Wissekerke Castle, Kruibeke, Belgium

Wissekerke Castle is situated in the village of Bazel of Kruibeke municipality in East Flanders. Although a castle stood at this site since 10th century, the present castle was largely built in the 15th century with lake, park and a suspension bridge built around the castle. The suspension bridge by the castle is one of the oldest surviving wrought iron suspension bridges in Europe and was designed in 1824 by Jean-Baptiste Vifquain, an engineer from Brussels.

Many famous people lived at Wissekerke castle, including the influential family of Vilain XIIII. For 139 years the members of this family were the mayors of Bazel. Through the centuries the castle has been rebuilt and renovated. The most important building works were completed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the present architecture recalls 19th century neo-gothic style. The major interior features also date from this period. The castle, the gatehouse, the iron suspension bridge and the pigeon tower were listed as monuments in 1981. In 1989 the castle was purchased by the town of Kruibeke, which has since handled the restoration work. The castle is also venue to many cultural activities, tours and exhibitions.

In spite of the modest span of 23 meters, the bridge is of great industrial archaeological value, because of its historical and structural uniqueness.

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User Reviews

Jam Jahanzeb Khan Behan (8 months ago)
It was nice, I went with family and the kids enjoyed it a lot. We didn't go inside the castle, but the surrounding park is also nice.

Garelle Bacaron (10 months ago)
This castle is very nice and have a pond, walking/jogging trails, a museum, a hanging bridge, and a picnic place around. Well maintained and also before wntering the compound it has a lot of restaurants. One is even a Michelin-starred restaurant. All of these are very accesible via De Lijn Bus No. 93 from Van eden/Halewijn bus station.

Brandy Cools (11 months ago)
Really worth a visit. This castle is beautifully renovated and nowadays it is a museum about it’s history and especially the last aristocratic family that lived there. It’s pretty fascinating stuff for young and old. Recommend!! Very welcoming staff too!!

Ward D'Hooghe (12 months ago)
The tour was informative with beautiful antique from the Napoleon era.

Elena Alexandra Stiribat (2 years ago)
Nice views. Nice museum! A lot to learn! I totally recommend. It costs 12 euros if you want to visit the entire museum. Of you don't want to pay you can visit only two rooms.

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Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

Wissekerke Castle

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