# Muiden and Naarden Muiderslot castle, the fortress island of Pampus and the star-shaped town of Naarden with its museum and painted vault, half an hour from Amsterdam. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/muiden-and-naarden · Revisado: 2026-11-12 East of Amsterdam, where the river Vecht reaches the IJmeer, there are two fortified villages that are visited together. Muiden has the most photographed castle in the country, the Muiderslot, with its four red-brick towers, moat and drawbridge, and a sea lock of 1673 full of sailing boats. Naarden, a few kilometres away, is a star-shaped town: six bastions surrounded by a double ring of ramparts and moats, so sharp that from the air it looks like a snowflake. Both are part of the Dutch Water Defence Lines, the system of forts, dykes and floodable land that defended Amsterdam, now a World Heritage Site. And between them, in the middle of the water, lies the fortress island of Pampus, which can only be reached by boat. ## How do I get there from Amsterdam? Without a car, by train and bus. For Muiden, take a train from Amsterdam to Weesp, a short ride, and bus 110 to Muiden Centrum, with ten minutes on foot to the castle. For Naarden, take a train to Naarden-Bussum and the same 110 to the Westwalstraat stop, a hundred metres from the Vestingmuseum, in about ten minutes. Since the 110 links Weesp, Muiden and Naarden, you can do both on the same day. On weekends from spring to autumn, the MuiderslotExpress 510 takes you from the Muiden P+R to the castle for €1. Always pay by contactless card. By car, both are right beside the A1. In Muiden the centre is paid parking every day; park free at P2, on the Mariahoeveweg, ten minutes on foot from the castle. In Naarden there is parking beside the Nieuw Molen bastion. ## What to see in Muiden? The Muiderslot is the heart of it all. Its origins date from 1285 and today it is part of the Rijksmuseum: you visit the furnished 17th-century rooms, the towers and the garden with its herb garden of old varieties, with a free English audio guide that children can follow easily. It costs €19.50, and €7.50 for ages 4 to 11; from April to October it is open daily. From the quay opposite leaves the boat to Pampus, an artificial island with a fort 130 years old, in season. And in the centre of the village, the Groote Zeesluis, the sea lock of 1673, can be seen from the terraces as boats pass through. ## What to see in Naarden? Start with the Vestingmuseum, inside the Turfpoort bastion: casemates, cannons on the rampart and the story of how Naarden protected Amsterdam. Then climb onto the ramparts and walk round the star, about four and a half kilometres between moats. In the centre, the Grote Kerk holds a wooden vault painted around 1518, the "Sistine Chapel of the North", and a tower you climb with a booked time. Next door is the town hall of 1601, in Dutch Renaissance style. ## Where to eat and sleep? In Muiden, Fort H is open every day inside a 19th-century fort with a terrace over the harbour, and De Tuinkamer is the castle café. In Naarden, the Vesting Lounge serves from breakfast to dinner opposite the Grote Kerk. To sleep inside the fortress, the Vesting Hotel has fourteen rooms, one of them with a Dutch box bed, and the B&B Naarden Vesting has two rooms and an apartment. In Muiden, the B&B Studio Amuda is open from March to October beside the locks. ## How much time and in what order? A day is enough for both: the Muiden castle in the morning, when it opens at 10:00, lunch in Muiden and Naarden in the afternoon, bearing in mind that the Vestingmuseum does not let anyone in after 16:30. If you want to go to Pampus, devote the day to Muiden and leave Naarden for another. With a night in the Vesting of Naarden you can carry on to Utrecht or Amersfoort. ## When to go? From April to October: the castle is open daily, the boats to Pampus run and there is more atmosphere at the locks. In winter the castle and the museum are well worth visiting, Tuesday to Sunday, and the Grote Kerk fills with concerts. Avoid Mondays: the Vestingmuseum is closed and, from November to March, so is the Muiderslot. