Anyone who thinks of Halloween will, on the one hand, think of pumpkins and the ’trick or treat’ tradition. On the other hand, the well-known horror and ghost stories will certainly be brought up. Now, the Netherlands has plenty of legends and ghost stories. Usually they all come together in one place, often a castle or a castle. For those who are less familiar with the horror stories, we have researched one and immediately created a Griezel Gravel route made along the Castle of Waardenburg, especially for Halloween! We take you on a journey through the legend of Doctor Faust and the castle of Waardenburg, in the eponymous town in Gelderland. More about the castle: You can find that here! Just be scared!
Waardenburg and the surrounding area
In short: Waardenburg is located near the Deil junction on the A2 between Utrecht and Den Bosch. This village located on the Waal is located at the far western tip of the province of Gelderland. Across the Waal lies Zaltbommel and a stone’s throw away you find Den Bosch (and therefore the province of North Brabant). Waardenburg itself has little to offer, but it does have both the castle of Waardenburg and the house of Neerijnen. The legend of the castle takes place there, dating from August 2, 1265, when permission was granted to build the castle. Over the centuries many families have lived there. The current castle dates from the 17th century, because during the Eighty Years’ War Willem van Oranje and his men occupied the castle and (of course) destroyed it. The northern part of the castle was restored in 1627. The castle still has a horseshoe shape because the southern part was demolished.
The Faust Legend
Johann Faust was originally a German historical figure from the 16th century; a traveling doctor and scholar. After his death, rumors began to spread, and so one well-known folk legend was born. As with many of these stories, it is about dissatisfaction. According to some, Faust was dissatisfied with his life; and how could it be otherwise, he made a pact with the devil; certainly a common partner in these stories at that time. The legend is not clear-cut, because according to some, Faust wanted infinite knowledge; according to others, true love. Whether it was greed or that it was ’too good to be true’, nobody knows, but ultimately the Devil had to pay for his debt, in the form of ‘taking the soul’ from Faust. Well, let’s leave that aside. The best-known Faust legend was written by Goethe and published in 1806.
Faust and Castle Waardenburg
The legends have different versions of the story, and the Dutch version places Faust around 1538 in Castle Waardenburg. Doctor Faust is said to have died in 1540. In the legend of Faust and Castle Waardenburg, Faust is an alchemist who tries to find the Philosopher’s Stone. The connection to the original legend is somewhat far-fetched, but Faust wanted to turn metal into gold as an alchemist and, just like his friend Sywert van Lienden, ‘become rich by gambling’. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. In desperation, he turns to the devil, who is benevolent towards him, but in exchange for that, seven years later he will have his soul taken away. Faust is fine with it, signs the contract and calls the devil ‘Joost’ from now on, as a helper. Joost is allowed to know this, the expression comes from there.
Against the wind but still not
Just like with the cycling route we created, Faust is initially doing very well. Everything goes smoothly; he wins various competitions and, of course, is smarter than all the handsome heads and clerics in the country. But hey, arrogance begets failure. When Faust’s servant Joost starts to exploit him, things quickly go downhill. But the success starts to get to his head, and he begins to exploit Joost (the devil). Joost doesn’t find that very pleasant. He offers to tear up the contract, but Faust won’t give up his success. He also still seeks the Stone of Wisdom! The seven years are almost over, and it is during his stay at Castle Waardenburg that he comes to his end.
End of story
As soon as the contract expires, after seven years, the furious devil Faust arrives in his tower room in Castle Waardenburg. Naturally, Faust begs for mercy, but the Devil shows no mercy. He drags Faust, according to legend, out of his tower, into hell. To make it even more dramatic: flames are burning around the tower, owls are crying out with the voices of people, and a bizarre number of dogs and cats dance across the windmill and the dike. When the housekeeper hears the commotion and dares to come look in the next morning, Faust is nowhere to be seen. The walls are covered in blood, and a lock of hair hangs from the bars. According to legend, the bloodstains in Faust’s room are still visible, no matter how much one cleans them up. Making a pact with the devil is not a smart move, if this is supposed to be the moral of the story.
Griezel Gravel Route at Castle Waardenburg
Follow this route around the castle and let yourself be enchanted by the beauty, but in the meantime also fight a small battle with the elements. In the dark of night and in bad weather, the ghost of Faust will surely still haunt you!
Tips
- If you are going to drive the route on the weekend, you can have lunch at Brasserie het Stroomhuis, between Waardenburg and Neerijnen. You can only visit on appointment during the week.
- If you have a bicycle problem, then Cycle Centre 53-11 in Zaltbommel the ‘place to be’ to have your bike repaired.
- Cycling along the Waal is always a battle with the elements, so make sure you have the right clothing with you.
The route from this story
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.