The Day of the Castle (Dag van het Kasteel) is an annual celebration of castles, marked each year on Whit Monday (Tweede Pinksterdag), exactly 50 days after Easter Sunday.

This year, there are multiple days dedicated to castles during Day of the Castle. The official opening of Day of the Castle takes place on June 5 at Soestdijk Palace. Activities take place in 135 locations all day every day from June 6, rounding off on Monday, June 9, which is a public holiday. So, it's an ideal activity to undertake with friends and family on your day off from work.

Bringing castles in the Netherlands to life

All old castles are places of intriguing tales. Age-old stories from the past along with contemporary research bring the castles to life.

All across the Netherlands, from Groningen to Maastricht, more than 120 castles, country houses and country estates are typically open to the public on this day. Many Dutch castles are already open to the public, but this special day means that privately-owned residences or castles that are used commercially can now be places of enjoyment for the general public.

Celebrate Dag van het Kasteel in 2025

This year's edition of the event has the theme Naar Buiten (Going Outside). Some castles taking part this year include:

• Keukenhof Castle, Lisse, South Holland
• Rijksmuseum Muiderslot, Muiden, North Holland
• Villa Ockenburgh, The Hague, South Holland
• Helmond Castle, Helmond, North Brabant
• Marquette Estate, Heemskerk, North Holland
• Hoensbroek Castle, Hoensbroek, Limburg
• Doorn House Museum, Doorn, Utrecht

Preserving Dutch cultural heritage

The Day of the Castle is organised by the Dutch Castle Foundation, with the distinct aim of bringing awareness to the preservation of cultural heritage. It’s the only dedicated heritage day focusing entirely on castles and country estates.