Durbuy Castle, Durbuy, Belgium

In medieval times Durbuy was an important centre of commerce and industry. In 1331, the town was elevated to the rank of city by John I, Count of Luxemburg, and King of Bohemia. At the heart of Durbuy is this fairly modest riverside castle that dates from 1756, the medieval original having been destroyed under Louis XIV of France.

Castles and fortifications in Belgium

User Reviews

La Belgique insolite (4 years ago)
Beautiful castle in the center of Durbuy!

Stefan Bohlin (4 years ago)
Lovely little village

Melissa Brackx (4 years ago)
Beautiful city. Lovely for a day out

Karin Galle (5 years ago)
Great hospitality, great amenities, great views, serene nature.

Marc van Kan (5 years ago)
Beautiful authentic castle in the heart of a pitoresque environment in the self claimed “smallest city in the world”. A visit to Durbuy itself is perfect for a few hours if you stick to only walking a round through town and having a breakfast/lunch/dinner. Lots of physical activities like canoing and/or mountainbiking are possible and even recommended in the surrounding area.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright mixteri

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse

Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.

German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.

After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.

Durbuy Castle

Address

Details

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse