Poilvache Castle

Yvoir, Belgium

Poilvache Castle is a ruined medieval castle in the Walloon municipality of Yvoir, overlooking the village of Houx from a clifftop on the river Meuse.

The present ruins date from the 15th century, although there has been a fortification on the site since the time of Charlemagne. The Liégeois town of Poilvache, a thriving walled town, protected by a castle, with a prosperous economy and its own mint, and allied to Duke Philippe the Good, virtually ceased to exist following its 1430 siege by the rebellious Prince-Bishop of Liège, Jean de Heynsbergh, and an estimated army of 30,000 Liégeois, Dinantais and Hutois. The Dinantais besiege Montaigle Castle in 1465 for the same reasons but Montaigle was destroyed in the 16th century by the army of Henri II of France.

From the top of these rocks it is possible to see the isle in the river where the German army and its armoured divisions crossed (in the North of the isle), the river Meuse on 13 May 1940.

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Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Belgium

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Maria Nyberg (11 months ago)
It's only open on weekends. We didn't go inside since we were there on a weekday. If you can't get inside there isn't anything else to do in that land area. No trails or picnic grounds, etc. But if you can get inside, there is a good view of the river.
SpiceyMcgee (2 years ago)
Very cool old castle ruins and the best - has a small info booth run by super sweet old locals that serves cold local beers until 6pm. Totally worth the hike up the hill. Best pit-stop on the walk from Namur to Dinant. Well with a visit.
Uzik (2 years ago)
Actually nothing to see but vey cheap to visit (only 2 euro). There is a wall, two semi-towers, one well and some remains of buildings. Also you can sit over there and buy some drinks. Good place for picnic.
Ravikrishnan R Nair (3 years ago)
Its really a nice place to take a stroll. The castle, mainly its ruins is located within the woods. A narrow road leads to the parking spot few meters away from the entrance. You need to get tickets from the counter inside the compoud where you can also get some printed guides too about the castle ruins. Its a nice read as you take the walk between the numbered spots. The view of the river Meuse with a small island is just amazing. The boundary of one side of the castle is somewhat like a cliff. So if you are walking with small kids pay extra attention. I would not suggest talking the kids stroller because the gorund is pretty uneven. Though there are paths were you can use the stroller too. You can easily spend an hour at the location. They suggest to start the route by going through the ruins first and then to the 'town' area. There are some drinks and snacks that the ticket counter available which was really helpful because the weather was really hot during our visit.
Fabian (3 years ago)
Really a nice spot. It is lost in the wilderness so it is a mix between park and historical ruins. The entrance is 2e (free for kids) and comes with a nice explanatory book. We were almost alone there. There is also a small bar with 4/5 outside tables to enjoy after or during the visit/walk. On top of that you can enjoy a nice view of the valley. Definitely something to try out.
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