope that the vaccine will help us get rid of COVID-19 as quickly as possible, and that life will turn back to normal quickly. When it does, we will once again be able to watch Wonder Woman 2, James Bond, and other blockbusters in the cinema, instead of watching it all on our screens at home! It might be cheaper to watch movies at home, but it doesn’t give you the same feeling as sitting in a cinema with a big screen and feeling the smell of popcorn from the people surrounding you!

Formula 1 – returning to the Netherlands in 2020

Posted on February 25, 2020February 25, 2020 by Amsterdam Guide

Those in love with speeds are really happy to see that the Formula 1 racers will come to the Netherlands to race in 2020. Dutch Grand Prix Zandvoort will be arranged on May 3rd in 2020, so get ready for action and fun if you come to the Netherlands in this period.

More information about the event can be found right here.

Ready for Ajax – Real Madrid on February 13th

Posted on February 7, 2019February 7, 2019 by Amsterdam Guide

In less than a week, it will be time for the fantastic match between Ajax and Real Madrid at Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam. Are you going to be there in person?

The people of Amsterdam weren’t to happy about getting Real Madrid as their opponent in the first stage of the knockout part of the Champions League in 2018-19. But, with an Ajax team in great shape and with lots of good results behind them, what better team to beat than Real Madrid?

Ajax will play against Real Madrid on February 12th — Ajax will play against Real Madrid on February 13th

The first match between the teams will be played at Amsterdam Arena on February 12th and it will start around 21.00. It will be an amazing game, and we truly cheer for Ajax to beat the crap out of the team from Madrid. But, it isn’t going to be easy as Real Madrid has been playing fairly well recently, and they just played 1-1 against Barcelona at Nou Camp. In addition, Karim Benzema seems to get a hold of hitting the net, so the team from Amsterdam might want to watch especially out for him.

What to expect at the Amsterdam Arena

The fantastic venue in Amsterdam has space for more than 50,000 people, and it will for sure be packed on February 13th. Did you know that this amazing stadium actually has a retractable roof, and it takes around 20 minutes to open or to close it. That is kind of cool, isn’t it? It was the first stadium in Europe to have such a roof above their stadium.

None of the players at the Real Madrid team now were present at the stadium in 1998, but back then, Real Madrid won a Champions League final against Juventus at this very stadium (1-0).

Where to watch Ajax – Real Madrid?

You can watch the match at the actual stadium (instructions on how to get there will come later). But, if you cannot be there at the stadium, the match will be shown at all the sports pubs and restaurants around town. If you’d rather just sit on your own and watch it on your computer or tablet, you can read more about how and where to stream Ajax – Real Madrid online in this article.

How to get to Amsterdam Arena?

Are you going to the match between Ajax and Real Madrid, but wonder how you can actually get to Amsterdam Arena? It is very easy!

The fastest way to get to the stadium is by taking a train from Amsterdam Central to the station named Bijlmer ArenA. This is a ride that takes around 15 minutes, and you will be just by the stadium as you leave the train.

If you want to use the metro instead, travel with metro 54 from the center of Amsterdam to the stop with the same name, and you will get to the stadium quickly (though a little bit slower than you would taking the train).

The exact address of the venue is ArenA Boulevard 1, 1101 AX Amsterdam.

Go for it Dusan Tadic, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Hakim Ziyech, Donny van de Beek and Kasper Dolberg!

These are the guys who have scored most goals for Ajax so far this season. Dusan Tadic has a total of 22 goals so far, while Huntelaar has scored 15 goals, and Ziyech following with 14 goals. That is a lot of goals, meaning that Ajax is a team that should be watched out for.

As we wrote earlier, Karim Benzema is the Real Madrid player with most goals so far this season (18 in total). Behind him comes Gareth Bale (11), and then the defender Sergio Ramos (10).

Amsterdam Marathon 2018

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Amsterdam Guide

TCS Amsterdam Marathon is the biggest running event in the Netherlands every year. In 2018, the marathon will be arranged on October 21st.

Are you a runner? Maybe you have been practicing for a while, but still, feel incapable of running an entire marathon? There are several possibilities if you want to take part in the TCS Amsterdam Marathon in 2018.

On October 21st there will be a total of five races arranged in Amsterdam. The main event is, of course, the TCS Marathon. This is open for 16,500 participants. Then comes the Mizuno Half Marathon (which is available for 18,500 people). If running a half-marathon seems scary as well, maybe the 8K run is more like something for you. This race is open for 8000 participants.

For the younger generation, there will be two different races arranged. There is a so-called kids-run, and then there is the mini-marathon.

