Hauteroche Castle Ruins

Viroinval, Belgium

Hauteroche ('High Rock') is a ruined 14th-century castle, destroyed after a siege in 1554, in the village of Dourbes in the municipality of Viroinval, province of Namur. It is situated on a ca. 50 meters high, rocky promontory, looking out over the valley of the Viroin river. The isolated site of the castle is separated from the plateau by a large, hand cut ditch. It has a square keep with 2.5 meter thick walls and it would originally have been at least 13 meters high.

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Founded: 14th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Belgium

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Davy Kyndt (5 years ago)
Nice old ruin of a castle. Lots of ways takr you to the top. If you stand in front of the castle. You see 3 little paths. They are nice but slippery and very steep. Not recommended for little kids. On the left side just after the parking lot and the housed there is a hiking trail on your right. This path is recommended for kids. Maybe even a buggy can get there. The castle itself is not accessible without some climbing. Once you are there, the view is magnificent. You can also do some small rock climbing in the front side of the castle. However, you will not find any anchor points.
alex motteux (5 years ago)
really nice walk! just dont try to climb straight up, these are loose stones you may fall, slide or die. just take the normal walking route it's already quite steep
Mark S (6 years ago)
Ruins but stunning and surrounded by amazing views of the countryside.
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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.