Top 20 Castles around Pepinster

The following information is taken from an information panel on site: Framed by an avenue of protected purple beech trees, the Château de Dieupart presents itself in a significantly altered form today. Nevertheless, it retains an impressive late 17th-century façade on its southwest side, constructed of sandstone and limestone rubble. Some original architectural elements are still recognizable, including tall, round-arched windows on the ground floor and characteristic relieving arches. The history of the site begins in the 15th century, when an ironworks with a blast furnace and forge developed here. In 1889, parts of these old facilities were converted into a power station. Later, the château was repurposed and transformed into a camping and caravanning center. On the heights above Dieupart, there once stood another château, the "Vieux-Jardin" (Old Garden). This medieval structure no longer exists; it was destroyed in 1286 by John I of Brabant. According to legend, some of the limestone blocks used in the Church of Saints-Anges in Dieupart came from this former fortress. Remnants of the structure can still be found in the woods above the southern slope of Dieupart. The Château de Dieupart has been a listed historical monument since December 11, 1986.

Nice place for a coffee stop! The Château also has a campsite with Dutch owners, hence the fact that you will also find bitterballen on the menu of the chateau.

The castle's origins date back to the 11th century. It was first documented in 1155, but the first buildings probably date back to the time of Bishops Henry of Verdun (1075–1091) and Otbert (1091–1119). As one of twelve residences of the Prince-Bishop of Liège, it served to defend the eastern border of the principality.

Limburg but in Liège, with a big dash of history...

Nice terrace in the sun

This former town hall, built between 1681 and 1687, hosts exhibitions and houses a model of Limburg from the year 1632. The portal is decorated with a shield of the Burgundian cross. In the basement you will find one of the oldest seals in the city.

The fact that Belgium and the Netherlands both have a province of Limburg is "thanks" to this former fortified city on the Vesder in the current province of Liège known as Limbourg, with its beautiful centre and once the capital of a duchy, also called Limburg. Or rather: we actually "thank" it to King William I who decided in 1815 that the current provinces of Limburg, which in Belgium largely overlap with the former county of Loon, would be given the name of this former duchy. And that despite the fact that there was virtually no overlap between the territory of Limburg that had long belonged to the former States-General of the Netherlands and the current provinces. But William I did not want the name of that duchy in the land of Herve to be lost and got his way. Today, the former capital of the former Duchy of Limburg is, after a turbulent history, a beautiful village with a fascinating historical centre in the wonderful land of Herve and more than worth a visit, even though the character of a fortified town has somewhat disappeared over time. And the province of Limburg in Belgium? Historically, it would have been much better called the province of Loon or, it is blasphemy, one with the province of Liège, whereby the current Limburg had little to do with Flanders and, together with Liège, was always much closer to Germany. Only many do not like to hear that historical reality.

Franchimont: a former fortress of the Bishop of Liège in the north of the Belgian Ardennes. The castle of Franchimont (province of Liège, municipality of Theux) was one of twelve residences and fortresses of the Principality of Liège. The fortress was first mentioned in writing in 1155, but the first buildings were probably built during the time of the bishops Henry of Verdun (1075-1091) and Otbert (1091-1119). During the feudal period, both bishops vigorously defended the principality. Nestled in the middle of "non-Liège" territories (Duchy of Limburg and Luxembourg, as well as the Principality of Stavelot), the country thus had not only a defense system, but also an administrative and judicial center where the representative of the Prince-Bishop resided. The castle defended a mark, a kind of border