Huis ter Kleef, Medieval castle ruins in Ter Kleefkwartier, Haarlem, Netherlands.
Huis ter Kleef is a medieval castle in the Ter Kleefkwartier neighborhood of Haarlem with remains of a residential tower from the 13th century, built from yellow monastery bricks and decorated with pilaster corners. The structures show multiple construction phases from 1275 to 1500, with visible foundation remnants now situated within the town's municipal gardens.
The castle originated around 1275 as a fortification for a local nobleman, and it underwent several modifications over two centuries. During the 1573 Siege of Haarlem, Spanish forces used it as their headquarters before destroying it on orders from their commander.
The castle grounds contain a kaatsbaan, one of three remaining noble courts in the Netherlands where people played an early form of tennis. This court shows how the nobility spent leisure time and what sports mattered to them during that era.
The ruins are accessible within Haarlem's municipal gardens, where visitors can walk around and observe the archaeological remains from different building phases. The setting allows for a leisurely visit where you can explore at your own pace while learning about the site's evolution over time.
The castle lay hidden beneath a rock garden designed in 1910 by landscape architect L.A. Springer before being rediscovered. Archaeological excavations between 1990 and 1994 brought the ruins back to light and revealed layers spanning multiple centuries.
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