Top 20 Castles around Herstal

The Water Castle was the center of the lordship of Millen or Milina, which was a fief of the County of Loon. It was first mentioned in 1143. The oldest known lord was Walter van Millen (Walterus de Milne), who was seneschal to Louis II of Loon. Successively, the lordship was owned by the families de Melin, Proest (1369), van Guygoven (1456), van Berloz (1479), van Houthem (1531), de Fléron (1625) and d’Hemricourt (1741). The castle was first mentioned in 1365. The original castle was transformed into a water castle in the 14th century. It then consisted of the older keep, which was expanded into a square water castle with a gate tower and two side towers. In the first half of the 17th century, the castle, which had fallen into ruin, was converted into a castle. It became a comfortable nobleman's residence without military significance. From the 18th century onwards, the castle was no longer permanently inhabited and fell into disrepair. In 1811, it was bought by baron de Blisia, after which a large part of it was demolished, including the keep and the tower on the southwest side. Only the east and west wings remained and have since served as a farm. In 1972, the remains of the castle were purchased by the municipality and restored. The 14th-century left tower, made of marlstone, has a Gothic vault. It is part of the east wing, the age of which may date back to the 12th century. Today, the castle houses a museum that depicts the life of the nobility in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is also a hub for a number of cycling routes in the surrounding area that focus on the fortified past of the Euregio. The building also houses a tourist café, and the water castle is freely accessible.

Always interesting to read. You will definitely learn something.

The Château de Colonster is located in Sart-Tilman, on a rock overlooking the Ourthe valley, on the edge of the city of Liège. The castle and its park have been the property of the University of Liège since 1963. The first references to the castle date back to the fourteenth century. The castle owes its current appearance to Maximilian-Henry of Horion, Count of Horion. The interior of the castle is the work of artist Paul-Joseph Delcloche. In 1966, a fire destroyed a large part of the castle. The restoration and conversion took place under the direction of the architects Henri Lacoste and Jean Opdenberg.

The Château de Colonster is located in Sart-Tilman, on a rock overlooking the Ourthe valley, on the edge of the city of Liège. The castle and its park have been the property of the University of Liège since 1963. The first references to the castle date back to the fourteenth century. The castle owes its current appearance to Maximilian-Henry of Horion, Count of Horion. The interior of the castle is the work of artist Paul-Joseph Delcloche. In 1966, a fire destroyed a large part of the castle. The restoration and conversion took place under the direction of the architects Henri Lacoste and Jean Opdenberg.

Basement and moated main building in Maasland Renaissance style, consisting of a rectangular west and south wing, which enclose a square, partly paved castle square in a hook shape. The castle is built in red brick interrupted by marlstone bands and rests with the castle square on a substructure of brick and bluestone blocks. As such, the castle was built or completed in 1636, five years after the marriage of Arnold de la Margelle to Margaretha Anna Francisca van Bocholtz. This event is commemorated by a facade stone above the gate on the south side of the south facade, where the front of the castle is located. In archive documents from 1633 present at the castle, there is mention of an architect Servais Charles, who may have been the builder of the castle. Traces of construction in the foundation in the form of a fire layer approx. 2.75 meters below the castle square give rise to the suspicion that the castle was built on the site of an older building. Source and full description via Monumenten.nl at https://www.monumenten.nl/monument/421723

Tip: if you keep walking straight ahead from the main entrance you will reach the Maas. Look left and you will see a small path. Walk a few meters on it and see how the Voer flows into the Maas here. A beautiful view of a surprisingly peaceful spot on the beautiful grounds of the castle where you also walk a beautiful piece of wild garlic path.

The park features works from the Musée en Plein Air, including the two sculptures "Movement through Time and Space" (Stainless steel / Artist: Thierry Bontridder) and "Joie de vivre" (Bronze / Artist: Rik Wouters). Source: https://www.campus.uliege.be/cms/c_2223166/en/b25-colonster-castle

This place bears witness to a rich past. It probably all started in the 12th century with a fortified residential tower, which was converted into a moated castle, a military stronghold, during the 14th century. In the 16th century, this stronghold was converted into a residential castle in the Maasland Renaissance style. In the meantime, the moated castle was restored and given a new purpose, namely a tourist information café and a Euregional visitor centre for 'castles and fortifications in the Euregio Maas-Rhine'.