Valkenburg Castle Ruins

Valkenburg, Netherlands

In the year 1115, fortifications were erected at the site by Gosewijn I, Lord of Valkenburg. This original wooden keep survived until 1122 when it was destroyed under siege by Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor. The castle was rebuilt in the following centuries but was again destroyed in a siege, this time by Jan III, Duke of Brabant. The current ruins are those of the castle rebuilt in the 14th century.

The castle was blown up during the Franco-Dutch War, in 1672, by the army of King-Stadtholder Willem III to prevent it falling into French hands.

References:
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Founded: 1115
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in Netherlands

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Mike Parrish (2 years ago)
Visiting the castle ruins made a good memory for our family. We did a self-service walking tour. There were written descriptions in Dutch and English throughout the ruins that described what we were seeing. There was also enough room for our young boys to run and explore the grounds. The ruins were big enough to get a good feel of the castle but not so big that the boys could get lost. Visiting the castle on the hill gave us a great view of the city. It takes about 45 minutes to walk through the castle ruins plus another 20 minutes if you stop to read many of the written site descriptions.
Michelle Zamora (2 years ago)
Spent a very fun morning exploring here. The entire thing is self service, from buying the tickets at the automated machine to the self guided walking tour. Lots of space to spread out and explore, and various ways around. Super interesting history and we loved the "depictions" of what the castle would have looked like during its heyday. Definitely recommend. Advisory: while there was an elevator to get to the entrance level, the walking paths didn't seem very wheelchair or stroller friendly.
Jarrod Hunt (2 years ago)
Overpriced for what you get. Sure the audio guide and the sign boards are great but at €25 for 2 adults and 1 child, you get some ruins on a hill. I wouldn't mind except the place is overgrown, has zero maintenance done, and the tickets are self service through a machine, so what's the entrance fee paying for???
Exeter Trees (2 years ago)
Around a 40 minute wait for the next tour, no issues as pleasant waiting lounge and toilets. The tour was very good and they provide an A4 piece of paper with English details in a numbered layout as the guides are spoken in Dutch. Once the caves are done it’s then a very nice walk around the castle ruins with great views
Brandon Detty (2 years ago)
Combining a visit with a trip to Maastricht is perfect. In addition to the ruins themselves, you get a great view of the surrounding area.
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