Belgium: check out the Ter Elst castle ruins in Duffel


I stopped by this castle Ter Elst in Duffel on my way back to the Netherlands from the Hallerbos enchanted forest in Brussels. It is close to the city of Antwerp.

This castle dates back to at least the 12th century (the first writings about this castle have been found from that time) . It was used as a residence for nobles. Just after the French revolution in 1789 and after the revolutionaries pillaged the castle, it was sold to Louis Hermans, a lawyer from Antwerp, who restored it.  It was abandoned at the beginning of the 20th century after heavy damage from the First World War. The city council bought it in the 1970’s and started to renovate it.  When I went there, it was closed and it not possible to visit it.

It’s really lovely to walk around there, the castle is located on an islet in a park, and with nice weather, it must be super nice to have a picnic there! or if you are in the area, it’s a lovely little walk over there! That’s what I did ?

Some pictures of the Ter Elst castle ruins:

See my other posts on Belgium

Categories: Belgium, Europe, HistoryTags: , , , , , , , ,

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