Doornenburg Castle

After spending Christmas just outside Cologne, Germany, we made the drive north towards The Netherlands where we were hoping to spend New Years. That plan changed completely, thanks to our sad realisation that Amsterdam is campervan-unfriendly, and isn’t very kind to your wallet either. But en route, we stumbled across the picturesque Doornenburg Castle, tucked into a quaint village somewhere south of Arnhem. We spent a weekend camped up here, overlooking the castle gardens and the resident horses. When I remember this place, I picture fiery red skies, dark afternoons and white frost. It was so cold outside our eyeballs felt like they were freezing. The days got dark so early, around 3.30pm, that by the time dinner came around, it felt like a cheeky midnight snack. But despite the deep winter, we loved it here. The locals were friendly, the park up was free and there was a nice sized village shop. We used what little daylight we had to walk around the castle grounds (which were free) and the nearby canals. The Netherlands is a very flat place, but that means the skies are huge and there’s a feeling of spaciousness here. We’re only passing through, but we’ll be back in the warmer months to explore more of this small and unassuming country. Thank you, Doornenburg, for a lovely few days.