Top 20 Castles around Bilzen

The story of Alden Biesen does not begin in Limburg, but at the scorching gates of besieged Acre. In 1190, German merchants built a field hospital there with the sails of their ships, intended for sick pilgrims and wounded crusaders. What began as an act of care and solidarity grew into the establishment of the Teutonic Order; a spiritual order of knights that was soon recognized by the Pope and the Emperor. In our region too, the Teutonic Order left its mark. In the thirteenth century, an impressive commandery was established in Rijkhoven near Bilzen: Alden Biesen, the headquarters of the bailiwick of Biesen, which managed dozens of properties in the region. For centuries, this domain was a center of power, wealth, and religious influence. But at the end of the eighteenth century, disaster struck. During the French Revolution, the property of the Teutonic Order was confiscated. In 1797, Guillaume Claes, the mayor of Hasselt, bought the domain and saved it from demolition. Nevertheless, it fell into disrepair, and in 1971, a severe fire destroyed almost the entire castle. Only the walls remained standing. Fortunately, the Flemish government intervened, and a thorough restoration followed. Today, Alden Biesen is once again a vibrant heritage site where you can relive the past in the castle, the garden, and the museum. Want to know more? Click through to https://www.alden-biesen.be/geschiedenis

A Landkommande (command post) was a regional administrative and economic unit of a religious military order, primarily the Teutonic Knights. It served as: • an administrative center for the surrounding holdings (farms, villages, lands), • an economic base for financing military and charitable activities, • the residence of the Landkomtur (commander), who held regional leadership. Chronological development: c. 1220 --> Establishment of the settlement by the Teutonic Knights --> Beginning as a regional administrative and economic unit 13th–14th centuries --> Expansion into the central Landkommande of the Bailiwick of Biesen --> Establishment as an important administrative center in the area of what is now the southern Netherlands 15th century --> Consolidation of the Order's rule; Economic stabilization --> Securing income from agriculture and taxes 16th century --> Effects of the Reformation and religious conflicts --> Political and religious tensions, but the commandery continued to exist 17th century --> Baroque expansion into a representative castle complex --> Transformation from a fortified complex to a prestigious residence 18th century --> Golden age as the seat of the Bailiwick of Biesen --> Administrative center with cultural significance 1794–1795 --> French revolutionary troops occupy the region --> Expropriation of the Order's property, end of the Order's rule 19th century --> Private use and structural alterations --> Loss of the original administrative function 1971 --> Major fire destroys large parts of the complex --> Severe structural damage From the 1970s onwards --> Restoration by the Belgian heritage authorities --> Re-establishment as a historical cultural monument Today --> Cultural and event center used for exhibitions, conferences, concerts, and tourism

Beautiful avenue leading directly to the moated castle

You are not allowed to walk in this area without visiting the Landcommanderij Alden Biesen. Several hiking trails also run across the grounds of the Lancommanderij. Alden Biesen is usually free to enter. If events are taking place, you may have to purchase an entrance ticket. Check this in advance on the website https://www.alden-biesen.be

Very nice walking route along the chateau. Beautiful panorama. With a house in the valley below that used to be the border post.

Neercanne Castle was built on the original site of Roman fortifications, the caves of which still exist and are used as wine cellars. The original staircase with a banister on wide columns is still in the hall. The ceiling features relief depictions of weapon trophies. The castle is currently in use as a hotel and restaurant.

The history of Bokrijk goes back to the thirteenth century when the Count of Loon sold the forest ‘Buscurake’ to the sisters of the abbey of Herkenrode who had a model farm built there. The castle was only built in 1891 by Edgard Maris, a rentier from Hasselt. He had bought the entire Bokrijk estate from the Coghen family in 1889. Maris had a castle built in the Maasland neo-Renaissance style on the site where the old manor farm stood. However, Maris got into financial difficulties and three years later the estate came into the hands of Count Ferdinand de Meeûs, who expanded the castle with a right wing and chapel and laid out the park with roads and avenues. The Count died in 1916 and his family sold the estate to Jewish brokers from Germany. After the liberation, in 1918, the estate was seized. It was not until 1928 that the Boerenbond became the owner and sold the domain to the provincial government of Limburg in 1938. In the fifties, the province decided to set up an open-air museum of rural and urban living and living culture through the centuries, which opened in 1958. In 2008, the castle was renovated again and made suitable for conference rooms, equipped with modern communication means and equipment. (Along castles and fortresses)

The Cannerbos is very compact and can therefore be walked in a morning or afternoon. You could say that the forest consists of floors, so you can view and walk nature from below and from higher up. Chateau Neercanne is located on the edge of the Cannerbos. This castle is the only terraced castle in the Benelux. Daniël Wolf van Dopff built this impressive castle in 1698.