Frequently Asked Questions

How can I visit the castle?

You can visit the castle without a guide and stay as long as you wish. Guided tours may be booked outside normal opening hours.

Is it possible to arrange children's parties at Loevestein Castle?

Yes! There is a guided tour for children which includes costumes for dressing up (6-8 years), 'Reiscoffer' (traveller's chest) (9-12 years) and a SatNav 'Geuzentocht' (beggars' tour) (9-12 years). Please note that these parties are available in the Dutch language only.

Is Loevestein Castle available for weddings?

Yes. You can get married at Loevestein, but you can also hold parties here.

Can you spend the night at Loevestein Castle?

Yes. There is a deluxe B&B for 2-6 persons. For larger groups, we can highly recommend the Regardz Hotel Zaltbommel.

Is Castle Loevestein accessible to wheelchair users?

The castle itself is not accessible for wheelchairs. The grounds, however, are. Disabled persons may drive into the castle grounds. There is a disabled toilet with wheelchair access and one wheelchair is available for visitors to borrow.

Are pets allowed?

Pets are not allowed in the castle and the outbuildings. Dogs/pets are allowed as far as the tavern patio provided they are kept on a lead.

Are bicycles allowed?

Limited bicycle parking is available for bicycles with luggage. Other bicycles must be parked outside the castle grounds.

Does the book chest that Hugo escaped from Loevestein in still exist?

No-one is really sure what happened to the book chest. There are three museums in the Netherlands that  have a 'Hugo Grotius book chest': the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Prinsenhof in Delft, and of course Loevestein Castle. At Loevestein, the chest is located in the room where Hugo Grotius was imprisoned.  However, our chest is not the one in which he escaped!

Where can I find information for a school project?

Loevestein has information about the Middle Ages, the state prison and the Dutch Waterline, and lesson packs for primary schools (Dutch language only). Information about our organisation is available here and in our annual reports. For general information about castles, please visit the Nederlandse Kastelenstichting. (All links to Dutch language sites only).

I would like to make a film at the castle for school. Is this allowed?

Photography and filming is permitted for personal use provided this does not cause a nuisance to other visitors.  Our guides will be willing to answer any questions you might have. Filming for commercial and/or promotional purposes is permitted by arrangement only.

I would like to interview someone from the Loevestein organisation. Is this possible?

If you would like to interview someone from the museum, please send us an e-mail with your questions at least two weeks beforehand. Late and/or inadequate requests will not be dealt with.

An ancestor of mine was a soldier at Loevestein. Do you have any further information?

At Loevestein, there are no archives about the many soldiers who were stationed here. There are, however, public archives available at:

Streekarchief land van Heusden en Altena: records of births, marriages and deaths.
Streekarchief Bommelerwaard: births and marriages (Dutch language only).
The Nationaal Archief, The Hague, HF: Archief van de Hollandse Fortificatiën (Dutch fortifications archive; Dutch language only); EAG: Archief van de Eerstaanwezend Ingenieur te Gorinchem (Dutch language only); OMM: Memories van de Genie (Dutch language only)
Gemeentearchief Gorinchem (archives of the town of Gorinchem; Dutch language only).

Good luck! We would love to hear about your search results in order that we can serve the public even better in the future.

Can I hold a concert or exhibition at Loevestein Castle?

Concerts at Loevestein are produced by the Organisatie Oude Muziek. Loevestein does not organise concerts or exhibitions independently. Small, temporary exhibitions are held from time to time.

If you have any other questions about the history of Loevestein, please send an e-mail to info. We will reply to your e-mail as quickly as possible!