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Amsterdam (a 16.4 km), Volendam and Marken (a 18.2 km), Edam (a 22.5 km), Utrecht (a 24.9 km) ## Qué hacer - **Muiderslot, the Castle of Amsterdam** (2 h · All ages · €19.50 adults · €7.50 ages 4 to 11 · free up to 3): Muiderslot is the fairy-tale castle a child imagines: four red-brick towers, a moat and a drawbridge, at the point where the river Vecht meets the IJmeer. Its origins go back to 1285, and in the 17th century its halls hosted the so-called Muiderkring, the circle of poets, musicians and scholars of the day. Today it is part of the Rijksmuseum and you can visit all of it: the furnished rooms, the towers, from which you used to be able to see the sea, the armoury and the gardens, with a vegetable and herb garden planted with old varieties. Tickets and opening hours From April to October it is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, and from November to March Tuesday to Sunday, with the same hours; the ticket office closes at 16:30. It costs €19.50 for adults and €7.50 for ages 4 to 11; under-4s go in free, as do holders of the Museumkaart and the I amsterdam City Card. The free English audio guide is designed for children to follow. Tickets can be bought on the website or at the ticket office; in the holidays and for special events it is best to buy them in advance. Getting there By train from Amsterdam to Weesp and then bus 110 to Muiden Centrum, followed by a ten-minute walk. By car, take the A1, exit 3; central Muiden has few parking spaces and they are paid, so park free at P2 (Mariahoeveweg), ten minutes' walk away. - **Nederlands Vestingmuseum, Inside the Naarden Bastion** (1 h 30 · All ages · €13.50 adults · €6 ages 5 to 12 · free up to 4): Naarden is a star-shaped town: six bastions, double ramparts and a double moat, one of the best-preserved fortresses in Europe and part of the Dutch Water Defence Lines, a World Heritage Site. The Vestingmuseum is inside one of those bastions, the Turfpoort, and you visit it inside and out: the soldiers' underground casemates, the cannons on the rampart and the story of how Naarden defended Amsterdam from attacks from the east, from the Spanish to Napoleon. Opening hours and tickets Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 to 17:00; closed on Mondays. It costs €13.50 with audio guide for adults and €6 for ages 5 to 12; there is no need to book. Some Sundays there is a Schuttersdag, with soldiers from 1815 and cannon fire: check the calendar. There is a café with cake and hot sandwiches. Getting there From Naarden-Bussum station, take bus 110, about 10 minutes to the Westwalstraat stop, a hundred metres away. By car, park at Bastion Nieuw Molen, five minutes away. - **Boat Trip to the Fortress Island of Pampus** (4 h · All ages): Pampus is an artificial island in the middle of the IJmeer, a few kilometres from Muiden, with a fort from the late 19th century that was part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam, the 135-kilometre ring of forts and dykes that defended the city by flooding the countryside, now a World Heritage Site. Before the fort, the Pampus sandbank was where the East Indiamen laden with spices anchored, too heavy to enter the harbour. Today you arrive by boat and walk the fort's corridors and cannons, on an island that supplies its own energy and has its own vegetable garden. When and how to go The boat leaves from Muiden, at the foot of the castle, and from Amsterdam-IJburg. The visiting season runs from spring to autumn; tickets for 2027 were not yet on sale in November 2026, so check their website in winter. From November to March there are only evening dinners, called Winterlicht, with the crossing included. Allow half a day for the boat and the visit. - **The Groote Zeesluis in Muiden, the 1673 Locks** (30 min · All ages · Free): In the centre of Muiden, the river Vecht flows into the IJmeer through the Groote Zeesluis, a set of locks from 1673 that forms part of the Dutch Water Defence Lines, a World Heritage Site. Today it is mostly sailing boats and pleasure craft that pass through, and on a sunny summer day the show is to sit on one of the terraces around it and watch the manoeuvres, the jams and the crews waving. Practical details It is on the Sluisstraat, ten minutes' walk from the castle and next to the bus 110 stop. It is free. Combine it with the walk along the Herengracht to the castle. - **Grote Kerk Naarden and Its Painted Vault** (1 h · All ages; under 18s free · €8 adults · with tower €15 · under 18s free): The Grote Kerk, or St Vitus Church, has dominated Naarden since 1479. What makes it unique is above you: a wooden barrel vault painted around 1518 with scenes from the Old and New Testaments, the only one of its kind in the Netherlands, which has earned it the nickname Sistine Chapel of the North. It is also a concert hall, famous for the St Matthew Passion sung here every year, and since November 2026 a registered museum. Visit and tower Entry to the museum, with a musical audio guide, costs €8; with the tower climb, which starts in a small cinema about a pilgrim of 1469, it is €15, and you must book a time slot online. Under-18s do not pay and children can do the tour with Tyto, a talking owl. Opening times change with the season and the concerts: check the website before you go. - **Walk Along the Ramparts and Moats of Naarden** (1 h 30 · 4.5 km · All ages · Free): From the air, Naarden looks like a snowflake: six star-shaped bastions surrounded by a double ring of ramparts and moats, a shape so clear