Castles of Belgium

In Belgium , more medieval castles were preserved than in any other European country. All of them played a significant role both in the history of Belgium itself, and in the history of France, the Netherlands, and other states. Locks "cover" a fairly wide time period - from the High Middle Ages to the Renaissance, and, accordingly, depending on the time of construction, show us all the stages of the development of serf architecture: we can see both almost impregnable fortresses and castles more reminiscent of palaces.

Not only to describe, but simply to list all the Belgian castles is quite difficult - they are preserved here more than 3 thousand, and 400 of them are open for visits. The largest number of castles per square kilometer is in the provinces of Liège , Namur and Luxembourg. Below we will tell only about the most significant and interesting of them.

The castles of the Flemish region

  1. Most of the castles of the Flemish region are built of red brick, while the buildings in Wallonia are predominantly stone.
  2. The castle of the counts of Flanders is one of the best preserved castles in Belgium. There is a castle next to Ghent ; its second name is Gravensten. Today it operates the Museum of Justice and Arms.
  3. Gerald Devil Castle is one of the most popular castles among tourists. It is within walking distance of the castle of the counts of Flanders. Built in the 13th century, it was named after its first owner, who, according to legend, received his nickname due to the fact that all the bored wives simply killed.
  4. Castle Gaasbek - a classic building in the Neo-Gothic style, similar to a castle from a fairy tale. It is located in the commune Lennik near Brussels . Since 1924, the castle has a museum where you can see a collection of items from the 15th-16th centuries; also in it fragrances of perfume company Guerlain are spent.
  5. The Castle of Sten is in Antwerp . With him, you can say, the history of this city began. The castle was the first structure built of stone, which is reflected in its name (Steen in translation and means "stone"). Today, the castle has little left - most of it was demolished when straightening the riverbed.
  6. Not far from the city of Leuven is the castle of Arenberg ; now it houses the engineering faculty of the Catholic University of Leuven.
  7. The largest castle in Belgium is the land command Alden Biesen (Landcommanderij Alden Biesen) near the town of Bilsen. It was built in the XI century. Today, the castle is a major conference center and cultural center, it hosts a variety of events, including bagpipe competitions.
  8. The castle of Van Oydonk was built in the valley of Lane; is considered one of the most beautiful castles in Belgium. Built in the Spanish-Flemish style.

Castles of Walloon region

  1. The castle of Ekuzin-Lalen in the province of Hainaut is one of the oldest castles in Belgium (it dates back to the 11th century). Located on a rocky ledge, the castle shows us the full power of the medieval defensive structures.
  2. In the province of Luxembourg, almost on the border with France, is the castle Bouillon (Bouillon Castle) - one of the most important in the Middle Ages defensive structures. Today, you can not only examine the exposition, but also become a spectator of the representation with the participation of birds of prey, and also try the beer, which is brewed in a small brewery in the castle for more than 400 years.
  3. In the province of Namur , 5 km from the town of Jambla , Corra Castle is located. The village in which it is located, or rather, which grew around it, is called in his honor - Corroe-le-Chateau. Preserved to this day almost in its original form, the castle is noteworthy in that it gives us an idea of ​​how the Louvre looked until the XV century.
  4. Another castle in the province of Namur - Weev , built near the village of Sel (Celle); he belongs to the family Liedekeke-Beaufort, whose members still live in the castle. And nearby is the Miranda Castle - the most "unlucky" castle in Belgium. He belongs to the same family, but is completely abandoned and gradually destroyed.
  5. On a high cliff above the River Les, 40 km from Dinan, there is one of the largest castles in Belgium - Walsen , sometimes called the "Belgian Neuschwanstein". It still lives today the descendants of Guillaume de Lamarck, who was nicknamed "Ardennes Vepr", which is described in the novel by Walter Scott "Quentin Durward".
  6. Castle Antoine , one of the most famous Belgian castles, is located in the province of Hainaut near Turna ; he owns the famous de Lin family. The same family belongs to the castle Beloel (Belel, Belell).