There should be something for every generation, and something for all kind of athletes, so make sure to join in if you want to discover Amsterdam while running.

The official website of the TCS Marathon can be found here.

If you want to take part, make sure to register as soon as possible because it will most likely get full very soon. Registration has been open since November last year.

Want to read more about other events and happenings in Amsterdam? Read through our Amsterdam Guide at www.guideamsterdam.org to find ideas, inspiration, and useful travel information.

Bitcoin in Amsterdam

Posted on February 20, 2018February 21, 2018 by Amsterdam Guide

Would you like to spend Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in Amsterdam? It ain’t gonna be easy, but there are a few places that can help you get rid of some digital currency.

There are quite a lot of articles on the Internet presenting places in Amsterdam accepting Bitcoin. We have, of course, read through those articles, and then contacted the places mentioned in those articles to see if they still accept Bitcoin as a payment method. It is a well-known fact that Bitcoin is expensive to use and it is slow, and for that reason, it isn’t really working well as a payment method if you want to buy two cups of coffee. One year ago it was quicker and cheaper, now it is slower and more expensive, and thus we had a feeling that places that once accepted Bitcoin, might have stopped since then.

We sent out emails to quite a lot of places that once accepted Bitcoin in Amsterdam, and these are the answers we got.

Cocomama Hostel: “We used to accept bitcoin payments, although not anymore. Now we only accept card payments.”

Labeled with Trust: “No, unfortunately, we no longer accept Bitcoin as there was no demand for it. “

Filmhuis Cavia: “Yes, we still accept Bitcoin. ”

We are still waiting for answers from more places, and we will update this article as soon as we receive them.

Places accepting Bitcoin in Amsterdam

Filmhuis Cavia – website
Watch interesting movies that you cannot see in a standard theater.
Bitcoin Embassy – website
A place to learn about Bitcoin, drink a cup of coffee, buy crypto-gadgets, eat a steak, and to spend your Bitcoin.

Do you want to know more about Bitcoin while in Amsterdam? There is a monthly meetup in Amsterdam named “Bitcoin Wednesday” and it has been going on for years. Find out more about these meetups at https://www.bitcoinwednesday.com/.

Do you know more places accepting Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies in Amsterdam?

Do you know a place in Amsterdam that accept Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, please write a comment beneath. We will update this article regularly, and hopefully, it will become an up to date list presenting locations in Amsterdam accepting different cryptocurrencies as payments methods.

We thank you already for your help!

Shakira concert in Amsterdam

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Amsterdam Guide

On a sweet Thursday in Amsterdam, Shakira will perform in the fantastic Ziggo Dome? Which Thursday? November 14th! Would you like to be there?

Shakira will only visit a couple of cities in Europe in 2017, and one of those cities is Amsterdam. When she comes to the Dutch capital, she will arrive after one concert in Cologne, two in Paris and one in Antwerpen. As she leaves Amsterdam, the singer will head towards Montpellier in France.

All the mentioned cities are nice places to visit, but why not visit Amsterdam on November 14th? You can start the day on your bicycle, discover the city, look at some art in one of the beautiful art museums, and then head towards the Ziggo Dome in the evening after eating a nice meal in an Amsterdam restaurant? Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

Would you like to be there at the Shakira concert in Amsterdam? You can buy tickets for the event using the ticket link beneath.

Shakira Amsterdam 2017

Ziggodome
November 14th, 20.00

Tickets: Viagogo

Would you like to know more about the city of Amsterdam? Look around here in our Amsterdam Guide!

Ajax vs. Rosenborg, Europe League qualification

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Amsterdam Guide

Last year Ajax Amsterdam got all the way to the Europe League final. This year they can play in the Europe League again, but first, they have to beat Rosenborg in the last qualification round.

A couple of days ago both Ajax Amsterdam and Rosenborg played for a spot in the Champions League. Neither of the teams succeeded, as Rosenborg lost 1-0 to Celtic (after two matches), and Ajax played 3-3 against the French team Nice. As Nice scored two goals in Amsterdam, they won based on more away-goals scored than Ajax.

Ajax was close at beating Nice. Ten minutes before the second match finished, they were in the lead with 2-1. But, that was when Vincent Marcel scored a goal for Nice, and thus they qualified for the last stage in the qualification round for Champions League, while Ajax was “relegated” to the Europe League qualification.

Ajax vs. Rosenborg

The first match between Ajax and Rosenborg will be played at Amsterdam Arena on August 17th. Ajax is major favorites in front of the game, especially considering Rosenborg’s poor results lately, and not being able to score goals. They once were a giant in Europe, but that is history. In their team, they have the Danish super-striker Nicklas Bendtner, who once was one of the best in Europe, but those days are history. If Bendtner, however, would get back some of his old greatness, he could be a guy able to give RBK a victory in this match, against all odds.