that Allied bombers used it as a landmark. On the ground you appreciate it by walking along the top of the ramparts, between the water of the moats and the village rooftops, with the tower of the Grote Kerk always in view. How to do it Climb onto the rampart next to the Vestingmuseum and go round the bastions, about four and a half kilometres, flat and grassy. Come down into the centre along the Marktstraat to see the 1601 town hall, one of the best examples of Dutch Renaissance architecture, and the former orphanage, the Burgerweeshuis. ## Dónde comer - **Café-Restaurant Fort H** (Restaurant, Muiden, €€). Qué pedir: a lunch on the terrace looking at the boats in the harbour, or a seasonal dish in the evening. - **De Vesting Lounge** (Restaurant, Naarden, €€). Qué pedir: at midday, the beef croquettes on bread with truffle mayonnaise or the house burger. - **De Tuinkamer, the Muiderslot Café** (Café, Muiden, €). Qué pedir: a coffee with something sweet on the terrace while the children run around the garden. ## By plane: Fly to Amsterdam and Train to Weesp or Naarden Muiden and Naarden are east of Amsterdam, half an hour from the centre, and you reach them from Amsterdam Schiphol airport, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and nearly all the major Spanish cities. From Schiphol you take the train to Weesp or Naarden-Bussum, with one change in Amsterdam or direct depending on the train, and continue on bus 110. With a hire car, the A1 runs right by both villages. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Vesting Hotel Naarden** (Small hotel): The place The Vesting Hotel is in the very centre of Naarden-Vesting, in a historic brick building opposite the Grote Kerk and on the same street as the Renaissance town hall. It has 14 spacious rooms: doubles, two suites with high beamed ceilings, an apartment and a bedstee, the traditional Dutch box bed, for anyone who wants to sleep as in the 17th century. Downstairs, the Vesting Lounge is open from breakfast to dinner. Why stay here Because you sleep inside the star-shaped town, with the church on the other side of the terrace and the ramparts five minutes away. Naarden is quiet at night and half an hour from Amsterdam, which makes it a good base for Muiden castle, Utrecht or Amersfoort. Getting there By train to Naarden-Bussum and bus 110 to the centre, or a half-hour walk. By car, Naarden is right by the A1; ask the hotel about parking when you book. - **B&B Naarden Vesting** (Small hotel): The place A small bed and breakfast on a quiet street in Naarden-Vesting, with two luxury rooms and an apartment. The suite has a sitting area and a bathroom with bath and shower; the deluxe double has a four-poster bed and a bathroom from which you can see the St Vitus tower. The apartment adds a living room and a fully equipped kitchen. Breakfast is served to you in the room. Why stay here Because it is the most intimate way to sleep inside the fortress: you are three minutes from the Grote Kerk and the Arsenaal, two from the cafés on the Marktstraat, and a stroll from the ramparts. Getting there By train to Naarden-Bussum and bus 110 to the centre of the Vesting. By car, via the A1; ask where to park when you book. - **B&B Studio Amuda** (Apartment, desde 120 € / night): The place Studio Amuda is a ground-floor studio in a house in central Muiden, with plenty of privacy: its own shower and toilet, television, fridge, microwave and tea and coffee. It sleeps two or three adults, or two with a child, with a cot if you ask. Breakfast is served in the studio or, in good weather, on the covered terrace. Why stay here Because you are a few steps from the Groote Zeesluis and its terraces, ten minutes' walk from Muiderslot and the boat to Pampus, in a village that is very quiet at night. It costs €120 a night for two with breakfast and tourist tax included. Getting there By train to Weesp and bus 110 to Muiden Centrum. It has a lockable room for bikes. ### Servicios - **Train to Weesp or Naarden-Bussum and Bus 110**: Without a car, take the train from Amsterdam to Weesp or Naarden-Bussum and bus 110, which links both stations with Muiden and the Naarden Vesting. ## Car-free: Muiden and Naarden by Train, Bus and Bike You can do both villages without a car in a day: train from Amsterdam and bus 110, which links Weesp, Muiden and Naarden. With a hire bike from Naarden you can cover everything on flat paths. The budget per person per day includes accommodation, food and entry fees. Presupuesto orientativo: 80–160 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Vesting Hotel Naarden** (Small hotel): The place The Vesting Hotel is in the very centre of Naarden-Vesting, in a historic brick building opposite the Grote Kerk and on the same street as the Renaissance town hall. It has 14 spacious rooms: doubles, two suites with high beamed