Haamstede Castle (Slot Haamstede) was built originally in the 12th century and it probably consisted of a wooden keep on a motte, circled by a moat. There is also archeological evidence of Roman habitation on this site. Around 1200 this castle came into the possession of Floris IV, Count of Holland. In 1229 the castle went to the Lords of Zierikzee through an exchange with Floris IV. The new inhabitants of the castle called themselves Van Haamstede.
The castle was destroyed by fire in 1525. Only the keep, built in the 13th century, survived. The other castle was rebuilt in the 17th century. The keep was provided with 2 square towers on both sides. The smallest one served as a stair tower. During the 19th and 20th century the castle was renovated twice until it got its present appearance.
At present Haamstede Castle is owned by the Vereniging Natuurmonumenten, a society for the preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands.
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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.