Haarzuilens
Encyclopedia
Haarzuilens is a small village in the Dutch
province of Utrecht
. It is a part of the municipality of Utrecht
, and lies about 8 km west of Utrecht. It was a separate municipality until 1954, when it was joined to the municipality of Vleuten
.
In 2001, the village of Haarzuilens had 224 inhabitants. The built-up area of the village was 0.058 km², and contained 95 residences.
The administrative area "Haarzuilens", which can also include the peripheral parts of the village as well as the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 580.
Pronounced Harzollens by the local Dutch inhabitants, the village was built around the turn of the 19th century after its predecessor and the local castle De Haar
had been destroyed in a devastating fire. The trees surrounding the castle are said to have originated in a forest on the other side of Utrecht. Local lore has it that several houses in Utrecht were demolished in order to move the trees to their new location and to give the castle's landlord his forest without the decades of delay usually required to grow new trees. Nevertheless, the landlord allegedly went on a five-year honeymoon trip before the trees had been replanted.
It is famous for De Haar Castle
, which is surrounded by gardens and which is the location of the annual Elf Fantasy Fair
. The castle
, owned by Baron Thierry van Zuylen until 2000, attracted 76,500 visitors in 2002.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
province of Utrecht
Utrecht (province)
Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...
. It is a part of the municipality of Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
, and lies about 8 km west of Utrecht. It was a separate municipality until 1954, when it was joined to the municipality of Vleuten
Vleuten
Vleuten is a former village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the city of Utrecht, and lies about 6 km west of it. In 2001, it became together with De Meern, a city part of Utrecht called Vleuten-De Meern. Vleuten has a railway station on the line between Utrecht and Woerden.In...
.
In 2001, the village of Haarzuilens had 224 inhabitants. The built-up area of the village was 0.058 km², and contained 95 residences.
The administrative area "Haarzuilens", which can also include the peripheral parts of the village as well as the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 580.
Pronounced Harzollens by the local Dutch inhabitants, the village was built around the turn of the 19th century after its predecessor and the local castle De Haar
Kasteel de Haar
Castle De Haar is located near Haarzuilens, in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The current buildings, except for the chapel, date from 1892 and are the work of Dutch architect P.J.H. Cuypers, in a restoration project funded by the Rothschild family....
had been destroyed in a devastating fire. The trees surrounding the castle are said to have originated in a forest on the other side of Utrecht. Local lore has it that several houses in Utrecht were demolished in order to move the trees to their new location and to give the castle's landlord his forest without the decades of delay usually required to grow new trees. Nevertheless, the landlord allegedly went on a five-year honeymoon trip before the trees had been replanted.
It is famous for De Haar Castle
Kasteel de Haar
Castle De Haar is located near Haarzuilens, in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The current buildings, except for the chapel, date from 1892 and are the work of Dutch architect P.J.H. Cuypers, in a restoration project funded by the Rothschild family....
, which is surrounded by gardens and which is the location of the annual Elf Fantasy Fair
Elf Fantasy Fair
The Elf Fantasy Fair is an outdoor fantasy event in the Netherlands which is traditionally held in April since 2001, but from 2009 it is held twice per year in Haarzuilens and in Arcen . The Haarzuilens fair is the largest fantasy event in Europe and attracts some 22,500 visitors every year...
. The castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, owned by Baron Thierry van Zuylen until 2000, attracted 76,500 visitors in 2002.