|
|
HORST
You will find the castle of Horst in the valley of the Winge creek on the territory of the village Sint Pieters Rode. Which is situated between Aarschot and Leuven. Although the castle is not habited for hundreds of years it still stands pride surrounded by a wide moat. The house of “Tunen” which is already mentioned in the 12th century was probably responsible for the erection of this castle in the second half of the 13th century. Horst is the first time mentioned in documents from 1263 and 1268 when “Jan van Thunen” moves into the castle and changes his name into “Johannes van Horst”. “Amelric Boote” buys the castle in 1369 and he is the one who builds the fortified stronghold of which we still can admire the keep. “Amelric Pynnock” a member of an important dynasty of the area, buys the castle in 1422. “Lodewijk Pynnock” chooses during the revolution of the Brabantse cities the side of “Maximiliaan”. The habitants of Leuven don’t like this and they burn down his house in the city. It is also in these troubled years between 1488 and 1489 that a fire destroys the castle of horst. “Maximiliaan” wins with the help of a German army the war and “Pynnock” is rewarded for his loyalty so that he can rebuilt his castle. He starts in 1490 with the wing beside the keep and give with that the start for the castle we still can admire now. “Pynnock” is however a man who likes to party and after a while he gets in serious financial difficulties and he has to sell his castle to “Iwein van Kortenbach”. He sells on his turn the castle in 1521 to “Gilles van Busleyden”. Although this family is more sparing they also get into financial difficulties and have to sell the castle at the beginning of the 17th century. “Olivier van Schoonhoven” becomes the new castle lord in 1605. He finishes the rebuilding of the castle. “Maria-Anna van den Tympel” inherits the castle in 1650. “Maria-Anna” was the last chatelaine of the castle. She made some important alteration on the castle. She is responsible for the beautiful stuccowork in the three big halls. In the next decades the castle changes often from hand mostly through inheritance. The new owners are however mostly not interested in the castle. So the castle stays empty. Because of this we have now a castle that is still the same like it was in the 17th century. There are plans for a thorough restoration but you can already visit the castle. The castle is at the moment however empty so you can walk through the big empty halls and admire the beautiful ceilings and climb all the way to the top of the keep via a very narrow and dark stair. I was there in July 2001 and had to pay 50bef to get into the castle but got for my 50bef beside the ticket also an excellent booklet with tons of info about the castle. Besides visiting the castle you can also make vast walks in the forests surrounding the castle or have a drink and a snack in the tavern that is situated in the old coach house. 
|
ARENBERG
Castle Arenberg is built on the exact spot where there was once a 12th century water castle. “Antoon Van Croy” demolished that old castle except for one tower and replaced it by the current castle, which was finished in 1515. His grandson was responsible for the beautiful park around the castle. There were some minor alterations done throughout the centuries but the castle kept pretty much it original looks. The first theatre of Belgium was founded in the castle in 1616. “Voltaire” was often a guest in the castle. On November 21st, 1783 Professor “Jan-Pieter Minckeler’s” took off for the first time in history with a gas filled balloon from the front lawn of the castle. The castle is now property of the University of Leuven. You can walk freely in the park and through the gate into the courtyard of the castle. Close to the castle are a couple of taverns where you can get some yummy ice cream J. Castle Arenberg is in Heverlee very close to Leuven. 
|
DE MERODE
De castle of the “de Merode” family is situated in the village of Westerlo. Nobody is really certain about the origin. What we do know is that the first castle was built around 1066. The “Lords of Wezemael” laid down the foundations of the current castle in the beginning of the 13th century. The keep was built in 1300 in iron sandstone, which was the typical material of the area. In front of that Keep they constructed the courtyard in the 16th century. Curtain walls and the still existing square towers surrounded this courtyard. The two towers in the back were furnished as living quarters. The half round gate tower is also from the 16th century. In the 18th and 19th century they added the left and right wing. In the castle you find many peculiar art treasures. The chapel contains beside beautiful 17th century coloured glass windows in addition to a lot of treasures and memories of the family. The castle is only open to the public one weekend in the year. The first weekend of July there is a small festival with arts/craft booths on the castle domain and you also can visit the part of the castle. The entrance fee for festival and castle is 200bef. 
