Kasteel van Gouda, Medieval castle ruins in Gouda, Netherlands
Kasteel van Gouda is a medieval castle in the southern part of Gouda's old town, now visible as archaeological remains at Houtmansplantsoen. Sections of the original walls and vaulted structures still stand above ground, giving a clear sense of the original layout.
Construction began in 1361 under Jan van Blois, which required removing part of the city walls, and was completed in 1384. The castle later became a residence for Jacoba van Beieren, a figure closely tied to the Hook and Cod wars that shaped this part of the Netherlands.
The castle served as a residence for important figures like Jacoba van Beieren, who commanded military forces during the Hook and Cod wars and shaped local history. Her presence here remains a topic of local storytelling that connects people to the place's past.
The remains are in Houtmansplantsoen, a small park that is easy to reach on foot from the center of Gouda. The site is open from the outside at any time, so a short walk through is enough to see the walls and vaults up close.
In the 1980s, residents discovered an underground passage of about 10 meters running beneath their homes, which turned out to be part of the castle's hidden network. This find shows how far the structure once extended below the city, well beyond what is visible today.
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