Hingene Castle, Bornem, Belgium - SpottingHistory.com

Hingene Castle was the summer residence of the House of Ursel. The Dukes of Ursel and their family resided for 350 years on the estate. A famous resident was Conrard-Albert, first Duke of Ursel (1665-1738). His son the second duke asked Giovani Nicolano Servandoni (1695-1766) to redesign the family estate. The front was made symmetric like a palace.

The duke received important noblemen here, such as Johan von Sinzendorf und Pottendorf (1739-1813) and Joseph de Ferraris. During the 18th century the castle was known for banquets and balls. Marriages in the family were celebrated by the whole village, the dukes usually being well regarded locally. Around 1960 the castle was sold by the Duke of Ursel, the furniture and contents of the library were removed from the castle. The House of Ursel left the town, and chose to reside henceforth in Brussels.

In 1994 the province of Antwerp obtained ownership and restored the estate to its 17th century state. The Duke of Ursel gave an important part of the original interior back to the castle.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Belgium

User Reviews

Ikfixda Antwerpen (16 months ago)
Very nice place but we need more place to sit.

Robert Verbruggen (18 months ago)
Beautifull park. Plenty of places to sit and picknick. Well maintained castle.

Emily Feyt (2 years ago)
Beautiful place to visit with the dogs. The castle is beautiful inside and outside. There's also a possibility to sleep in a house on the same domain

Madame Filipinay Belgium (2 years ago)
Beautiful castle and nature❤

Johan de Roodt (2 years ago)
Nice place to bike or walk around and explore the forest. They have picnic tables to enjoy your food or the grass to lay on. Nice to go with the kids. Also the area is perfect bike around.

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The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

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In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

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