Heusden Castle Ruins

Heusden, Netherlands

The settlement of Heusden, bordering on the river Meuse (Maas), as we know it today dates back to the 13th century, and started with the construction of a fortification to replace the castle that was destroyed by the Duke of Brabant in 1202. This fortification was quickly expanded with water works and a donjon (castle keep). The city of Heusden received city rights in 1318. The castle of Heusden was the property of successive dukes of Brabant, in 1357 it went over to the counts of Holland.

With the construction of ramparts and moats the castle became located within the city's fortifications, and the castle lost its function as a stronghold. The donjon was now used as a munition depot. A disaster marked the end of the castle of Heusden and caused the economic demise of the city; on 24 July 1680 a terrible thunderstorm hit Heusden, and lightning struck the donjon. Sixty thousand pounds of gunpowder and other ammunition exploded, and destroyed the castle. It took the people of Heusden seven weeks to clear the rubble and debris. The castle was never fully rebuilt. However, the original outlines of the main features were restored in 1987.

References:

Comments

Your name



Marker
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in Netherlands

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Ros Laighleis (4 years ago)
Beautiful scenic village. Around every corner is another wonder. This castle is a great place to walk around. Kid friendly neighborhood and plenty of options for eating and drinking.
A S (4 years ago)
Nice place for the day out!!
Paris Giazitzidis (4 years ago)
Very beautiful village to visit on a sunny Sunday!
Ariel van den Bosch (5 years ago)
Fantastic climat at night!
Willem Van de merbel (5 years ago)
Not as big as it looks in the pictures. Souds really old but looks like its been build 5 years ago. Woold not recomend iff you live further awat then walking distance
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.