castles parks

Castles, a moated fortress... and a basilica

Beersel.

Beersel Castle is a splendid mediaeval moated fortress with three towers. With its moat, battlements and embrasures it is the archetypical knight’s castle of strip cartoons and boys’ dreams. It was never converted into a summer mansion, so as a visitor you can still imagine exactly what life was like in a fortified mediaeval castle.

Gaasbeek, Gaasbeek Castle.

Gaasbeek Castle is one of the best-known castles in Flanders. In the late 19th century, the Marquise Arconati-Visconti had this age-old fortress restored and gave it a fairytale appearance. The sturdy exterior of the castle now houses a superbly furnished interior which in the meantime has become a quite captivating museum. Around the castle lie grounds of 40 hectares, with a marvellous walled historical garden.

Dilbeek, Nieuwermolen and La Motte Castles

The old moated castle of Nieuwermolen is surrounded by 35 hectares of woodland, with a lake, a miller’s house and a watermill. Another highlight is the 18th-century neoclassical La Motte Castle.

Grimbergen, Basilica of St Servatius.

It may not be a castle, but it is still a fine piece of architecture that has withstood the centuries. The Norbertines founded an abbey here in 1128, for which they built a new abbey church in sandstone in 1660. The baroque interior is especially breathtaking: light enters through the windows of the marvellously embellished dome and brings a festive illumination to the ornate furnishings, the skilful wooden sculptures and the many works of art.Home> the Green Belt >parks