Ooidonk Castle

Deinze, Belgium

Ooidonk Castle is the residence of the current Count t'Kint de Roodenbeke. A fortress was first built on the site of the present castle in 1230, intended to defend the city of Ghent and to fortify the river Leie. This fortress was owned by Nikolaas van Hoendunc, lord of Nevele.

After it was destroyed by Louis de Male, count of Flanders, Jean de Fosseux rebuilt and enlarged the fortress from 1381 onwards, adding moats, so that the castle could only be reached by drawbridge, and strengthening the defences with four towers.

In the 15th century the castle came into the possession of the well-known French noble family of Montmorency, when Jeanne de Fosseux married Jean de Montmorency.

In 1526 Philippe II de Montmorency-Nivelle, the well-known rebel, son of Joseph de Montmorency, Seigneur de Nivelle (died 1530) and of Anna of Egmond, was probably born at Ooidonk Castle. After the death of his father, his mother married Count Jan van Hoorn, who adopted her children. Philippe thus became known as Count Hoorn. He opposed the Spanish rule in the Netherlands and was finally decapitated in 1568 in Brussels.

In the turmoil of religious wars the castle was destroyed twice, in 1491 and in 1579. After the fire of 1579 it was rebuilt again, and this building survives as the present castle.

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Address

Ooidonkdreef 9, Deinze, Belgium
See all sites in Deinze

Details

Founded: 1579
Category: Castles and fortifications in Belgium

More Information

ooidonk.be
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Heart (3 years ago)
Cute little castle/chateau. Well kept and still lived in by the family who own it. It's an interesting building and estate design. There is a guided tour with a strict schedule. No photos allowed inside. I cane for the Elftopia event so decided to check it out to beat the heat that day.
Phillip Jaisut (3 years ago)
I wasn't inside the castle. But the way to the castle was beautifully made and it was a very nice experience driving towards the castle. Nice area to walk around and the castle did seem very beautiful, but the entry cost was around 10€ per person which was to much for my small budget :(
victoria nyaga (4 years ago)
Beautiful and charming castle. We paid 3/1 euro for adult/kid to walk in the park. Its well maintained and clean. Apparently it's now inhabited by the sixth generation.
Indranil Das Roy (4 years ago)
Nice place with a nice looking castle in the middle with decent garden area. Good for a day out in summer weekend. The water bodies could have maintained well. You can also take home cooked food and seat there in a nice place in sun or shade as per your choice with your friends and family and enjoy.
MLVC CN (4 years ago)
One of the best places or castles I've visited in Belgium. The castle's garden was open to the public so we were able to go around it. Benches around the area is also available if you want to just sit and enjoy the beauty of the castle. It looks well preserved. Highly recommended visit. We just took the train from Brussels so Gent then bus 34 to this castle.
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