Top 17 Castles around Denderleeuw

The eye-catcher of the Grote Markt is undoubtedly the belfry, which includes the old town hall and the district house. Together, they form a unique historical ensemble. The old town hall, dating from 1225, is the oldest preserved town hall in the Netherlands, recognizable by its high gable roof and round corner towers. The belfry was added in 1407 and is notable for its elegant octagonal tower with an open gallery. Inside, one of the oldest working carillons in the Netherlands hangs, which still resounds through the city every fifteen minutes. The tower has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. On the facade, you can see the motto "Nec spe nec metu" ("without hope, nor fear"), and the statues of the Counts of Flanders and Aalst. The clock face, dating from 1964, earned the tower the nickname "den Tettentoeren" (the Tette Towers) because of its striking shape. The district house, a late Gothic extension, was for centuries the place where the bailiff promulgated laws to the people. Five statues adorn the facade, including Justitia, Emperor Charles V, and Pieter Coecke, court painter and Aalst resident. Today, the city council still meets there monthly.

The Castelhof: the F2 cycle highway passes right by.

Overhamme Castle, located in Aalst, has a rich history and interesting architecture. The castle was first mentioned in the 15th century as a possession of the de Bosch family. In the 16th century, the castle was destroyed and then restored. In 1663, the castle was issued as a fief. The castle was depicted in an engraving by Antonius Sanderus in 1644. This engraving shows that the castle had a U-shaped configuration with wings around the forecourt. During the second half of the 18th century, the castle was expanded and the service buildings were given their current shape. In 1796, the castle was used as a hiding place for the monks of the Abbey of Affligem. In 1946, the castle was demolished, but some service buildings from the 18th century were preserved. These buildings have now been converted into homes and a garage. The castle domain also includes a park with a pond and an ice cellar. It is an important heritage in East Flanders and is considered established architectural heritage.

One of the largest landowners of the lordship of Moorsel was the abbey of Affligem. On one of the abbey domains, Karel van Croy, cardinal-abbot of Affligem, and later bishop of Tournai, had a moated castle built as a country house and pleasure garden in the period from 1521 to 1526. He was, said, not very strict about keeping his vows. The castle of Moorsel is a large four-sided moated castle, built in Renaissance style and flanked by four corner towers with numerous loopholes; it is located in a beautiful park south of the Eksterberg. In 1564 it came into the hands of the counts of Hoorne, who sold it to Don Cayro in 1636 and it was elevated to barony. During that period, the castle was thoroughly restored, but the general layout was largely preserved. At the end of the 18th century, the building came into the hands of the de Meer family and later of the Van der Noot family. Through family ties with the Van der Noot family, the castle was donated to Mr. and Mrs. De Meulenaire–Dessin, who lived in it for a few years and then sold it to the current owners: Willy Michiels and his wife Lisette De Rijck. The castle was expertly restored by them and thus saved from ruin.

History: Kruikenburg used to be a manor and later a county in Brabant. The manor consisted of the current municipality of Ternat together with the sub-municipalities of Wambeek and Lombeek. At the beginning of the 12th century, the lords of Wezemaal, whether or not on behalf of the duke in Leuven, tried to seize the forests and lands of Wambeek. Architecture: Kruikenburg is an imposing classicist castle that originally dates from the 12th century. The castle, like many other medieval defensive castles, has a U-shape. This U is formed by three wings surrounding a courtyard. There are round towers on the corners. Only the entrance tower is square. Name: The peculiar name 'Kruikenburg' is because there used to be a rough stone-cut jar with a weather bar on the top of the square entrance tower and the three round towers.

Fragment from Brochure city walk "Aalst very hard occupied 1914 - 1918. "Center of German Power Even in wartime, the Markt van Aalst is the center of power in the city. At the bottom of the belfry, food and goods are distributed for the needy population. The place is soon nicknamed the 'American store', after the origin of many of the products. The Urban Food Committee succeeds in providing the population with soap, rice, grain, milk, clothing or chocolate from all over the world for four years. Since 1916, the hated German 'Meldeamt' has also been established here. All men from the age of 16 are required to register here. Many of them will be requisitioned for compulsory employment in the German war industry." Triggered: 'Aalst very hard occupied' can be downloaded at the attached link: https://www.langsvlaamsewegen.be/wandelen-in-het-scheldeland-deel-1-aalst/

The Schepenhuis of Aalst, as it exists today, is a building from the 15th century and is also known as the Belfry of Aalst or the Old Ship's House. It is located on the Grote Markt and consists of three parts, namely the aldermen's house itself, the belfry and the district house. Source: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfort_van_Aalst

The eye-catcher on the Grote Markt is the old aldermen's house with belfry tower and district house, popularly called the belfry. The belfry is therefore not 1 large building, but consists of 3 different buildings: The old alderman's house was built in 1225 and is the oldest preserved alderman's house in the Netherlands. The high gable roof and the four round corner towers are characteristic of the town halls in the late Middle Ages. The belfry from 1407 owes its elegance to the octagonal tower with openwork gallery. The facade contains two statues representing the Counts of Flanders and the Counts of Aalst and the inscription 'NEC SPE NEC METU' (without hope, nor fear), the motto of Philip II, who was overtaken as Count of Aalst in 1555. The graceful belfry tower was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 and houses one of the oldest carillons in our country. The carillon, which is still working, reminds you every fifteen minutes of the ancient presence of the belfry on the Grote Markt. The neo-Gothic dial on the tower was replaced in 1964 by a half-sphere one. From then on, the inhabitants of Aalst called the belfry 'den tettentoeren', referring to the resemblance between the clock and women's breasts. The district house, the projecting late-Gothic building, was the place from which the bailiff or stadtholder promulgated the laws for the people who gathered on the Grote Markt. Five statues adorn the facade: Lady Justice, Dirk van Aalst (the last count, died in 1166), Pieter Coecke (court painter), Emperor Charles V and Cornelius De Schrijver (humanist and Latin poet). Every month, all councilors gather here on the 1st floor for the council meeting. Source: https://www.visit-aalst.be/nl/beziensworthheden/belfort