Castles and estates have often been heavily damaged in the past, by war activities and other calamities, but also by changing taste and ideas with respect to living in the countryside. Nevertheless, in Zeeland and the busy provinces of North and South Holland, there are more remains of this inheritance to be found than one would have expected. On numerous places, high rising trees on the territories of castles and estates make green oasis in the landscape, sometimes even in urban areas, and beautiful estates with interesting outbuildings decorate the surroundings.

In spite of the modern Monument Law, many locations are being threatened in their existence. The original functions of castles and estates no longer exist. Castles do not have to resist war activities anymore, and castles and estates are too big to live in and too expensive to maintain nowadays. New functions are often hard to find, and regretfully, dilapidation by backlog in maintenance and being uninhabited is the result. As a result of the high prices of land, the territories are being cut into bits.

Merwede Castle

Ter Woude Castle

Schagen Castle