ceilings, an apartment and a bedstee, the traditional Dutch box bed, for anyone who wants to sleep as in the 17th century. Downstairs, the Vesting Lounge is open from breakfast to dinner. Why stay here Because you sleep inside the star-shaped town, with the church on the other side of the terrace and the ramparts five minutes away. Naarden is quiet at night and half an hour from Amsterdam, which makes it a good base for Muiden castle, Utrecht or Amersfoort. Getting there By train to Naarden-Bussum and bus 110 to the centre, or a half-hour walk. By car, Naarden is right by the A1; ask the hotel about parking when you book. - **B&B Naarden Vesting** (Small hotel): The place A small bed and breakfast on a quiet street in Naarden-Vesting, with two luxury rooms and an apartment. The suite has a sitting area and a bathroom with bath and shower; the deluxe double has a four-poster bed and a bathroom from which you can see the St Vitus tower. The apartment adds a living room and a fully equipped kitchen. Breakfast is served to you in the room. Why stay here Because it is the most intimate way to sleep inside the fortress: you are three minutes from the Grote Kerk and the Arsenaal, two from the cafés on the Marktstraat, and a stroll from the ramparts. Getting there By train to Naarden-Bussum and bus 110 to the centre of the Vesting. By car, via the A1; ask where to park when you book. - **B&B Studio Amuda** (Apartment, desde 120 € / night): The place Studio Amuda is a ground-floor studio in a house in central Muiden, with plenty of privacy: its own shower and toilet, television, fridge, microwave and tea and coffee. It sleeps two or three adults, or two with a child, with a cot if you ask. Breakfast is served in the studio or, in good weather, on the covered terrace. Why stay here Because you are a few steps from the Groote Zeesluis and its terraces, ten minutes' walk from Muiderslot and the boat to Pampus, in a village that is very quiet at night. It costs €120 a night for two with breakfast and tourist tax included. Getting there By train to Weesp and bus 110 to Muiden Centrum. It has a lockable room for bikes. ### Servicios - **Train to Weesp or Naarden-Bussum and Bus 110**: Without a car, take the train from Amsterdam to Weesp or Naarden-Bussum and bus 110, which links both stations with Muiden and the Naarden Vesting. - **Naarden Tourist Office and Bike Hire**: On the Ruijsdaelplein, inside the Vesting: information and bike hire at €10 a day and electric bikes at €25, by reservation. ## By car: Muiden and Naarden by Car By car, Muiden and Naarden are beside the A1, less than half an hour from the centre of Amsterdam and close to each other. The only thing to know is where to leave the car: in Muiden the centre is paid parking every day, and in Naarden there are car parks next to the bastions. The budget includes accommodation, food and entry fees, but not the car hire. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Vesting Hotel Naarden** (Small hotel): The place The Vesting Hotel is in the very centre of Naarden-Vesting, in a historic brick building opposite the Grote Kerk and on the same street as the Renaissance town hall. It has 14 spacious rooms: doubles, two suites with high beamed ceilings, an apartment and a bedstee, the traditional Dutch box bed, for anyone who wants to sleep as in the 17th century. Downstairs, the Vesting Lounge is open from breakfast to dinner. Why stay here Because you sleep inside the star-shaped town, with the church on the other side of the terrace and the ramparts five minutes away. Naarden is quiet at night and half an hour from Amsterdam, which makes it a good base for Muiden castle, Utrecht or Amersfoort. Getting there By train to Naarden-Bussum and bus 110 to the centre, or a half-hour walk. By car, Naarden is right by the A1; ask the hotel about parking when you book. - **B&B Naarden Vesting** (Small hotel): The place A small bed and breakfast on a quiet street in Naarden-Vesting, with two luxury rooms and an apartment. The suite has a sitting area and a bathroom with bath and shower; the deluxe double has a four-poster bed and a bathroom from which you can see the St Vitus tower. The apartment adds a living room and a fully equipped kitchen. Breakfast is served to you in the room. Why stay here Because it is the most intimate way to sleep inside the fortress: you are three minutes from the Grote Kerk and the Arsenaal, two from the cafés on the Marktstraat, and a stroll from the ramparts. Getting there By train to Naarden-Bussum and bus 110 to the centre of the Vesting. By car, via the A1; ask where to park when you book. - **B&B Studio Amuda** (Apartment, desde 120 € / night): The place Studio Amuda is a ground-floor studio in a house in central Muiden, with plenty of privacy: its own shower and toilet, television, fridge, microwave and tea and coffee. It sleeps two or three adults, or two with a child, with a cot if you ask. Breakfast is served in the studio or, in good weather, on the covered terrace. Why stay here Because you are a few steps from the Groote Zeesluis and its terraces, ten minutes' walk from Muiderslot and the boat to Pampus, in a village that is very quiet at night. It costs €120 a night for two with breakfast and tourist tax included. Getting there By train to Weesp and bus 110 to Muiden Centrum. It has a lockable room for bikes. ### Servicios - **Free Car Parks in Muiden**: Parking in central Muiden is paid every day; park free at P2 Mariahoeveweg, ten minutes on foot from the castle, or at P1 and the P+R. ## As a family: Muiden and Naarden with Family A castle with a moat and drawbridge in the morning and a star-shaped fortress with cannons and tunnels in the afternoon: it is one of the best days out with children near Amsterdam. Everything is flat and the distances are short. ### What works best Muiderslot, with a children's audio guide and €7.50 for ages 4 to 11 The casemates and cannons of the Vestingmuseum, €6 for ages 5 to 12 The boat to the island of Pampus, in season The walk round the Naarden ramparts, free ### Where to stay Vesting Hotel Naarden, with a restaurant open all day B&B Studio Amuda, with a cot ### Where to eat De Tuinkamer, the castle café Fort H, with a terrace over the Vecht ### Good to know The Vestingmuseum closes on Mondays, and Muiderslot on Mondays from November to March At the Grote Kerk in Naarden, under-18s do not pay ### Qué hacer as a family - Muiderslot, the Castle of Amsterdam - Nederlands Vestingmuseum, Inside the Naarden Bastion - Boat Trip to the Fortress Island of Pampus - The Groote Zeesluis in Muiden, the 1673 Locks - Grote Kerk Naarden and Its Painted Vault - Walk Along the Ramparts and Moats of Naarden ## With young children: Muiden and Naarden with Young Children With children under six, Muiden castle is the star: towers, moat and garden, and entry is free up to age 3. Afterwards, a while watching boats pass through the lock and a short walk along the Naarden rampart. ### What works best Muiderslot and its garden The boats at the Groote Zeesluis A stretch of rampart in Naarden ### Where to stay B&B Studio Amuda, with a cot, in Muiden ### Where to eat De Tuinkamer, within the castle grounds ### Good to know To climb the castle towers, a baby carrier is better than a pushchair The Vestingmuseum closes on Mondays ### Qué hacer with young children - Muiderslot, the Castle of Amsterdam - The Groote Zeesluis in Muiden, the 1673 Locks - Walk Along the Ramparts and Moats of Naarden ## With teenagers: Muiden and Naarden with Teenagers For teenagers, the day has real military history: a medieval castle, a fortress island you can only reach by boat and a star-shaped town with cannons that are still fired on some Sundays. ### What works best The island of Pampus, by boat from Muiden The Vestingmuseum's Schuttersdag, with soldiers from 1815 The climb up the Grote Kerk tower in Naarden, free up to age 18 A ride on a hire bike round the ramparts ### Where to stay Vesting Hotel Naarden, in the centre ### Where to eat Vesting Lounge, burgers and croquettes ### Good to know Pampus tickets for each season go on sale in spring The Naarden tower must be booked with a time slot ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Muiderslot, the Castle of Amsterdam - Nederlands Vestingmuseum, Inside the Naarden Bastion - Boat Trip to the Fortress Island of Pampus - Grote Kerk Naarden and Its Painted Vault - Walk Along the Ramparts and Moats of Naarden ## Consejos ### Start with the castle It opens at 10:00 and has fewer people first thing. ### Better not on a Monday The Vestingmuseum closes every Monday, and the Muiderslot on winter Mondays. ### Park outside the centre of Muiden The centre is paid parking every day; P2 is free and ten minutes away. ### Buy your Pampus tickets early The season is announced in spring and summer days sell out. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do you get from Amsterdam to the Muiderslot? By train to Weesp and bus 110 to Muiden Centrum, with ten minutes on foot. By car, on the A1, exit 3. ### Can you see Muiden and Naarden on the same day? Yes: bus 110 links the two villages. The castle in the morning and Naarden in the afternoon. ### How much does the Muiderslot cost? €19.50 for adults and €7.50 for ages 4 to 11; free with a Museumkaart or the I amsterdam City Card. ### What is special about Naarden? It is a star-shaped town of six bastions with a double rampart and double moat, a World Heritage Site. ### Can you go to Pampus in winter? Only for the Winterlicht evening dinners; daytime visits run from spring to autumn. ### Is it worth sleeping there? Yes, if you want the Vesting of Naarden at night or to carry on to Utrecht and Amersfoort.