Grimbergen Castle

Grimbergen Castle lies in the town of Grimbergen, in the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish region in Belgium. It is more commonly known as "Prinsenkasteel", which translates to the Prince's castle.

The castle was the seat of the powerful medieval Lords of Grimbergen. Underneath the current ruins are probably foundations from the 13th century. The oldest parts of the present castle ruins were built around 1500; these include the large gate tower, a smaller corner tower, and part of the curtain wall.

Between 1610 and 1620, the castle was rebuilt by Jacques van Bergen-Glymes, who also expanded the castle grounds. In 1686, Filip Frans van Bergen became Prince of Grimbergen, which gave the castle its name 'Prinsenkasteel'.

The castle was restored during the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1905, Countess Jeanne de Merode carried out the last restoration, though she moved into a newly built castle in Westerlo. It was used as a nunnery until 1933. Until World War II, the castle was maintained by a caretaker.

During the war, the castle was occupied by the Germans. When they retreated, they set fire to it to destroy evidence of their presence and many secret documents. The castle burned down, leaving it in ruins. In 1947, it became property of the municipality of Grimbergen. Later, it was designated a protected monument, and efforts were made to stabilize the ruins.

The castle is located on a small, moated island in the forest called 'Prinsenbos'. The ruin is not accessible. There are plans to turn it into a permanent exhibition of a 16th-century building site. I really hope those plans don't go through because I think they will ruin the castle's romantic look.

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