Castle Hulshoff, or Burg Hulshoff, is another water castle, or Wasserschloss, located in the town of Havixbeck in the Muensterland area of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The castle is one of those rare locations that is frequently visited by tourists, yet is still loved by locals, for some common reasons, and for some very different reasons.
Castle Hulshoff is known to be very old. Although a specific erection date does not seem to be common knowledge, it is in historic records as a house, as far back as the 11th century, so it was there before 1,100 AD. It seems it was built from the beginning to be surrounded by water, however, as said, it was primarily built as a home, and it was not until the 1540s, that it was extended and fortified to become a protective and defensive castle.
During this time frame, other construction on the castle home, and outbuildings were made as well. While the chapel and the manicured floral gardens were added in later centuries, the main castle and grounds appear very much as they have since the changes of the 16th and 17th centuries.
The history of Castle Hulshoff is largely intertwined with it’s famed former resident, the Poet Annette von Droste-Huelshoff. She is one of Germany’s most important poets, and perhaps, it’s finest female poet.
The grounds surrounding the castle now compose a large and beautiful public park and gardens, and a wildlife refuge. When walking the castle grounds, the view is lovely and peaceful from almost every point of view. It seems reminiscent of historic pastoral lands. There is a tree lined avenue in back of the estate, which leads to a small tea house. Upon first sight, this avenue calls to you to walk it’s cool shady length.
Within the castle is a museum mentioned above, explaining the life, works and times of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, A tour takes about 40 minutes, and comes with an audio guide available in German, English, and Dutch. A written guide is also available in French. All outdoor areas, including the personal facilities, are wheelchair accessible.
To read the full story of our visit to Hulshoff Castle, check out our post The Stunning Grounds of Hulshoff Castle.
Be sure to click on the pictures to open them in a full http://gypsywithadayjob.com/stunning-grounds-hullshoff-castle/size light box, for a better look!
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If you enjoy this gallery, be sure to take a look at some of our other castle galleries, such as Burg Vischering Gallery, or Hohenzollern Castle Gallery.
