September tradition:
Relive the dream of Etienne Baron van Zuylen van Nijevelt
September 1 to September 30, 2024
The entire month of September revives the old, rich September tradition at Castle de Haar.
In the last century, Etienne Baron van Zuylen van Nijevelt and Hélène Baroness de Rothschild came to De Haar in September. At the invitation of the baron and baroness, many distinguished guests from all over the world stayed there for a "grandiose and luxurious stay. They lacked nothing, and even well before their arrival, the entire castle was prepared from top to bottom. The following generations of Van Zuylen van Nijevelt adopted this tradition, until the last September stay in 2011.
Entirely in the spirit of the barons and baronesses, Castle de Haar is all about this September tradition every September and the castle comes extra alive. Every day there is changing programming, including:
- A special edition of the booklet 'The September Tradition', free with your visit
- Setting the large dining table for the exclusive dinner
- The hospitable butler with a little surprise
- Preparing all the floral arrangements for on the tables, guest rooms and in the Main Hall
- Playing chess in the Knights' Hall, originally the place to play games
- Ringing telephones sharing special trivia
- The romantic spectacle on the tableau d'amour in the Ballroom
- Experience the lively sounds in various rooms
- Rowing on a classic English rowing boat in the moat (on weekends)
- Ring stabbing in the park for children (on weekends)
There is also the castle scavenger hunt '(Too) crazy guests' for children, in which they playfully learn all about life at the castle. There are two variants, for different ages.
In addition to the surprises in the castle, there are fun extras in the castle park on weekends. For example, the last century comes to life when you pass a gleaming vintage car or carriage with mighty twins (Sundays).
A visit to Castle de Haar in September is extra special! Keep an eye on this website and the calendar for additional activities.
Are you helping? Will you come to preview? Will you play a game of chess in the Knights' Hall?
The September tradition: the story
On the site of today's Castle de Haar, there has been a castle for 900 years. In all those hundreds of years with dozens of residents, there is one noble owner who made the greatest history here: Etienne baron van Zuylen van Nijevelt van de Haar.
Etienne's dream
Etienne married the wealthy Hélène de Rotschild. This marriage allowed him to fulfill a long-held dream. He wanted to have the ruined castle rebuilt as a tribute to his medieval ancestors, as a museum and as a country house for receiving guests. The baron decided to collaborate with architect Pierre Cuypers, then already known for the Rijksmuseum and Central Station in Amsterdam.
Grand receptions
Around 1900, a tradition began at De Haar that has since become known as the "September tradition. Every year, at the end of the summer, the baron and baroness moved into the castle and organized grand receptions in the form of sumptuous dinners and sophisticated festive evenings. Among their many, often wealthy, guests were members of royal families and European nobility, bankers, movie stars and politicians. The September tradition was a serious business. The guests were not to lack anything.
Castle upside down
It took a lot to get the castle ready for the arrival of family and guests. No expense was spared. In the early years, even horses, carriages and automobiles were transported from Paris to the Netherlands by train or boat. In the course of August, the chateau filled up with extra staff: chambermaids, butlers, drivers, the kitchen crew from France. Everyone rolled up their sleeves to pamperthe guests. The whole castle was upside down!
A rich tradition, together with you!
Today, Castle de Haar continues the tradition. Together with you, our visitors, we keep the tradition alive in a contemporary way and let the baron's dream live on. Every September you can be part of this tradition every day, once again turning the entire castle upside down.
Visitor information
From September 1 to September 30, 2024, Kasteel de Haar is dedicated to the September tradition. This extra experience is included in the castle visit, there are no additional costs involved. A castle ticket costs € 19,- for adults and € 12,50 for children. When showing your Museumkaart or Vriendeloterij VIP card, a visit to Castle de Haar is free.
Castle de Haar will be open every day in September from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (doors close at 4:30 p.m.). Changing activities will take place each day.
Read all about the September tradition in
The September blogs
Blog Series
September tradition
Blog Series