Groot-Bijgaarden Castle

Dilbeek, Belgium

Groot-Bijgaarden Castle is 12th-century castle in Groot-Bijgaarden in the municipality of Dilbeek, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. The castle was built for Almaric Bigard, the first lord of Bigard.

The castle is surrounded by a wide moat spanned by a bridge with five arches, leading to the drawbridge. The central part of the gatehouse dates from the 14th century. A four-storey tower (built 1347), 30 metres high, is by the side of the gatehouse. The castle is in the Flemish Renaissance style, with red brick and a slate roof. In 1902, the castle was very dilapidated and Raymond Pelgrims Bigard began renovations that lasted 30 years.

Garden architect Louis Fuchs created the 14 hectare park alongside the castle at the start of the 20th century. The park is open in spring every year since 2003 for an international flower exhibition with tulips from the Netherlands.

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Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Belgium

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Rinky Parakra (7 months ago)
I visited Groot Bijgaarden castle in September. There was a pumpkin decoration festival going on. It was lovely to see decorated pumpkin. It was nice to walk around in the castle.
Noha El Bakkush (11 months ago)
I had the pleasure of visiting twice - once last April during the floralia exhibition and once last December during the Lightopia exhibition. Both were great, but floralia was breathtaking, I was captivated by the beautiful floral displays that adorned the park, which took approximately 1.30 hours to fully tour. For a quick snack, there is a small kiosk that serves food and snacks and a small greenhouse with comfortable seating. There's also a small playground on-site, while photography enthusiasts and instagram lovers will appreciate the many picturesque spots perfect for capturing memories and photos that make for awesome posts.
Oldřich Malec (11 months ago)
0.5 EUR for the toilet, while the entrance ticket costs 16€??? It's like they want the people to piss on the flowers. I would understand paid toilets if the garden entry was free. Otherwise, the garden is quite beautiful, but there could also be labels with names of the flowers in each flowerbed.
Mohammad (12 months ago)
It is a beautiful place to see. You will feel very good when you see the old castle and the beautiful flowers. There were two points for me to think about: one is that I wish there were signs or sheets next to the flowers to introduce their breed to the visitors. The second point is that toilets only accept cash and if someone only has a bank card, they cannot use them. If you want to park in the parking lot in front of the entrance, the cost is 5 euros.
Paula “LiveYourWay” (12 months ago)
This is a gorgeous place just 30 min from Brussels. You can take a train ticket to go and return for 5 EUR. It's a huge park area with a castle and lots of different flower arrangements. It's open in April and May when the flowers are at their best. Pick a sunny day to go, you will like it more.
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