Limbricht Castle originates from the 10th century. It was first a motte castle with a wooden tower. The stone buildings were erected around 1250. During the 80 years war the army of Duke of Parma looted the castle (1579). During the Napoleon wars it was a military hospital (1813-1814) and during the World War I an internment camp for German prisoners-of-war. The current castle building dates from the early 1600s and is built on Maasland Renaissance style.
References: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.