Doornenburg Castle is located in the eastern part of the province of Gelderland, near the village of Doornenburg. The castle is first mentioned in 1295. It isn't known how the castle looked back then. The oldest parts of the present structure date back to the 14th century. The castle then consisted of a large hall with cellars and a walled rectangular courtyard on a moated island.

Doornenburg Castle was occupied until the 19th century. After that it fell into disrepair and became a ruin. In 1936 the castle was bought, in dilapidated shape, by a local industrialist Van Heek, who handed it over to his "Foundation for preservation of the Doornenburg". A large restoration followed, which was completed in September 1941. The castle became a German observation post after the allied operation at Arnhem in 1944.

British bombers almost completely destroyed Doornenburg Castle on March 14, 1945, near the end of the war. In the meantime, the Germans had already left the castle. Although rebuilding the castle seemed a lost cause, the foundation again started to rebuild the castle in its late-medieval style. The castle was rebuilt in detail on the basis of old drawings, maps and photographs, and the new 'old' castle was completed in 1966.

Doornenburg is once again one of the most beautiful castles in the Netherlands. It sits in a fairytale setting among reed borders and pastures, dreaming of times past. In 1968 Doornenburg Castle, amongst others, was used as a set for the Dutch television series Floris. The series launched the careers of actor Rutger Hauer, director Paul Verhoeven and screenwriter Gerard Soeteman.