Kraków, Poland
11th century
Kraków, Poland
1290-1320
Warsaw, Poland
1390
Kraków, Poland
14th century
Gdańsk, Poland
1343
Kraków, Poland
1079-1098
Wrocław, Poland
14th century
Kraków, Poland
1597-1619
Kraków, Poland
1689-1705
Kraków, Poland
13th century
Gdańsk, Poland
1678-1681
Wrocław, Poland
13th century
Warsaw, Poland
1682
Toruń, Poland
c. 1750
Wrocław, Poland
13th century
Poznań, Poland
1651-1701
Lublin, Poland
1592-1617
Wrocław, Poland
13th century
Wrocław, Poland
1295
Toruń, Poland
14th century
The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. This bastion consisted of a central wooden building and several surrounding buildings, also in wood.
In the early 11th century, the wooden building was replaced by a stone residence, consisting of three large halls that made up three storeys, connected by a stone stairwell. The monumental stone staircase, the light openings, the fireplaces built into the walls and the latrines were signs of considerable luxury and comfort in those days. There was probably also a tower.