Top 20 Castles around Damme

Step back in time at Kasteel Tillegem, one of the best-preserved castles in the Bruges region. This impressive castle, surrounded by a wide moat and ancient trees, exudes pure medieval charm. During your tour through the Tillegembos forest, you will walk or cycle past this iconic heritage site, where history and nature blend seamlessly. The stately towers, the surrounding water, and the tranquil environment make it a particularly atmospheric place. Kasteel Tillegem is a real eye-catcher and a beloved stop for photographers, hikers, and heritage enthusiasts. It is certainly worth stopping here. A timeless highlight that you should not miss.

A beautiful old castle surrounded by a lake/moat. You can walk all the way around the castle and admire it from every angle.

A very large forest with various amenities, including a tea room and restaurant. There's also a herb garden and a farm where you can buy ice cream.

After the Tillegembos (Bruges) and the Palingbeek (Ypres), the Lippensgoed-Bulskampveld became the third provincial domain of West Flanders. In 1970, 201 ha of forest, agricultural land, park, castle and associated farms were purchased and opened to the public after construction and development. The Lippensgoed-Bulskampveld was the largest public domain in West Flanders for a long time. In the 1980s, the castle garden was transformed into a didactic herb garden and the exhibition of agricultural materials in galleries around the herb garden was established. In 1990, one of the leased farms within the provincial domain became available. In order to increase the recreational opportunities, various afforestations were carried out there and new avenues were created. With an additional acquisition of 17 ha in 1992, the surface area was increased to 218 ha. About 10 years later, in 2003, 6 ha of St-Amandus were rented and integrated into the existing domain via an educational nature trail. Finally, in 2005, about 8 ha of forest were purchased and added to the public domain, bringing the total to 232 ha. (Province of West Flanders)

From 1654, the castle park on Kasteelstraat in Lozer was owned by the della Faille d'Huysse family. In the 17th century, the beautiful castle was called "t Goed Uplosere". The block-shaped castle received its current classicist appearance during renovations in the 18th century. From Kasteelstraat you can see the symmetrical rear facade. From Appelhoekstraat you have a view of the facade. The 19th century park in English landscape style consists of ponds, winding paths, bridges and accessories such as a walled vegetable garden, a caretaker's house, a dog kennel, a coach house, a tower-shaped garden pavilion, a courtyard and a gatehouse. From the castle grounds, a double avenue leads to the Church of Our Lady of Assistance. Source: https://www.kruisem.be/kasteel-della-faille-dhuyse-lozer-0

The Minnewater lake is located in a very beautiful park landscape within the old fortifications of Brüggen. On the east bank is the striking neo-Gothic castle of the noble de la Faille family, which was built in 1893 according to a design by the architect Karel De Wulf. On the west side, on Professor Doctor Joseph Sebrechtsstraat, is the former building of the Minnewater clinic. After the neo-Gothic 175-meter-long building initially served as a Catholic hospital and was occupied by the German occupying forces from 1917 during the First World War, the nuns returned and used it until 1933. From 1947 to 1977, Joseph Sebrechts used it as an operating room for the adjacent St. John's Hospital. It is currently a residential and care center with a palliative care department. By the bridge is the Poertoren Tower, which served as an ammunition depot under the regime of the time. Poer is a dialect word for gunpowder. For many centuries, the site of today's Minnewater Park was used as a bleaching meadow. The oldest mention of this term dates back to 1580. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the site was still used as a bleaching plant. Then it was divided up and passed into the possession of various owners. On part of it, Ludovic Fraeys de Veubeke had a neo-Gothic castle, Het Fraeyhuis, built and a garden laid out. The castle was demolished in 1969. The gatehouse and some of the linden trees in the garden were preserved. At the beginning of the 1970s, the city council and in particular Mayor Michel Van Maele asked themselves whether the construction of a villa suburb was still justified and whether, on the contrary, the creation of a public park should not be preferred. By deed of August 9, 1974, the city became the owner of the 1.55 hectare site. The design of the park had two objectives: firstly, to complete the tourist pedestrian route near the Minnewater and secondly, to create a green area with various passive recreation functions. The basic structure of the new park was outlined using the valuable remains of the Fraeyhuis gardens. Construction began in 1977 and it was opened in 1979. Shortly afterwards, the park was expanded by another half a hectare through the purchase of two adjacent plots of land.

For most visitors, Minnewater is just a beautiful water park. But it is the beginning of a system of canals that runs through the entire city.

Beisbroek Castle was built in 1830 in the 98 hectare green domain Beisbroek. Inside the castle you will find the Nature Center and the Public Observatory. You will learn all about nature on land and the stars in the sky! (Brugse Ommeland)