|
DE MERODE (Small castle)
Countess “Jeanne de Merode” decided in 1910 to built a new and smaller castle. She didn’t plan to build the castle in Westerlo but because the population of Westerlo begged her to stay in the village she bought some ground not far from the big castle and gave architect “Langerock” the assignment to build it. “Langerock’ decided to erect it in the Gothic Brabant style from the 16th century. During WWII the German’s confiscated the castle and made it their headquarters. After the war it became a rest home for retired priests. The village Westerlo bought the castle in 1972 and turned it into the city hall and a cultural centre. 
|
BOUCHOUT
The earliest remains of the castle of Bouchout goes back to the 12th century. It used to be the property of the mighty Lords of “Grainhem – Bouchout”. The family “van der Marck – Arenberg” became owners of the castle and they sold it to the family “d’Assonville” who turned it into a luxurious residence. It later became property of the family “de Roose de Bouchout” who admission architect “Suys” in 1832 to remodel the castle for Count “van Beauffort”. King Leopold II of Belgium buys the domain in 1879 from the Count “van Beauffort’ and merges it with the castle domain of Meise for his sister Charlotte. Charlotte was for a short period Empress of Mexico. She returns to Belgium after the death of her husband “Emperor Maximilian of Mexico”. She takes residence in the castle where she becomes slowly insane and she dies in the castle in 1927. Unfortunately, the castle of Meise was totally destroyed during the Second World War and only the orangery, the castle farm and a number of smaller buildings remain of the original grounds. Also the castle of Bouchout deteriorated after the death of Charlotte. Now it is restored and the thorough restoration was completed in 1988. The castle itself is not open to the public. The castle is however in the middle of the National Botanic Garden Of Belgium. This enormous park is plastered with thousands of plants from all over the world. You can walk around for hours. I was there May 2001 and paid 160 bef to get in. You can find the domain in Meise. It is along the A12 from Antwerpen to Brussels, take Exit Meise and follow the signs. 
|
PRINSEN KASTEEL
 
The Prinsen kasteel ( Prince Castle) was the residence of the Lords of Grimbergen. The castle is named after “Filip – Frans van Bergen” who was prince of Grimbergen. As you can see there is only a ruin left. They restored in 1996 the Donjon, which gives you a little idea how this castle once was. The castle became a ruin because the German’s burned the castle down at the end of the Second World War. I suggest that we restore the castle and send the bill to German government. :-) |
DIEPENSTEYN
Diepensteyn Castle, rebuilt ('93-'95) on the foundations of the earlier  Steenhuffelse castle, communicates the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. The builders made all possible efforts, when they rebuilt on the foundations of the ruins, to make a copy as close as possible to the edifice already there in 1279(documents go back to that date). Diepensteyn has an eventful past. First owned by the "Bouchout" family.Then - when the Berthouts were making the region unsafe (Grimberg war 11th and 12th centuries) - the castle changed hands several times. The "La Marck" family played an important role; the "Van Maldeghems", the  "Lalaings" and other families helped to control the region from Diepensteyn. The castle fell into disrepair in the course of the 19th century but thanks to the PALM brewery and its love of the region, the Castle Diepensteyn became again the most attractive castle in the green land of Steenhuffel. Check out the Palm brewery web site at www.palm.be to find out more about the renting possibilities of the castle |
WIJNEGEM HOF
The family "Vleminck" built Castle Wijnegem in the 16th century. “Jan Vleminck” became in 1567 Lord of Wijnegem. He was the son in law of “Gaspar Schetz” who was bookkeeper for “Filips II, King of Spain and the Netherlands”. The castle was destroyed in 1856. Only the entrance + tower and the stables survived the hand of time |
BELVEDERE
 The family “van Havre” replaced the small 17th century country house that was situated on this site in the midst of a big country park with this neo-classical residence. They baptizes the building Belvédère. The family ceased to live at the castle in 1972 and they converted it into a seminar convention. |
VILLERS
 
The oldest witness of this castle is a stone with the date 1396 on it, which was discovered while restoring the tower. Villers was burned down in 1535 by the army of “Maarten van Rossem”. In the 16th century during the religious wars the castle was destroyed again. The castle would be rebuilt at the end of the 16th century and we still can admire that building now. The castle is private property.The current owner saved the castle of being torn down by buying it. |
|