The Oude Loo castle was built in the 15th century. In 1684, the castle and the surrounding land was bought by William III of Orange. On this land, he had Het Loo Palace built. The castle was used by the court, among other things as an apothecary. In the 19th century the castle came in the hands of Louis Napoleon who filled up the moat. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands had the castle and the moat restored by architect Pierre Cuypers. Since 1968, the castle is owned by the Dutch state. Since 1973, it is a national heritage site. The castle is currently used by the Dutch Royal Family as a country house and guest residence.
The castle park construction began in the 17th century. Paths, ponds and alternating open spaces and groves of trees have been used to create a varied natural-looking landscape. The western and northern parts were heathland when they were purchased in the 19th century. They were sown to Scots pine and are now varied forest areas interspersed with patches of heath. In this part of the park is an old meltwater valley formed in the most recent ice age, Wilhelmina's Valley. Many of the numerous cultural heritage elements in the park have been restored. Recently, part of the park underwent a makeover to a design by the landscape architect Michael van Gessel.
References:The Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg is situated in a strategic area on a rocky spur overlooking the Upper Rhine Plain, it was used by successive powers from the Middle Ages until the Thirty Years' War when it was abandoned. From 1900 to 1908 it was rebuilt at the behest of the German kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is a major tourist site, attracting more than 500,000 visitors a year.
The first records of a castle built by the Hohenstaufens date back to 1147. The fortress changed its name to Koenigsburg (royal castle) around 1157. The castle was handed over to the Tiersteins by the Habsburgs following its destruction in 1462. They rebuilt and enlarged it, installing a defensive system designed to withstand artillery fire.
The fortification work accomplished over the 15th century did not suffice to keep the Swedish artillery at bay during the Thirty Years War, and the defences were overrun.