Wijenburg Castle, Echteld, Netherlands

Wijenburg was an important castle in the Duchy of Guelders and the Lords of Echteld who lived in the castle enjoyed great prestige until there was a disagreement between the Duke of Guelders and Lord Otto van Wijhe in 1492. At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle was saved from demolition by Baron Van Verschuer and restored by Stichting Geldersche Kasteelen national heritage foundation.

The history of Wijenburg Castle dates back to the 12th century, when a fortified tower was built and the castle has been extended further and further over time. For centuries, the castle was occupied by the extensive and influential Van Wijhe family. By around 1400, the castle had grown into one of the most important political centres in the Duchy of Guelders. Duchess Catharina, the wife of Duke Willem van Gulik, was even godmother to one of the descendants of the Van Wijhe family.

In 1492,Otto van Wijhe had a disagreement with the newly-appointed Duke, Charles of Guelders, after he had sided with Charles’ arch-enemy, the House of Burgundy. Otto was taken prisoner and even tortured; his castle was set on fire, the moat was filled in and he was deprived of his most important noble rights. His grandson, Otto, managed to redeem the family’s name to some extent: he studied law and became Lord of Echteld in 1568. As if by a miracle, one of his diaries has been preserved along with two friendship books. These give us a fascinating insight into life in a 16th-century castle.

The castle remained in the Van Wijhe family (by marriage) for many years. In 1928, the two elderly ladies Anna and Wil van Balveren sold the castle to their nephew, B.F. Baron van Verschuer. In 1956, the Baron handed the castle over to Stichting Geldersche Kasteelennational heritage foundation, which carefully renovated the by-then dilapidated castle and restored it to its former glory. The castle is now known as one of the most popular wedding locations in Gelderland.

References:

Exciting History

User Reviews

Mohammad Jamshed Abedin (9 months ago)
Wonderful place, i was really wondering when i came here to attend wedding ceremony of my niece. I was very pleased for every thing.❤❤❤

Madlen Möller (15 months ago)
Absolutely loved it! Perfect in every way. We've only been to the walk in day, but after have seen the venue. We have booked a date with them straight away. Super friendly and enthousiastic personell. Everything can be added or done the exact way YOU want it, they'll make sure that's its YOUR day. Castle itself has a very nice atmosphere, as history lovers we absolutely loved everything about it.

Desislava Ilieva (15 months ago)
A fabulous place. I was a wedding guest there last week on Wednesday the 17th, everything was organized perfectly, the staff were very kind and the food was cooked very well. The wine tasting was well organized and the wines were very good. Many thanks to Diana (I don't know if I'm spelling the name correctly, a smiling and kind woman from the staff. I recommend to everyone.

Jane Flagg (3 years ago)
Gorgeous setting. Great food.

Marijana Vidakovic (3 years ago)
Wonderful place for relax,walk,and celebrate wedding or party?

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Klearchos Kapoutsis

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Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.

Wijenburg Castle

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