# Slot Teylingen

- **Country:** the Netherlands
- **Coordinates:** 52.231111, 4.519167
- **Location Text:** Voorhout, South Holland

Slot Teylingen is a historic Dutch castle ruin located in Voorhout, within the municipality of Teylingen in the Netherlands. Originally constructed in the early 13th century from brick, the structure began as a round water castle featuring a massive ring wall with internal buttresses and a walkway. A donjon was added later in the same century, along with an outer bailey that once held a residential house, though nothing of the latter remains today. The castle served a strategic military purpose by protecting a key north-south route through Hollandic territory before evolving into a forester's residence for the Counts of Holland.

The site holds significant historical value as the presumed ancestral keep of the Van Teylingen noble family, from whom the prominent Van Brederode lineage descended. One of its most famous residents was Jacoba of Bavaria, who died at the castle while married to her fourth husband, Frank van Borssele; drinking vessels found nearby are still known as Jacobakanntjes in her honor. The fortress suffered heavy damage during the Eighty Years' War around 1570 and experienced further decay after a fire damaged the donjon in 1675. Despite partial demolitions over subsequent centuries, the ruins were protected by sale conditions in the late 18th century, making them an early example of designated national heritage in the Dutch Republic.

Currently owned by the Dutch government and managed by the state building service, Slot Teylingen is open to the public as a preserved ruin. Extensive restoration efforts at the end of the 20th century, facilitated by the Foundation Slot Teylingen and cultural funds, successfully restored parts of the structure and refilled the moat to its original state. In recognition of ongoing preservation work by volunteers and professionals, the site received a special appreciation shield from the Historical Circle of Voorhout in June 2023. The castle also gained pop culture fame as a filming location for the classic Dutch television series Bassie and Adriaan.

![Photo of Slot Teylingen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Teylingen.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slot_Teylingen (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)