Slot Doddendael

Ewijk, Netherlands, Netherlands

---

Slot Doddendael in Ewijk, Netherlands, originated in the 1330s as a medieval moated castle possibly named after local reeds, first documented in 1332 under Robert van Appeltern and gaining its current name by 1379.

It changed hands among noble families, sold to Duke Karel van Gelre in 1526 for use as a fortress before Nijmegeners burned it that year, then repurchased and restored by the Van Stepraedt family, only to suffer Spanish occupation in 1585 and fiery recapture by Prince Maurits in 1590 during the Eighty Years' War, leaving just heavy walls standing.

The resilient Van Stepraedts rebuilt it again, later using its vaulted cellars as a 17th-century Catholic schuilkerk during religious bans, and today the white-plastered 14th-15th century structure with Renaissance additions serves as a private venue for events amid its wooded estate.