Bleijenbeek Castle Ruins, Afferden, Netherlands

Bleijenbeek Castle was built of bricks around 1300. According to the 19th-century historian A.J. van der Aa, the castle is known for its numerous sieges by the armies of Guelders and Spain. In 1580, the castle was besieged by the forces of Guelders, but it was defended bravely by the lord of the castle, Marten Schenk. When the Duke of Parma sent cavalry, the besieging army had to retreat. In 1589, Schenk changed sides, and the castle was besieged by Marcus van Rije, the stadtholder of Guelders appointed by the Spanish king; this time, the castle was conquered.

The castle has lain in ruins since the bombardment by the British RAF on 21 and 22 February 1945, during Operation Veritable. In 2009, the property was purchased by the Bleijenbeek Foundation, which intends to restore the remaining structure, moat, and surrounding gardens and provide public access after work is complete. Construction began in the summer of 2012.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Holly Vettori (3 years ago)
Behind a gate, but that didn’t stop me. Got muddy shoes, but made it in. I traveled there all the way from California to see my ancestral home. Didn’t know it was actually a castle! With a moat! Even found a street in the town with my maiden name on it! Thank you dear old friend Jan for driving us there!

Kasper Spiro (4 years ago)
Just a castle ruin. Nice but behind a gate. No entrance

Carl Hansson (4 years ago)
It was closed to the public.

Thomas Sallermann (4 years ago)
Interesting ruin of a castle

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Roman Moško

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle

Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.

History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.

Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.

Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.

Bleijenbeek Castle Ruins

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle