Walhain Castle

Walhain Castle, locally known as Château de Walhain, lies in the center of the village of Walhain, in the province of Walloon Brabant in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

Walhain Castle was constructed at the end of the 12th century. The duke of the old Duchy of Brabant, Henry I, ordered its construction along his borders to counter the territorial claims of the County of Namur. He installed the Walhain family at the castle, a family of minor local lords.

The castle remained the property of the Walhain family until the death of Arnould V in 1304. From 1304 to 1430, it was owned by several lords who neglected its maintenance.

This slow decline was halted when Antoine de Glimes purchased the castle in 1430, marking the start of its golden age. The peak of this era was in 1532, when the castle was the center of a powerful seigniory. After that, its glory faded, although the county persisted until the French Revolution.

After Jean IV de Berghes died in 1567, the castle fell into disrepair due to the disinterest of successive owners, despite some restorations.

In recent years, students from Belgian and American universities have conducted archaeological excavations.

Today, the castle stands as a charming ruin, with a tall remaining keep, parts of walls, other towers, and traces of walls and ditches in the bailey. The castle ruins are not freely accessible.

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