The return match will be played in Trondheim one week later, on August 24th. The winning team will qualify for the Europe League group stage, while the loser will look forward to an autumn with football only in their domestic league.

If Ajax loses these matches, it will be a total disaster for the club fighting to get back among the top teams in Europe. Are you eager to watch the match between Ajax and Rosenborg on August 17th? Read more about Ajax Amsterdam and where to buy tickets for their matches here.

Would you like to watch the different Europe Leagues matches online? You can find more instructions on how to stream Europe League online here. Those instructions will first turn valid during the group stage.

What else to do in Amsterdam?

What are you gonna do in Amsterdam before and after the match? There are lots of exciting activities in Amsterdam. If you like art, then the Van Gogh and the Rembrandt museum should be considered real candy. Some people might think that a typical football-fan doesn’t care about art, but that is a false stereotype, that isn’t true at all. So why not visit an art museum before the match? And when you are finished, why not enjoy a canal cruise on the canals of Amsterdam?

Read more about cool programs, activities, and attractions in Amsterdam here in our Amsterdam Guide.

UEFA EURO 2017 in Holland

Posted on July 11, 2017October 24, 2017 by Amsterdam Guide

The Netherlands will arrange the UEFA Euro 2017 in the period between July 16th and August 6th. The matches will be played at venues in seven different cities, but unfortunately Amsterdam isn’t one of those.

Female football has for a long time been despised and looked down at, but things might be changing. When the Dutch team will enter the field to play their group stage matches, all tickets have already been sold out, about a week before it will even start.

The dutch team and their matches

Their first match will be played in Utrecht (which is less than 30 minutes from Amsterdam), and the stadium which is named Stadion Galgenwaard, has space for more than 23,000 people. The opening match will be against Norway on July 16th. It will start at 18.00.

The second match will be played on July 20th in Rotterdam at the Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel. This stadium only has space for a bit more than 10,000 people.

The last group stage match for the Dutch ladies will be at July 24th at the Koning Willem II Stadion in Tilburg. This stadium has capacity for almost 15,000 people.

No matter what you say, it will be a fantastic experience for these ladies to play matches in front of packed stadiums and lots of people cheering.

The final of the very tournament will be played in Entschede at the stadium De Grolsch Veste. This has capacity for 30,000 people… so whoever will play in that match, will for sure have a fantastic time.

Do you want to watch some of the matches?

It is very easy to travel around the Netherlands using the railway, so read more about that here in our Amsterdam Guide. If you want to buy tickets for any of the matches, you can do so at http://www.weuro2017.nl/en/ticket-service. The group stage matches of Netherlands are already sold out, but you can still find tickets for all the matches of the other teams.

Would you rather just stream the event on your tablet, laptop, computer or maybe watch it on TV instead? You can find out more about how and where to watch the event online in this article.

Can the Dutch ladies win?

The bookmakers keep Germany as their big favorites before the start of the tournament. The Netherlands only come as the fifth most likely team to win the tournament, but one should not forget about the advantage of playing at home. We believe that Holland might get all the way to the final, but we must say that they will for sure have a hard time beating Germany!

Andrea Bocelli concert in Amsterdam 2017

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Amsterdam Guide

The 14th of October in 2017 Andrea Bocelli will come to Amsterdam and he will sing and enchant the audience in the Ziggodome. Are you gonna be among them?

Andrea Bocelli will tour large parts of the world in 2017. He will not only visit Amsterdam, but he will also travel and perform in cities such as Linz, Graz, New York, Monte Carlo, Marbella, Bratislava, Budapest, Wien, Prague, München and Hannover.

The Andrea Bocelli concert in Amsterdam on October 14th will start at 20.00, and if you want to be there at the event, then you can buy your tickets from Viagogo using the link beneath.

There will be loads of other cools events taking place in Amsterdam as well this autumn, so look around in our Amsterdam Guide for more information on such events, or visit Viagogo and do a search for Amsterdam. You will then find a list of all sorts of concerts and events in Amsterdam for which you can buy tickets at the given website.

Andrea Bocelli Amsterdam 2017

October 14th, 20.00
Ziggodome

Tickets: Viagogo

We wish you a very pleasant stay in Amsterdam. If you want to find out more about the attractions in town, then we can recommend visiting our article on the most famous articles in Amsterdam. There you can read about the special sights in town. But, to be honest, Amsterdam is not that much about famous landmarks, but much rather about great museums and a fantastic atmosphere. You can read much more about those museums and activities here in our Amsterdam Guide as well.