Bevervid Castle

Bevervid is a castle of the XIII century, located on an island along the Rhine River, in the village of Verhoeven, the Dutch province of Utrecht. The castle is surrounded by numerous gardens and plays a very important role in their landscape. At the moment, the castle is empty and not accessible for public inspection, but the gardens and park around it can be visited by tourists and curious citizens.

The oldest known inhabitant of the castle, the knight Zweder van Zülen, has lived there since its foundation. In 1563 the castle was owned by William Philip, the eldest son of William of Orange. For a long time, the castle was owned by the Nassau family. In the following centuries, the castle was owned by many aristocratic families, until 1898, when it was sold to the school of the Quaker religious community. The school lasted until 1997, when the castle was bought by the Vegetarian Society in 2005. The society planned to build apartments for its members, but due to lack of money, the plans were never implemented.

The oldest part of the castle, its rectangular tower, dates back to the XIII century. In the XVI century, most of the castle was significantly enlarged, and a little later, its courtyard was enlarged. The total area of the castle estate is 400 hectares.