De verborgen kamers van De Haar
This tour has now ended
The guided tour 'The hidden rooms of De Haar' gives you a unique glimpse into the secret life of the castle staff. During an exciting tour of the third floor of the castle, you will discover how and where the servants worked and slept. The attic where the cooks, servants and chambermaids lived can be visited for the first time after a complete restoration.
Staff workrooms and sleeping quarters
Through tucked-away corridors and narrow spiral staircases, you enter the castle's secret rooms. From the bustling ironing room to the cozy recreation room, where the castle staff still played a game of shuffleboard late at night. And from the linen room in the high Knights' Tower you descend again to the simple bedrooms of the servants.
Life at the castle over the years
When furnishing the rooms on the third floor, sometimes the early period of the chateau was used as a starting point (circa 1910) and sometimes the period after 1960, the time when the chateau underwent modernizations. This gives you a better picture of life on the staff floor and the changes over the years. It is striking how modern the servants' quarters were even before that time. For example, around 1910 there were already toilets with water flush!
More secrets: how does the castle bridge work?
The tour also includes a few surprises. Suddenly you enjoy a unique view of the Main Hall from an outdoor platform. Or you end up at the top of a tower where you discover how to operate the drawbridge and portcullis at the main entrance. This still fully functioning system of wooden gears, like the staff quarters, is visible to the public for the first time. Visitors braving the steps and narrow corridors get a unique glimpse into the hidden lives of the people who kept the castle running.
Read guest curator Ileen Montijn's story here!